Guides
EXIST logo in 2 minutes – free and without design skills
How to generate a clean letter-based logo for your grant application and pitch deck using a free favicon tool.
Key takeaways
Open favicon.io/favicon-generator
Navigate to favicon.io/favicon-generator in your browser. The tool is free, requires no account, and runs entirely in the browser.
Enter your letter and choose a font
Type a single letter from your startup name in the text field. Then pick a font – Leckerli One, Raleway, Poppins, or Montserrat all work well for a clean lettermark.
Set colours and background shape
Set the font colour to '#08F' for a vivid blue (or your own brand colour). Set the background to '#FFF' or leave it transparent. Choose 'Rounded' as the background shape and set the size to 110.
Download and unzip
Click the Download button. Unzip the archive – you now have an .ico file and multiple PNG sizes ready to use.
Use the logo
Place the PNG on your application cover page, in the header of your pitch deck, and as a favicon on your website. The .ico file is for browser tabs and bookmarks. Later you can refine the mark in Canva or Figma – but for the application phase, a single well-styled letter is completely sufficient and looks professional.
Why a logo matters for early-stage applications
A grant application without a logo is almost as bad as a pitch deck without one. A simple and clean logo already makes a difference in EXIST applications. Reviewers read dozens of applications; visual polish signals that you take the project seriously. A lettermark takes two minutes – there is no excuse to skip it.
FAQ
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Written by
Julia Yukovich
Co-Founder + CEO
Julia is one of the Co-Founders. She handles design, product direction, and most of the support replies that arrive in the morning.
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