Baronfig
SeedThe Apple of analog tools
Premium design-focused analog tools company crafting notebooks, pens, and workspace accessories for creative thinkers.
About
Baronfig is a modern design house devoted to the craft of thought, creating premium analog tools โ notebooks, pens, planners, and workspace accessories โ that are meant to be used, kept, and passed on. Founded in 2013 after a late-night conversation between friends Joey Cofone and Adam Kornfield about the ultimate notebook, the company launched on Kickstarter with their flagship Confidant notebook. Cofone emailed over 500 thinkers worldwide asking what they wanted in a notebook, then consolidated that feedback into a product that raised over $168K from 4,200+ backers โ 11x their original $15K goal. Based in New York City, Baronfig operates profitably as a bootstrapped lifestyle brand, producing in small batches with materials chosen to wear beautifully over time. Their Squire Pen was ranked #1 out of 100 pens by New York Magazine. The company has grown from notebooks into a full product line including pens, planners, bags, and branded corporate programs.
DailyDropout Take
Baronfig caught our eye as a rare analog-first company run with tech startup sensibility โ crowdsourcing product design from 500+ thinkers, launching via Kickstarter at 11x their goal, and building a profitable bootstrapped brand in an era when every startup chases venture capital. In a world drowning in screens, Joey Cofone and Adam Kornfield bet that beautifully designed physical tools would endure โ and their #1-ranked pen and devoted community proved them right.
Discovery signal: Exceptional Kickstarter traction (11x goal), bootstrapped profitability, strong brand loyalty among creative professionals, #1 pen ranking from New York Magazine
What Makes Them Unique
Baronfig combines Silicon Valley product-thinking with artisanal craft โ crowdsourcing design input from hundreds of thinkers worldwide, then manufacturing in small batches with materials chosen for durability and beauty. Unlike legacy stationery brands, they approach analog tools with the same intentionality that tech companies bring to digital products.
$168K+
Kickstarter Raised
4,200+
Kickstarter Backers
~9,000
Notebooks Sold (Kickstarter)
#1 of 100 (NY Mag)
Squire Pen Ranking
Target Markets
Founders
Joey Cofone
Co-Founder & CEO
Designer and author who approaches each product asking: 'Does this respect the ideas it's meant to hold or convey?' Previously studied graphic design and product design. Author and speaker on creativity and design philosophy.
Adam Kornfield
Co-Founder
Co-founded Baronfig with Joey Cofone after a late-night conversation about the perfect notebook. Background in finance โ left a six-figure job to co-launch the company.
Funding History
Lead: Kickstarter Backers