If a dream collaboration were to happen, which brand would you most like to see it with?
On September 11, 2026, NuPhy launched “Custom Keyboard Projects,” a custom keyboard service for companies and brands.
The case study featured a collaboration with Raycast, a company that develops application launchers.
It quickly became a hot topic on social media and generated a huge buzz, selling out within five hours of its release.
Since NuPhy announced its business-to-business services shortly thereafter, the collaboration with Raycast can be seen as a model case that foreshadows future B2B expansion.
Personally, I feel that these collaborative efforts are quite effective as a way to attract the attention of people who haven’t been interested in keyboards before.
In this column, we’ll explore the possibilities that arise when a brand and a keyboard manufacturer collaborate, using the NuPhy × Raycast partnership as an example.
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NuPhy Launches Custom Keyboard Business for Enterprises
“Custom Keyboard Projects,” launched by NuPhy, is a custom keyboard service aimed at companies, brands, teams, and communities.
According to the official guide, the following elements can be customized:
| Product | Customization Examples |
|---|---|
| keycap | Color Schemes and Logo Keys |
| Logo | Company and Brand Logos |
| Nameplate | Custom Plate with Brand Name |
| Package | Original Packaging |
One of the projects featured is the “NuPhy Air75 V3 Raycast Edition.”
Based on the Air75 V3, it incorporates Raycast’s signature color scheme and features 14 custom keycaps, including a dedicated Hyper key.
This is more than just a keyboard with a logo added—it’s a collaboration that embodies Raycast’s features and workflows right in the hardware itself.
Collaboration Will Be the Gateway to the Keyboard Market
This is the main point of the column.
What’s interesting about this initiative is that NuPhy isn’t targeting only traditional keyboard users.
Even if you’re not familiar with keyboards, if you use Raycast on a daily basis, you might be interested in Raycast Edition.
In other words, the fans and users of our collaboration partners will serve as a new gateway to discovering the keyboard.
This can be described as a mechanism that allows keyboard manufacturers to reach audiences beyond their traditional target demographic.
On the other hand, for partner companies as well, keyboards can serve as a tool for expressing their brand.
Unlike typical merchandise such as T-shirts and mugs, keyboards are used on a daily basis for work and hobbies, so this is likely to boost awareness not only of the collaborating brand but also of the keyboard brand itself.
Collaborations with companies in other industries are becoming more widespread in Japan as well
In Japan, to commemorate its 30th anniversary, HHKB is launching collaborations with companies and brands from various industries.
In September 2026, the second collaboration between ZOZOTOWN and HHKB was announced.
These aren’t the keyboards themselves, but rather apparel and accessories—such as T-shirts, sweatshirts, and tote bags—created to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the HHKB.
Although NuPhy×Raycast takes a different approach to its products, there are commonalities in terms of introducing the brand to fans in different fields.
- NuPhy×Raycast incorporates the Raycast universe into the keyboard, creating a new connection between Raycast users and fans and the product.
- Through the HHKB × ZOZOTOWN collaboration, HHKB is expanding its brand culture into the apparel industry, broadening its reach beyond the keyboard market.
Although their approaches differ, they share a common goal: brand collaborations that expand their reach beyond existing markets.
A Collaboration Keyboard That’s More Than Just a Logo
When you hear the term “collaboration keyboard,” you might imagine a model that’s simply an existing product with a different color and an added logo.
However, as with Raycast Edition, if we can incorporate our partners’ services and culture into the features, the product will take it to the next level.
Tech companies might be able to enhance the compatibility between their keyboards and their own services by taking the following approach.
- Dedicated keys for invoking software functions
- Keycaps featuring the brand’s colors
- Legends Featuring Characters and Works
- Custom Layouts Tailored to Your Business Needs
- Brand-specific startup sounds and lighting effects
- Limited-edition designs for the product itself and its packaging
The significance of collaboration will likely grow even greater as it incorporates not only visual appeal but also “features that are unique to that company or service.”
The idea of viewing the keyboard as a place where brands and users interact on a daily basis is likely to gain even more traction in the future.
In that regard, wouldn’t a collaboration between a “keyboard”—something we use every day—and a brand create a powerful synergy for both parties?
Please tell us which collaboration keyboard you’d like.
If a keyboard manufacturer were to collaborate with your favorite company, brand, or service, what kind of product would you want?
At Greenkeys, we’re asking our readers to share their ideas for “collaboration keyboards they’d like to see.”
Please tell us the names of any companies, brands, or services that come to mind.
We welcome submissions across all genres, including companies, brands, web services, games, anime, and characters.
This survey is being conducted independently by Greenkeys to gauge interest in brand collaborations.
This survey was not commissioned by any specific keyboard manufacturers or companies, including NuPhy.
Survey responses will be aggregated in a way that does not identify individuals and may be featured in Greenkeys articles, market analyses, and materials for businesses.
Summary | Collaborative Keyboards Might Expand the Keyboard Market
That concludes our discussion on “How Corporate Collaborations May Contribute to the Expansion of the Keyboard Market,” as illustrated by the NuPhy case study.
I believe that the “keyboard market” in Japan has yet to break out of the realm of being “something enjoyed by niche users,” and that the market size is not all that large.
In particular, since the basic function of “entering text” is the same for any keyboard, I fully understand the sentiment that “it’s not worth spending a lot of money on one.”
On the other hand, with brand collaborations, there are people who choose products for reasons other than performance.
I want it because it’s a product from my favorite brand.
A dedicated key for the service I use every day seems handy.
I want to incorporate the world of a work or its characters into my desk.
These motivations provide an opportunity for people who haven’t had a strong interest in keyboards to try out the product.
For consumer-grade keyboards, features, convenience, and price have traditionally been the main selling points.
On the other hand, brand collaborations give rise to consumers who choose products for reasons different from those of the past—such as design, brand identity, and a sense of connection to the brand.
Furthermore, the “changing role of the keyboard within AI itself”—which I touched on in the column “If There Were an HHKB mini”—has the potential to give the keyboard even greater freedom.
From a keyboard as an input device to a wider variety of roles.
The role of the keyboard holds the potential to evolve into various aspects, such as “fashion,” “hobbies,” “the typing experience,” and “objects of appreciation.”
Collaborative keyboards with companies are one such possibility.
NuPhy’s launch of enterprise services based on its collaboration with Raycast demonstrates that a keyboard is not only an input device but can also serve as a medium for expressing a company or brand.
I’ve gradually started to feel firsthand how the role of the keyboard is changing.
- Originally published:
- Last updated:
- Research method: Original
- References/Citations:
- Conflicts of Interest: Product provided: None Monetized links in this article: None
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