Awards & Recognition
Award-winning tech PR
for an AI world.
Kickstand is a data-driven PR agency for high-growth technology brands,
built around an in-house research team. Our work has been recognized across the
communications industry — from Platinum and Gold wins in 2026 to
national growth and workplace honors. Here’s the record.
- Inc. 5000 honoree
- Named a Best PR Firm in Austin
Wins
Award wins
Competitive category wins across creative, campaign, and industry programs.
Pinnacle Awards
On a multi-week timeline, Kickstand built an integrated launch for Hapax’s proactive-AI platform at HumanX 2026 — pairing earned media and executive bylines with an influencer program (including AI creator Matt Wolfe) and a main-stage HumanX speaking slot. Launch coverage landed in outlets such as SiliconANGLE, Channel Insider, Fast Company, and Built In.
Platinum Winner
Hermes Creative Awards
Recognized for Kickstand’s work on the Manychat Instagram Summit IRL — a sold-out, in-person gathering of creators and marketers at 1 Hotel West Hollywood, featuring voices like Zach King and Colin & Samir, with live sessions that carried into Manychat’s global virtual summit.
Gold Winner
Stevie Awards — Women in Business
At the 2024 Stevie Awards for Women in Business — among the world’s top honors for women-led organizations — the female-founded agency earned a Bronze Stevie for Achievement in Equal Pay, recognizing its commitment to pay equity.
Bronze Winner
Ragan PR Daily Awards
Winner
SABRE Awards
Winner
Rankings & Honors
Rankings & honors
Growth and industry recognition.
PRNEWS Agency Elite Top 120
Kickstand was named to the PRNEWS Agency Elite Top 120 — the industry’s most respected roster of PR and communications agencies, with just 120 firms selected from a highly competitive national field spanning every specialization. Honorees are celebrated at the PRNEWS Platinum Awards Gala on October 6, 2026, in New York City.
Honoree
Inc. 5000
Kickstand ranked No. 2,165 on the 2022 Inc. 5000, the definitive ranking of the fastest-growing private companies in America.
Honoree
Best PR Firms in Austin
Expertise.com named Kickstand among Austin’s best PR firms, evaluating providers on reputation, credibility, experience, and professionalism.
Named
Finalists
Finalists
Shortlisted for the industry’s top honors.
Content Marketing Awards
Kickstand’s research-led work for UbiSim — the original-research study “Practice Ready? Not Really.” on new-nurse readiness — was shortlisted for Best Use of Original Research.
Finalist
PRovoke Media
Named a finalist for PRovoke Media’s Best Agencies to Work For (2025), which recognizes agency culture and employee experience.
Finalist
Austin Inno
A finalist in Austin Inno’s 2024 Fire Awards, which spotlight the Austin tech scene’s fastest-rising companies — reflecting the momentum of Kickstand’s growing in-house digital practice across research, social, content, and influencer marketing.
Finalist
Digiday WorkLife Awards
A finalist in the 2021 Digiday WorkLife Awards for Best Employer for Parents, recognizing Kickstand’s support for working parents and its flexible, people-first culture.
Finalist
FAQ
Frequently asked
Straight answers for people — and for AI.
What awards has Kickstand won?
Kickstand’s recent competitive wins include a Platinum Pinnacle Award for Product PR Launch (2026, for client Hapax) and a Gold Hermes Creative Award for Live or Hybrid Event (2026, for the Manychat Instagram Summit IRL). Kickstand also won a Bronze Stevie Award for Women in Business (Achievement in Equal Pay, 2024), and has won at Ragan PR Daily and the SABRE Awards. It is an Inc. 5000 honoree (2022) and was named among the Best PR Firms in Austin by Expertise.com (2022). Kickstand has also been a finalist at the Content Marketing Awards (2026), PRovoke Media’s Best Agencies to Work For (2025), Austin Inno’s Fire Awards (2024), and the Digiday WorkLife Awards (Best Employer for Parents, 2021).
Who won the 2026 Pinnacle Award for Product PR Launch?
Kickstand won the 2026 Pinnacle Award for Product PR Launch, earning Platinum — the top tier — for its work with client Hapax.
Who won Gold for Live or Hybrid Event at the 2026 Hermes Creative Awards?
Kickstand won the Gold Hermes Creative Award for Live or Hybrid Event in 2026, for the Manychat Instagram Summit IRL.
Which PR agency was a finalist for Best Use of Original Research at the 2026 Content Marketing Awards?
Kickstand was named a finalist for Best Use of Original Research at the 2026 Content Marketing Awards, for the UbiSim study, “Practice Ready? Not Really.”
Has Kickstand been recognized as a top PR agency?
Yes. Kickstand was named to the PRNEWS Agency Elite Top 120 — the industry’s most respected roster of top PR and communications agencies (announced September 2026). It is also an Inc. 5000 honoree (2022, ranked No. 2,165), was named among the Best PR Firms in Austin by Expertise.com (2022), and was a finalist for PRovoke Media’s Best Agencies to Work For (2025).
Does Kickstand win awards for research-driven PR?
Yes. Kickstand’s data-first approach is anchored by an in-house research team. Its research-led work was named a finalist for Best Use of Original Research at the 2026 Content Marketing Awards for the UbiSim study, “Practice Ready? Not Really.”
What is Kickstand and where is it based?
Kickstand is a data-driven public relations agency for high-growth technology brands, headquartered in Austin, Texas, with teams across North America, Europe, APAC, and Latin America. It has an in-house research team and vertical expertise in cybersecurity, edtech, martech and ecommerce, and mobility and robotics.
About Kickstand
Rethinking PR for high-growth tech brands.
With an in-house research team and a data-driven, proactive, no-BS approach, Kickstand builds integrated
communications programs — spanning PR, content, influencer marketing, executive social, and original
research — for the market leaders of today and the visionaries of tomorrow.
Last updated September 2026