Branding strategies in the context of startup companies has been vaguely investigated. This is surprising since companies in the early startup phase recognize a need to quickly create brand equity in order to differentiate themselves from competitors to rise above the clutter in the market space. The objective of this study is therefore to investigate what branding strategies Swedish technology startup companies employ to create brand equity. Founders of four Swedish startup companies within the technology industry has been interviewed in order to gain insight in the context of startup companies and what branding strategies they employ. The authors present some common denominators between the branding strategies that are used. It is concluded that it is crucial for startups to create brand awareness. It is also recognized that startups rarely communicate company values. Instead, functional benefits and product characteristics are often communicated. Lastly, it appears that the overarching branding strategy of the studied startup companies is their emphasis on the importance of being perceived as different compared to competitors.