What Six Feet Up does

Six Feet Up, Inc. is a privately held, woman-owned (WBENC-certified) custom software development consultancy founded in 1999 and headquartered in Fishers, Indiana. The firm delivers Python/Django-centric full-stack application development, AI/ML services, big data engineering, cloud migration and managed services, and technology advisory to enterprise and institutional clients, with named customers including NASA, the US Air Force, Capital One, Harvard, UCLA, Penn State, Notre Dame, Amtrak, FactSet, IEEE, NRDC, and UNEP. The company's core technology stack is anchored on Python, Django, React, Kubernetes, and the three major hyperscalers (AWS, Azure, GCP), augmented by Databricks for data engineering and proprietary assets including the Scaf™ open-source Kubernetes deployment bootstrap tool and the Flex6™ project delivery methodology.

Six Feet Up monetizes almost exclusively through project-based professional services engagements, with a stated budget range of $100k-$1m+ on its intake form and a consultative 'Project 5™' discovery meeting that funnels opportunities into multi-month or multi-year contracts. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales driven by thought-leadership content (technical blog, podcasts), community leadership as founders of IndyPy and the Python Web Conference, and recognition signals including Clutch Top Software Developers and a #60 ranking on the 2024 Clutch 1000. The firm has no external venture funding, no disclosed revenue, and headcount reported in the 11-50 range; customer concentration is diversified across government, education, financial services, and nonprofits but relies on a small number of large anchor engagements.

Operationally, the company commits 30% of engineering capacity to internal lab work, maintains on-staff AWS Hero (CTO Calvin Hendryx-Parker) and AWS partnership depth, and has formalized an 'IMPACTFUL Projects™' initiative to complete 100 purpose-driven software projects by 2033 (15 reported to date). Strategic posture emphasizes AI/ML service expansion (predictive analytics, anomaly detection, Gen AI/LLM, multimodal AI personas), cloud-native delivery, and the 'AI for Good' positioning narrative; historical inorganic activity is limited to the 2013 acquisition of Groundwire.

Name

Six Feet Up

Legal name

Six Feet Up, Inc.

Website

https://sixfeetup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Six Feet Up is a privately held, woman-owned Python and AI consultancy founded in 1999 that builds custom software, AI/ML, and big data solutions for enterprise and institutional clients including NASA, the US Air Force, Capital One, and leading universities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Custom Software Development Consulting

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (5182)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Data, Analytics & AI Consulting (BPAHAEAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Data & Analytics Operations Outsourcing (DataOps / MLOps) (BPAEAMAH)

Keywords

• Custom software development
• Python application development
• AI and machine learning services
• Big data engineering
• Cloud migration services

Headquarters

HQ city

Fishers

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Custom Software Development Consulting: Professional services revenue generated through custom software development engagements. Projects range from advisory/consulting to full application development, AI/ML implementation, and big data solutions. Contact form budget options suggest project sizes typically $100k-$1m+. The company operates as a consultancy with billable professional services as the primary revenue stream.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Six Feet Up is a consulting firm that builds custom Python/Django web, mobile, desktop, CMS, and IoT applications, and delivers AI/ML, big data, and cloud migration services for enterprise and government clients. Engagements are scoped, project-based, and executed using the firm's Flex6™ methodology and Scaf™ deployment tooling on AWS, Azure, and GCP.

Product overview

Six Feet Up is a Python and AI-focused custom software development consultancy offering a portfolio of integrated services. The core offerings include Custom Software Development (web, mobile, desktop, CMS/intranets, IoT), AI/ML Services (predictive analytics, anomaly detection, chatbots, Gen AI/LLM), Big Data Services (pipeline development and optimization), Cloud Services (infrastructure, migration, automation), and Advisory Services. The company differentiates through proprietary tools and methodologies including Scaf™ (a Kubernetes deployment bootstrap tool), the Flex6™ Process (project delivery methodology), TechX (executive roundtable program), and the IMPACTFUL Projects™ initiative. The company operates primarily as a services consultancy rather than a software product company, serving clients across healthcare, finance, SaaS, agriculture, and manufacturing sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Custom Software Development Full-stack custom application development services building web apps, mobile apps, desktop apps, CMSs/intranets, and IoT software using Python, Django, React, Plone, and other modern frameworks for enterprise and government clients.
• AI/ML Services Artificial intelligence and machine learning development services including predictive analysis, anomaly detection, text and image classification, chatbots, virtual assistants, and generative AI/LLM solutions leveraging OpenAI, LangChain, and Llama Index frameworks.
• Big Data Services Big data engineering services covering pipeline prototyping, CI/CD deployment, observability, and pipeline optimization for real-time decision-making across petabyte-scale healthcare, agriculture, and SaaS workloads.
• Cloud Services Cloud infrastructure services including AWS/Azure/GCP architecture, migration, automation, cloud-native development, CI/CD implementation, and AWS managed services (24/7 monitoring, quarterly patches, backups, ECS/EKS container services).
• Advisory Services Technology advisory consulting covering strategic insights, operational efficiency, prototype development, and technical planning that helps enterprise clients define scope and roadmaps before larger build engagements.
• Scaf™ Open-source project bootstrap tool that enables developers to deploy a Django site on Kubernetes in under 30 seconds, standardizing GitOps and Kubernetes workflows for fast, repeatable deployments.

Quantifiable outcome

• Deploy Django sites on Kubernetes in under 30 seconds using Scaf™
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability9 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• Amazon Web Services (AWS)coreTechnology or IntegrationSix Feet Up has a deep partnership with AWS, evidenced by having an AWS Hero (CTO Calvin Hendryx-Parker) on staff. The company specializes in AWS cloud services including migration, managed services, and serverless development. They offer AWS-specific services including AWS Migration, AWS Managed Services (24/7 monitoring, quarterly patches, backups), and AWS Container Services (ECS/EKS).
• Microsoft AzurecoreTechnology or IntegrationSix Feet Up provides Azure cloud services including Azure DevOps pipelines, Azure-based deployments, and cloud migration. Multiple projects utilize Azure infrastructure and the company has expertise in Azure Kubernetes Service.
• Google Cloud Platform (GCP)secondaryTechnology or IntegrationSix Feet Up demonstrates cross-cloud deployment capabilities with GCP expertise mentioned in technology stacks. Projects utilize GCP services for cloud-native development.
• DatabrickssecondaryTechnology or IntegrationDatabricks is listed as part of Six Feet Up's technology expertise for big data and data engineering projects, particularly around data lake and pipeline development.
• Kubernetes (CNCF)coreTechnology or IntegrationSix Feet Up is a strong proponent of cloud native technologies with deep Kubernetes expertise. They offer KubeCon sponsorships, Kubernetes training, and have helped the Linux Foundation bolster its Kubernetes training courses.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cuttlesoft: US-based Python/Django and cloud-native custom software consultancy. Closely comparable to Six Feet Up in technology stack, small-team boutique delivery model, and enterprise project-based engagements.
• Vinta Software: Python/Django and React boutique consultancy offering custom web app development, AI/ML integrations, and big-data pipelines for startups and enterprises. Comparable delivery focus on Python ecosystems and project-based consulting model.
• Imaginary Cloud: Portugal-based software consultancy specializing in Python/Django, AI/ML, and cloud-native development with a similar boutique delivery model serving enterprise clients in finance, healthcare, and energy.
• 8th Light: US-based custom software consultancy with deep Python and cloud-native expertise serving enterprise clients on long-term engagements. Comparable boutique scale and craft-focused delivery approach.
• Atomic Object: US custom software product consultancy serving mid-market and enterprise clients with embedded delivery teams. Comparable focus on bespoke application development and small-footprint consultancy economics.
• Thoughtbot: Design and development consultancy offering web and mobile application development with a Rails/Python developer community focus. Comparable boutique product-consulting model, thought leadership cadence, and self-published open-source tooling.
• Improving: US-based custom software development and consulting firm offering cloud, data, and AI services to enterprise clients. Comparable professional services portfolio and project-based pricing model with similar mid-size delivery teams.

Broad incumbents

• Slalom: Large US consultancy delivering cloud, data, and AI transformation across enterprise clients. Overlaps with Six Feet Up on cloud migration, data engineering, and AI/ML engagements, but operates at meaningfully greater scale and broader industry coverage.
• Globant: Global IT services and digital transformation firm with AI/ML, big data, and cloud-native delivery practices. Comparable enterprise engagements but vastly larger scale and a global delivery footprint that competes on price for the same RFPs.

Emerging players

• DataRobot: Enterprise AI platform combining ML Ops tooling with professional services for predictive analytics and GenAI implementations. Comparable AI/ML capability stack, though positioned as a platform plus services hybrid that competes for similar predictive analytics and GenAI/LLM use cases.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sixfeetup
• GitHubgithub.com/sixfeetup
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/sixfeetupcorp
• Facebookfacebook.com/sixfeetup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sixfeetup

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Six Feet Up