What SOUTHWORKS does

SOUTHWORKS is a privately held, founder-owned software engineering services firm founded in 2004 by Alejandro Jack (CEO) and Johnny Halife (CTO), with global headquarters in London and operating roots across Latin America. The company operates a 'Development on Demand' delivery model that deploys three-person senior engineering 'Fireteams' for week-long sprints at a publicly published rate of $18,000 USD per Fireteam per week, with a monthly billing option of ~$72,000 and no long-term contracts required. It has grown to 400+ developers across 10 countries spanning Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Spain, and Israel.

The company's core technology stack is built on Microsoft Azure (Azure OpenAI Service, Azure AI Foundry, Azure AI Search, Azure Cosmos DB, Azure Container Apps, Azure AI Content Understanding, Azure Computer Vision, Azure Speech Services) and AWS (Lambda, API Gateway, Aurora, DynamoDB, SNS), with 130+ engineers holding AWS accreditations, 32 Microsoft certifications, and three Microsoft Gold Competencies (Application Development, Data Analytics, Data Platform). Beyond staffing services, Southworks has productized a portfolio of AI solutions for media and entertainment — including Story Spark (AI short video generation), AI Reel Maker, Smart Video Metadata Enrichment & Search (Smart VCMS), Smart Video Cropping, Live Sports Events Detection, AI-Powered Video Storytelling with VoiceOver and Avatars, and an RAG-based conversational chatbot (Azure AI Foundry + GPT-4o) — demonstrated in production use cases with the NFL Combine AI Assistant and the Indiana Pacers' live arena captioning service.

Southworks generates revenue primarily through professional-services Fireteam engagements, with named enterprise customers across media & entertainment (BBC, Discovery, Roku, Haivision, Harmonic, Twitch), sports (NFL, PGA Tour, Indiana Pacers, Life Time, Olympic Games), gaming (Cloud9), retail (7-Eleven), and events technology (StageConnect). It also derives partner-driven demand through its 20+ year strategic relationship with Microsoft, AWS Advanced Tier partnership, and alliances with Kmeleon, Avid, Evertz, MediaKind, V-Nova, and the BBC Digital Services Framework IV. The firm maintains ISO 9001:2015, AICPA SOC 2 Type 1, HIPAA mapping, GDPR/CCPA, and Microsoft Supplier DPRs compliance, enabling it to serve regulated enterprise and public-sector workloads.

Name

SOUTHWORKS

Legal name

SOUTHWORKS LLC

Website

https://southworks.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

SOUTHWORKS is a privately held software engineering services firm founded in 2004 that deploys senior 3-person Fireteams for week-long sprints at $18,000/Fireteam/week, specializing in AI and cloud-native development on Microsoft Azure and AWS for enterprise clients in media, sports, gaming, and broadcast.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Software Engineering Services

NAICS

Custom Computer Programming Services (541511), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (5415), Other Computer Related Services (541519)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming Services (7371), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)

akta.pro primary industry

AI/ML Engineering & Model Development Services (BPAEAHAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Industry/Domain Analytics Solutions & Accelerators (BPAEAHAK), AI Application Enablement Platforms (Copilot/Agent Frameworks, SDKs) (HDAEANAJ), Software/Application Support (SaaS, Enterprise Apps) (BPAAACAC)

Keywords

• Nearshore software development
• Cloud engineering services
• AI media solutions
• Cloud migration services
• Dedicated development teams

Headquarters

HQ city

Wilmington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Services - Fireteam Engagements: Week-long sprints delivered by 3-person senior engineering Fireteams. Clients engage for specific projects requiring high-quality, scalable software development. The model is flexible with no long-term contracts required, allowing clients to scale up or down based on project needs. Revenue is generated through weekly billing at a flat rate per Fireteam.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

SOUTHWORKS sells a "Development on Demand" professional services model that deploys elite 3-person Fireteams of senior software engineers for focused week-long sprints to deliver production-grade enterprise software. The company specializes in AI + cloud engineering on Microsoft Azure and AWS, including AI-powered media workflows, cloud migration and modernization, and cloud security, with a portfolio of pre-built AI products for content ideation, creation, distribution, and monetization in media, entertainment, sports, and gaming.

Product overview

SOUTHWORKS is a software engineering services company operating a 'Development on Demand' model that deploys elite Fireteam trios to build production software for clients. The company's AI solutions for media and entertainment are showcased as a portfolio of AI-powered products centered around the content lifecycle: Story Spark (AI-powered short creator) and AI Reel Maker (idea to video) handle ideation and creation; AI-Powered Video Storytelling with VoiceOver and Avatars and Smart Video Metadata Enrichment & Search (Smart VCMS) support production and content management; Smart Video Cropping and Live Sports Events Detection enable distribution and monetization. These solutions are delivered as engineering services combined with AI-powered development, cloud-native architecture, and elite engineering teams working with hyperscalers like Microsoft Azure and AWS. The company specializes in Telco, Media & Gaming, Health & Life Sciences, Manufacturing & Retail, and Innovation & Technology sectors across 20+ years of global delivery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Development on Demand: The company's service delivery model featuring Fireteam-based software engineering with transparent pricing, flexible contracting, and time zone affinity.
• Fireteams
• AI Showcase

Products and services

• Development on Demand A professional services model that deploys elite 3-person Fireteams of senior engineers (1 lead developer + 2 software engineers) for week-long sprints to deliver production-grade software, billed at a flat weekly rate with transparent pricing and flexible contracting for enterprise clients.
• AI + Copilots Service offering to build intelligent systems and AI experiences, including tailored copilots and intelligent agents, designed and delivered in close collaboration with leading hyperscalers like Microsoft Azure and AWS for enterprise customers.
• Cloud Migration & Modernization Service offering for cloud evolution including migration and modernization, delivering seamless migrations regardless of complexity, leveraging Microsoft Azure and AWS capabilities.
• Cloud Security Security service leveraging hyperscaler technology to prevent unauthorized access and protect enterprise platforms against security and cyber threats.
• Story Spark AI-powered creative pipeline that transforms simple concepts into fully produced short videos, generating scripts, scenes, dialogue, and consistent visual narratives in minutes through intelligent guided workflows for media and entertainment teams.
• AI Reel Maker Multimodal AI solution that transforms ideas into promo reels, highlight clips, news summaries, and social-ready videos using AI for script generation, voiceovers, clip discovery, and automated editing for media and entertainment teams.
• AI-Powered Video Storytelling with VoiceOver and Avatars AI solution that converts scripts into dynamic video clips using AI-generated voiceovers and lifelike avatars, enabling human-like storytelling at scale using RAG-based scene selection and Azure Speech Services for content creators.
• Smart Video Metadata Enrichment & Search (Smart VCMS) AI solution that automatically generates rich metadata, captions, and insights from video assets, enabling natural-language search and semantic content discovery across video libraries for media organizations.
• Smart Video Cropping AI solution that automatically adapts videos to any aspect ratio by identifying and framing the most important visual moments in each shot for consistent output across formats and platforms.
• Live Sports Events Detection AI solution that detects key events from live sports broadcasts in near real time to generate highlights, improve fan experiences, and unlock new engagement and monetization opportunities for sports broadcasters and leagues.
• NFL Combine AI Assistant AI assistant integrated into the NFL Combine App using Azure OpenAI Service, Azure Container Apps, and Azure Cosmos DB to deliver fast, accurate answers to natural language questions in real time, helping NFL coaches and scouts evaluate talent faster.
• Conversational AI Chatbot Natural language chatbot solution built on Azure AI Foundry, Azure OpenAI Service (GPT-4o), Azure AI Search, and Azure AI Content Understanding that enables content navigation and discovery through conversational AI with RAG pattern implementation for events and enterprise hubs.
• StageConnect Interactive Events Platform Bespoke cloud platform for managing events and participants built on AWS Lambda, Amazon Aurora, Amazon DynamoDB, Amazon API Gateway, and Amazon SNS, enabling dynamic audience layouts for virtual and hybrid interactive events.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced NFL Combine data query time from hours to seconds for scouts and coaches
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability13 records

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• MicrosoftflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2025Over 20-year strategic partnership focused on cloud and AI solutions on Azure platform. Southworks is Microsoft Partner Network Gold Competency holder in Application Development, Data Analytics, and Data Platform. Joint customer engagements include NFL Combine AI, Indiana Pacers Azure AI Foundry, and interactive chatbot for Microsoft NAB Sports Business Hub. Southworks won 2025 Microsoft Partner of the Year Gaming Award and was finalist for Innovate with Azure AI Platform Award.
• KmeleoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2024Strategic alliance to advance enterprise AI solutions, combining Southworks' software engineering expertise with Kmeleon's Generative AI capabilities. Partnership aims to deliver specialized and impactful AI solutions to global enterprises and set new industry standards for enterprise AI adoption.
• V-NovacoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2024Certified integration partner for V-Nova LCEVC (Low Complexity Enhancement Video Coding), providing integration services for the video compression technology across customer deployments.
• BBCflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2024Secured place on BBC Digital Services Framework IV, enabling Southworks to be engaged for complex, high-profile digital projects for the British Broadcasting Corporation.
• Jesus College OxfordminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Southworks Digital Hub partnership supporting Jesus College Oxford's Digital Hub in the Northgate building. Funded by Southworks CEO Alejandro Jack, the partnership includes a Career Development Fellow position (Dr. Janina Schupp) and founding partnership of the Digital Media Lab, advancing digital scholarship and streaming technologies.
• AWS for Media & Entertainment InitiativecoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2024Announced support for AWS for Media & Entertainment initiative from Amazon Web Services, positioning Southworks as a recommended partner for media companies adopting AWS cloud solutions.
• Amazon Web Services (AWS)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 September 2020AWS Select Consulting Partner in both AWS Partner Network and Public Sector Partner Program. More than 130 Southworks employees pursued AWS training with 70+ achieving accreditations. Supports AWS for Media & Entertainment initiative. Built StageConnect platform on AWS Lambda, API Gateway, Aurora, DynamoDB, and SNS.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Globant: Large LATAM-based digital engineering and IT services firm offering AI/cloud development, gaming, and media solutions. Directly competes with Southworks for nearshore premium engineering talent in Argentina and Uruguay, with overlapping Microsoft Azure and AI engagements.
• BairesDev: LATAM-headquartered nearshore software development firm deploying vetted senior engineers to US/EU clients. Closest direct peer to Southworks' Development on Demand / Fireteam model in terms of staffing structure, talent sourcing, and time-zone-aligned delivery.
• CI&T: Brazil-anchored digital and AI engineering services provider with nearshore nearshore delivery to North America. Comparable on AI/cloud engineering depth, enterprise client mix, and LATAM nearshore value proposition.
• Thoughtworks: Global custom software engineering and digital transformation firm with premium positioning and deep technology practices (AI, cloud, data). Comparable to Southworks in senior-engineer-heavy delivery model and Microsoft/AI-centric enterprise work.
• EPAM Systems: Large nearshore-heavy digital engineering services firm with strong media & entertainment, financial services, and gaming practices. Overlaps with Southworks on AI engineering delivery, Microsoft relationship, and senior-engineer sourcing in Eastern Europe and LATAM.
• Endava: Technology services firm combining nearshore delivery centers with senior engineering culture to serve enterprise clients on cloud, data, and AI. Comparable in delivery model (distributed engineering teams, Microsoft/AI practice), though with smaller LATAM footprint.
• SoftServe: IT services and custom software engineering firm with nearshore delivery from Eastern Europe and LATAM. Overlaps with Southworks on AI/cloud services and Microsoft Azure practice, and on enterprise media & entertainment clients.
• Kin + Carta: International digital transformation and custom engineering consultancy with Microsoft/AI practices. Comparable to Southworks in Microsoft-heavy GTM, enterprise transformation delivery, and senior-engineer-led teams.

Broad incumbents

• Slalom: Large US-based enterprise technology consulting firm with significant Microsoft partnership and AI/cloud delivery practices. Competes for the same Fortune 500 AI/modernization mandates that Southworks wins, though with a strategy-first rather than build-first delivery model.
• Avanade: Joint Accenture-Microsoft venture specializing in Microsoft technologies including Azure AI and Copilot. Directly competes for Microsoft-cosold AI/cloud enterprise work and has the deepest Microsoft relationship in the SI ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• GitHubgithub.com/southworks
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/southworks
• Xx.com/southworks

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about SOUTHWORKS