Xtern Software

What Xtern Software does

Xtern Software is a privately held, bootstrapped custom software development firm founded in 2002 and headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina. The company serves primarily small and mid-sized manufacturers running Fourth Shift ERP, alongside customers in higher education, nonprofits, and local government, building custom B2B applications, data integrations, and digital marketing systems. It is family-owned, led by founder/CEO Keir Davis and VP Sales Jennifer Davis, with a team of roughly 11–13 employees.

The company's product portfolio centers on three proprietary assets: CruxDB, a database positioned as an "AI Ready" knowledge layer; HarmonyB2B, a B2B content management and portal product launched in 2020; and HaystackCRM, a CRM offered on a freemium SaaS model. These products sit on top of, and connect to, Fourth Shift ERP installations and are deployed via AWS to support GDPR-compliant global hosting. Supporting services include B2B digital marketing, a Data Organization Service priced at $50 per 1,000 contacts, and a new AI consulting and development line.

The business model blends professional services (project-based custom development) with recurring revenue from HaystackCRM subscriptions and CruxDB/HarmonyB2B licensing. The firm reports approximately 98% repeat business, with roughly 70% of projects still in production and a 10-year average project age, supporting a stable, relationship-driven revenue base. Strategic channel relationships include AWS (cloud), ICG (web), and recurring presence at the Fourth Shift Summit, supplemented by a GIG internship pipeline with UNCG to feed local developer hiring.

Name

Xtern Software

Legal name

Xtern Software, Inc.

Website

https://xternsoftware.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Xtern Software is a bootstrapped Greensboro, NC software firm that builds custom B2B applications, integrations, and digital marketing systems primarily for manufacturers using Fourth Shift ERP, and productizes its work through CruxDB, HarmonyB2B, and HaystackCRM.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Custom B2B Software Development

NAICS

Software Publishers (5132), Custom Computer Programming Services (541511), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

B2B SaaS & Enterprise Personalization (CRM, Sales, Support) (HDAAAGAJ)

Keywords

• Custom software development
• B2B web development
• Mobile CRM software
• Cloud database services
• AI consulting solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Greensboro

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Software Development Services: Project-based custom software development engagements for B2B clients, primarily manufacturers, plus higher education, nonprofits, and local government. Recurring follow-on work drives 98% repeat business annually.
2. HaystackCRM SaaS Subscriptions: Subscription-based SaaS CRM with transparent tiered pricing. Free for individual users; paid plans for teams/multi-user accounts. Available on iOS, Android, and web console.
3. HaystackCRM Freemium / Free for Individual Users: Single-user free tier; serves as a funnel for paid multi-user plans and as a CSR/community gifting channel (e.g., Extreme Nonprofit Makeover donations).
4. HarmonyB2B & CruxDB Licensing / Enterprise Deployment: Enterprise-level cloud-hosted B2B CMS and database solutions, customized and deployed per customer; can be securely hosted in AWS.
5. B2B Digital Marketing Services: SEO strategy, SEO analysis, copywriting, graphic design, social media/blogs, email campaigns, and training as a managed/ongoing service bundled with custom software projects.
6. HaystackCRM Data Organization Service: Fee-based service at $50 per 1,000 contacts to clean up and import disparate customer data into HaystackCRM.
7. Pro-bono / Reduced-rate Nonprofit Software Development: Discounted or free custom software builds for community nonprofits as part of Xtern's volunteerism mission.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Xtern Software develops and sells three proprietary B2B software products — CruxDB (cloud database), HarmonyB2B (CMS), and HaystackCRM (mobile CRM) — primarily for manufacturers using Fourth Shift ERP. The company also delivers custom website, mobile/web app, digital catalog/kiosk, digital marketing, and AI consulting services, with 98% of revenue coming from repeat B2B clients on average ten-year project relationships.

Product overview

Xtern Software operates as a platform-plus-services architecture with three core B2B software products — CruxDB, HarmonyB2B, and HaystackCRM — supported by a suite of professional services. CruxDB is the foundational cloud-based database that web-enables legacy ERPs and stores product content; HarmonyB2B is a Content Management System tightly integrated with CruxDB to deliver B2B-focused websites, mobile apps, and digital catalogs/kiosks; and HaystackCRM is a mobile-first CRM that integrates with Fourth Shift ERP. Around these products, Xtern delivers services including custom Website development, Mobile & Web App development, Digital Catalogs & Kiosks, Digital Marketing, and AI consulting and development (agents, chatbots, custom solutions).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HaystackCRM: Mobile-first customer relationship management (CRM) application. Originally created internally at Xtern to manage their own customer relationships and spun off as a standalone product. The only fully integrated CRM for Fourth Shift ERP. Available as native iOS and Android apps plus a web console.
• HarmonyB2B
• CruxDB
• GIG (Gigs in Greensboro)

Products and services

• CruxDB Cloud-based database that provides secure storage and ready access to product data; web-enables legacy ERPs (including Fourth Shift) and serves as the foundation for HarmonyB2B and other custom app integrations. Now AI-ready, powering chatbots with deep product knowledge. Targets B2B manufacturers and other ERP-driven customers.
• HarmonyB2B Content Management System (CMS) integrated from the ground up with CruxDB with no plug-ins required. Secure, speedy, mobile-ready, B2B-focused, with Google SEO best practices and Google Analytics integration. Marketed as the fastest growing eCommerce platform for Fourth Shift ERP.
• HaystackCRM Mobile-first customer relationship management application with native iOS and Android apps plus a web console. Features teams/roles, GPS-based "Who's Near Me" mapping, voice-narrated notes, pinned notes, status tagging, dashboard recent-adds views, and ERP integration. Marketed as the only fully integrated CRM for Fourth Shift ERP.
• Websites Custom website design and development service focused on communicating complex information through speedy, secure sites, often built on the HarmonyB2B platform. Targets B2B customers needing custom sites that integrate with existing systems.
• Mobile & Web Apps Custom mobile and web application development that builds brand, solves antiquated business processes, and integrates seamlessly with existing systems. Targets B2B customers across manufacturing, higher education, nonprofits, and government.
• Digital Catalogs & Kiosks Digital catalog solutions that display real-time product information to customers in a variety of formats, including mobile and kiosk deployments. Targets B2B manufacturers and reps who need to share product catalogs digitally.
• Digital Marketing B2B-focused digital marketing service covering SEO strategy and analysis, copywriting, graphic design, social media, blogs, email campaigns, and training. Leverages SEMRush, Google Analytics, and Google Search Console. Targets B2B customers seeking bundled marketing and software engagements.
• AI Consulting and Development Collaborative AI services spanning AI Agents, Chatbots, Consulting, and Custom Solutions — including order-note parsing, return-note summarization, white-label product recommendation chatbots, AI-powered project dashboards, and ML-based product recognition models. Targets B2B customers looking to enhance existing business processes with AI.

Quantifiable outcome

• ~98% repeat business annually
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

AI capability9 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, moderate and minor.

• Amazon Web Services (AWS)coreTechnology or IntegrationXtern builds and hosts solutions on AWS. Founder Keir Davis is a certified AWS Solutions Architect. All custom software development is hosted reliably and securely on AWS infrastructure, including enterprise-scale deployments across regions (US and EU) for GDPR compliance.
• Innovative Consulting Group (ICG)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKnoxville-based business partner of 15+ years. Co-presents and co-markets at Fourth Shift Summit, focused on manufacturers using Fourth Shift ERP. ICG helps distribute Xtern's companion products for Fourth Shift.
• Connected CommonscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoston-based strategic partnership to develop and scale the Agility Accelerator, a rapid organizational network analysis platform. Xtern cleaned up code, made it scalable, moved to AWS, scaled from 200 to 2,000 participants, and migrated to EU servers in two weeks for GDPR compliance.
• Campus GreensborocoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMulti-year partnership (4+ years) for internship pipeline via Campus Greensboro Fellows Program. Co-developed the GIG (Gigs in Greensboro) Cohort Pilot for UNCG Computer Science majors (June 2024–May 2025) with paid internships, scholarship opportunities, and mentorship.
• United Way of Greater GreensborocoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership providing Excel/spreadsheet tutoring, computer literacy courses, IT career pathway education, and one-on-one job coaching to Family Success Center members. Includes twice-yearly service projects (toiletry kits).
• Community Housing Solutions (CHS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-year nonprofit partnership. Xtern built a custom database linking Home, Homeowner, and Project data with role-based permissions, enabling remote work and supporting CHS to repair more than 150 homes and $900,000 in homeownership preservation annually.
• UNCG Department of Computer Science (University of North Carolina at Greensboro)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeep partnership — Xtern founder Keir Davis teaches Programming Languages and sits on Industry Advisory Board; Senior Web Developer Ike Quigley teaches Software Engineering. Co-hosted annual 'Tech Trek' events for students. Source of majority of Xtern's technical hires.
• Guilford Nonprofit Consortium / The Volunteer Center of the TriadmoderateGTM or Marketing PartnerXtern participates in Extreme Nonprofit Makeover program with the Guilford Nonprofit Consortium; has gifted HaystackCRM implementation and one-year subscriptions to nonprofit recipients (Gate City Legal Services, Triad Legal Group).
• Rotary International / Summit RotarymoderateOthersFounder Keir Davis is a long-term Rotarian, recent past-president of Summit Rotary, and current Assistant Governor for District 7690. Rotary 4-Way Test referenced on Xtern Mission & Values page. Summit Rotary connection was cited as a recruitment draw for new hires.
• City of Greensboro Parks & Recreation DepartmentmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the GIG (Gigs in Greensboro) Cohort Pilot, providing a paid technology service project for GIG interns (UNCG CS students) to deliver real-world software development outcomes.
• Flywheel Foundation / ConvergeSouthminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPresented at ConvergeSouth conference in Winston-Salem. Founder Keir Davis delivered talk on 'Do you really need an app?' Looking to partner again with ConvergeSouth and Flywheel in the future.
• NC Tech (North Carolina Technology Association)minorOthersXtern joined the North Carolina Technology Association (NC Tech) in 2020; recognized through NC Tech 2018 Top 10 Startup to Watch (HaystackCRM) and 2021 Member Appreciation.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• BigCommerce: BigCommerce is a leading B2B eCommerce platform targeting manufacturers and wholesalers with native ERP integrations — directly overlapping with HarmonyB2B's B2B CMS/website value proposition.
• Salesforce / Salesforce Commerce Cloud: Salesforce CRM and Commerce Cloud are the dominant enterprise alternatives to HaystackCRM and HarmonyB2B in mid-market B2B manufacturing. Large, well-capitalized incumbent across the entire Xtern platform surface area.
• HubSpot: HubSpot CRM and CMS Hub are an incumbent alternative to HaystackCRM and HarmonyB2B for B2B manufacturers seeking integrated CRM + website/SEO tooling. Public, well-capitalized competitor with overlapping SMB/field-sales use cases.
• Aptean (Fourth Shift parent): Aptean owns Fourth Shift ERP and provides adjacent CRM and integration tools for manufacturers. A direct incumbent in Xtern's core vertical, and a potential channel partner or competitive threat.
• Shopify Plus (B2B): Shopify Plus offers a B2B edition (Shopify B2B) with dealer portals, custom catalogs, and ERP integrations — competing for the same mid-market manufacturer digital-storefront budget as HarmonyB2B.
• Adobe Commerce (Magento): Adobe Commerce is a broad B2B/B2C eCommerce platform with deep customization and ERP integration capabilities, the largest incumbent in the custom-B2B-website space where HarmonyB2B competes.
• HaystackCRM competitors (Zoho CRM): Zoho CRM is a broad mobile-capable CRM with freemium and team tiers directly overlapping with HaystackCRM's SMB/field-sales positioning. Zoho operates at much larger scale and represents the most direct platform alternative to HaystackCRM.

Direct peers

• VAI (Vormittag Associates): Long-time Fourth Shift ERP partner building complementary software (Vormittag's S2K Enterprise suite) and integrations for the same mid-market manufacturer segment Xtern targets. Closest comparable partner/solution peer.
• Insightly: Insightly is a mobile-friendly SMB CRM with project management, similar in target market and feature set to HaystackCRM. Closest direct SaaS alternative in the small-business mobile CRM niche.
• Innovative Consulting Group (ICG): Knoxville-based Fourth Shift ERP consulting partner and Xtern's 15+ year channel co-marketing ally. ICG resells and co-presents Fourth Shift-aligned solutions at the Fourth Shift Summit, directly comparable to Xtern's go-to-market in the same manufacturer niche.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights8 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=mUbFpCfMqM8
• Facebookfacebook.com/XternSoftware
• Instagraminstagram.com/haystackcrm
• Xx.com/XternSoftware

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Xtern Software