What Future Forward does

Future Forward is a privately held Dutch custom software development company founded in 2002, headquartered in Brielle with a client-facing office in Rotterdam and a wholly-owned engineering center in Niš, Serbia. The firm delivers bespoke web, mobile, and touchscreen/kiosk applications, digital signage solutions, and team augmentation services to mid-to-large enterprises across fuel retail (Q8 Fleet), property management (TORO Building, Zurich), logistics (Truckwash), construction (Daiwa House Jan Snel), industrial materials (Insulcon), pharmaceutical e-commerce (PharmaOffer), and hospitality (Blijdorp Zoo). Its technical stack spans React, React Native, PHP (SilverStripe), Node.js, Laravel, Symfony, Angular, Vue.js, Java, Python, TypeScript, MongoDB, MySQL, and Firebase, deployed on AWS and Google Cloud, with API-first architectures for visitor management and parking integrations.

The company monetizes through two primary streams: professional services (project-based custom development and multi-year dedicated developer/team augmentation contracts) and recurring product revenue from an internally developed product portfolio. The product line comprises Castit (a narrowcasting/digital signage platform), Digital Reception (visitor registration with QR-code check-in and Outlook/Gmail integration), Wayfindr and Smart Wayfinding (centralized wayfinding signage management), Maptomize (interactive maps), E-Ink Displays (sustainable signage), and NAMEBOARDS. These products can be white-labeled or customized and are sold alongside bespoke builds, with the Q8 Parking Management System and Refund Web App serving as flagship enterprise deployments.

Future Forward is bootstrapped and founder-controlled, with Managing Partner Zoran Popović referenced in company communications. Go-to-market is consultative direct enterprise sales supported by third-party directory presence (Clutch, DesignRush, GoodFirms, TechImply) and exhibition activity (ISE 2023/2024). The firm holds no disclosed external funding and operates a three-country footprint across the Netherlands, Serbia, and (via clients) Switzerland and Belgium. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; engagements are quoted per-project or per-dedicated-team under multi-year contracts.

Name

Future Forward

Legal name

Future Forward-Portstream BV

Website

https://futureforward.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Future Forward is a bootstrapped Dutch custom software firm founded in 2002 that designs bespoke web, mobile, touchscreen, and digital signage applications and offers team augmentation services to enterprise clients across fuel retail, property, logistics, construction, and hospitality, supported by a Niš, Serbia engineering center and a proprietary product suite including Castit and Digital Reception.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Custom Software Development

NAICS

Computer Systems Design Services (541512), Indoor and Outdoor Display Advertising (541850)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming Services (7371), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Custom Application Development (Web/Mobile/Desktop) (BPAEAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

UI/UX Engineering & Front-End Modernization (BPAEAFAH)

Keywords

• Custom software development
• Digital signage solutions
• Visitor management systems
• Team augmentation services
• Touchscreen application development

Headquarters

HQ city

Brielle

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

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: Bespoke software development services for web applications, mobile apps, touchscreen/kiosk solutions, and SaaS platforms. Revenue is generated on a project-based or dedicated team contract basis. Clients include enterprises across fuel retail, logistics, healthcare, real estate, and e-commerce.
2. Team Augmentation / Dedicated Development Teams: Placement of dedicated software developers who integrate into the client's internal team. Charged on a per-developer or per-team basis, offering flexibility without long-term infrastructure commitments. Targets FinTech, HealthTech, Enterprise Solutions, E-commerce, EdTech, and Mobility/IoT sectors.
3. Product Platforms (SaaS): The company maintains and sells access to proprietary product platforms including Castit (digital signage), Digital Reception (visitor management), Smart Wayfinding, and Wayfindr. These operate as subscription or licensing models, though specific pricing is not publicly disclosed.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Future Forward designs, develops, and maintains custom web, mobile, and touchscreen applications for business clients, alongside proprietary digital signage, visitor management, and wayfinding product platforms (Castit, Digital Reception, Wayfindr). The company also provides dedicated developer team augmentation, placing senior engineers into client teams across front-end, back-end, full-stack, and mobile disciplines.

Product overview

Future Forward is a custom software development company offering an integrated suite of digital signage and visitor management products, supplemented by professional development services. Their core products include Castit (narrowcasting platform), Digital Reception (visitor management), and Smart Wayfinding (directional signage), which can be centrally managed through Wayfindr. They provide E-Ink sustainable displays and NAMEBOARDS for digital signage. Their service offerings include dedicated development team augmentation and custom software development covering web, mobile, and touchscreen applications. The portfolio is designed for B2B clients including fuel retailers (Q8), property management (TORO building), healthcare (Home Care app), and hospitality sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Castit: Interactive digital signage and narrowcasting platform for creating and managing digital signage channels across multiple screens.
• Digital Reception
• Smart Wayfinding
• Maptomize
• MyTraining app
• InCompany

Products and services

• Castit Castit is a digital signage and narrowcasting SaaS platform that enables organizations to create and broadcast content channels to multiple screens in real time, with offline data caching, built-in apps, and integrations with external software for automated content updates. It is targeted at B2B clients needing centralized signage across offices, retail, and public venues.
• Digital Reception Digital Reception is a visitor management platform that automates the full visitor lifecycle, from invitation and QR-code check-in to host notifications, meeting scheduling, and digital logs. It integrates with Outlook/Gmail calendars and offers API-based integration with hardware such as card dispensers, targeting multi-tenant offices and reception areas.
• Wayfindr Wayfindr is a cloud-based wayfinding management platform that centrally controls digital name boards, directional signs, floor maps, and digital reception across a facility. It enables remote content updates, multi-solution integration, and unifies signage objects (including interactive maps under Maptomize and E-ink displays), targeting facility and property managers.
• E-Ink Displays E-Ink Displays are sustainable, energy-efficient digital signage devices that operate wirelessly on battery power and integrate with the Wayfindr cloud management platform. They are targeted at organizations seeking environmentally friendly digital signage for offices and facilities.
• NAMEBOARDS NAMEBOARDS is an interactive digital signage product that displays names of people or companies to combine visitor reception with wayfinding. It is aimed at offices and multi-tenant buildings needing clear occupant identification at entrances and desks.
• Custom Software Development Custom Software Development is a bespoke service covering web application development, mobile app development, touchscreen and kiosk application development, and UX/UI design. It is delivered on a project basis to B2B clients across fuel retail, logistics, real estate, healthcare, and e-commerce that require tailored solutions rather than off-the-shelf products.
• Dedicated Development Team Dedicated Development Team is a team augmentation service placing senior software developers into client teams across front-end, back-end, full-stack, and mobile disciplines (React, Angular, Vue.js, Java, Python, Node.js, Swift, Kotlin, Flutter, React Native). It is sold on a per-developer or per-team basis under multi-year engagements, targeting organizations that need to scale engineering capacity without long-term hiring commitments.
• Touchscreen Solutions Touchscreen Solutions is an end-to-end offering covering interactive signage and self-service kiosks, from concept through realization of touchscreen installations. It targets B2B clients in retail, hospitality, real estate, and public venues seeking self-service or interactive kiosk experiences.

Quantifiable outcome

• Processing time decreased from several days to 24-48 hours; Driver Satisfaction increased 40%; Administrative efficiency increased 30% (Q8 Refund Web App)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

AI capability2 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• 2 OrangecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner2 Orange is a Netherlands-based partner that collaborated with Future Forward on the Blijdorp Zoo custom quiz app project. The project was developed for the Rotterdam zoo through this partnership, with 2 Orange presumably acting as the client intermediary or co-developer. The partnership enabled delivery of a multi-language (Dutch/English) interactive quiz app focused on IUCN conservation awareness.
• Lekker ParkerencoreTechnology or IntegrationLekker Parkeren is a parking services provider whose API is integrated into Future Forward's custom Q8 Parking System. The integration provides access to comprehensive parking data and automated payment processing for drivers. This API-level integration is central to the parking management functionality delivered to Q8 Fleet.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Kitcast: Digital signage platform for Apple TV-based screens with cloud content management. Competes with Castit in the same narrowcasting/digital signage category for SMB and retail buyers.
• ScienceSoft: US-headquartered custom software development company with EU delivery presence, offering web, mobile, and integration services plus team augmentation to mid-market and enterprise clients.
• Scalefocus: Eastern European custom software development and digital transformation firm with a delivery-shore and Western-European sales presence. Comparable custom-development, team augmentation, and vertical-solution positioning.
• Incentro: Dutch digital consultancy offering custom software, cloud, and data services to enterprise clients in the Benelux market. Overlaps closely on Dutch enterprise GTM, custom application development, and team augmentation offerings.
• ScreenCloud: Digital signage SaaS platform with app marketplace, integrations, and remote screen management. Directly comparable to Future Forward's Castit product in functionality and target buyer (operations/marketing teams managing multi-site displays).
• Itransition: Eastern European-headquartered custom software development and team augmentation provider with a similar blended onshore-sales / offshore-delivery model. Comparable in offering portfolio (web, mobile, integrations) and target enterprise/SMB mix.
• Netguru: Polish-founded digital product and software development consultancy delivering web, mobile, and design services to European and US clients. Comparable custom-development services, team augmentation, and product consulting motion.
• Yodeck: Cloud-based digital signage platform with content scheduling, screen management, and integrations. Competes head-to-head with Castit for SMB and mid-market digital signage buyers across Europe.

Emerging players

• Poppulo: Workplace experience platform combining digital signage, internal communications, and now visitor management. Adjacent competitor to Future Forward's Digital Reception and Castit offerings in the enterprise workplace space.

Broad incumbents

• Xebia: Established Dutch-origin IT consultancy with broad digital, cloud, data, and DevOps practices across multiple countries. Larger and broader portfolio, but overlaps on custom software, agile delivery, and Benelux enterprise customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ffwd.rs
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/future-forward-ffwd
• Instagraminstagram.com/futureforwardcompany
• Xx.com/ffwdnewmedia

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 records

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 Future Forward