Lush Concepts

What Lush Concepts does

Lush Concepts is a Toronto-based, founder-led digital studio operating since 2001 under principal Ryan Payne. The firm provides design-led technology services — strategy and planning, project management, design, application development, digital marketing, and technical operations — to organizations, brands, and startups. It has completed more than 1,000 projects across hospitality, tourism, food and beverage, retail, non-profit, education, and government sectors, with notable clients including Disney, Pandora, Microsoft/Xbox, Muskoka Brewery, Horseshoe Resort, Deerhurst Resort, Children's Wish Foundation, and the Ontario Responsible Gambling Council.

The technical stack centers on Shopify (with specialized theme architecture and SEO work), WordPress, native iOS/Android development, responsive web applications, AWS hosting, and integrations with Square POS, TapMango loyalty, QuickBooks, and Google Analytics. A 5+ year Responsible Gambling Council engagement includes interactive kiosk software deployed across 50+ Ontario casino and bingo hall locations. The firm also publishes a Learnings blog covering Shopify, e-commerce, and SEO topics as a content marketing channel.

The business is a privately held, bootstrapped professional services firm with 1-10 employees and no disclosed external funding. Revenue is generated through project-based engagements priced via custom quotes, with durations ranging from weeks to multi-year retainers (e.g., the RGC kiosk program). The go-to-market is sales-led and regionally focused on Canada, relying on direct website quote requests, a portfolio of case studies, organic social, and referrals from agency partners such as Kuration, Stephen Thomas, and EQ Works. Long-duration client relationships — 15+ years with Sport & Social Club and continuous engagement with SoLis MicroLearning since 2007 — indicate strong retention within a small-firm operating model.

Name

Lush Concepts

Legal name

Lush Concepts

Website

https://lush.io

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Lush Concepts is a Toronto-based, founder-led digital studio (since 2001) providing strategy, design, web and mobile development, Shopify e-commerce, digital marketing, and technical operations to Canadian and North American organizations, brands, and startups on a project basis.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

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 - Project-Based: Lush Concepts generates revenue by providing digital design and technology services to organizations, brands, and startups. Projects range from website design and development, mobile app development, e-commerce setup (particularly Shopify), digital marketing, and ongoing maintenance and technical operations. They take on projects of varying durations from weeks to years, billing on a project basis through client engagements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Lush Concepts is a design-led technology studio providing project-based digital services including strategy & planning, project management, design, responsive web and mobile application development, Shopify e-commerce development, digital marketing, and ongoing technical operations. They deliver end-to-end digital experiences for organizations, brands, and startups, with deep specialization in Shopify theme architecture, WordPress CMS, and native iOS/Android mobile apps. Engagement durations range from weeks to multi-year contracts, with custom quote-based pricing.

Product overview

Lush Concepts is a design-led technology studio operating since 2001, providing digital services rather than a packaged software product. Their offering is organized as a comprehensive suite of service categories that work together: Strategy & Planning establishes the foundation through market research and technical architecture; Project Management ensures execution; Design Services handle brand experiences, UX, and creative development; Application Design & Development delivers mobile apps and responsive websites; Digital Marketing drives campaigns and SEO; and Technical Operations & Systems manages infrastructure. Specializations include Shopify e-commerce development, mobile application development for iOS/Android, and WordPress-based website development. The company combines these services to deliver end-to-end digital solutions for organizations, brands, and startups.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Strategy & Planning Services Strategic consulting for digital projects including market research, competitive analysis, digital transformation, technical solution analysis, solutions architecture, and technical consulting, sold as an upfront engagement to organizations, brands, and startups.
• Project Management Services Full project management covering methodology, client relations, business requirements, program and product management, resource and vendor management, budget control, and project scheduling across Lush's 1,000+ completed projects.
• Design Services Design services covering brand experiences, customer experience, creative concept design, interaction design, UX design, user research, information architecture, product design, and rapid prototyping, blending creative development with data-informed decisions for organizations, brands, and startups.
• Application Design & Development Mobile and web application development covering native iOS and Android apps, responsive web applications, website development, e-commerce, content management systems, API integration, and quality assurance; backed by 10+ years of mobile application design and launch experience.
• Digital Marketing Services Digital marketing services including digital ad production, content strategy, social media marketing, media buying, SEO, CRM operations, and campaign management, informed by the studio's technical expertise.
• Technical Operations & Systems Technical infrastructure services including cloud services, website hosting, app store management, application support, data analytics, application and data migration, security services, and system administration, with consulting on MySQL, SSL, and security hardening.
• Shopify E-commerce Development Specialized Shopify store development including theme customization, store setup, SEO optimization, Shopify API integration, and mobile-responsive design, with a deliverable such as the Muskoka Brewery rebuild featuring restock notifications and future-proofed architecture.
• Mobile Application Development Native iOS and Android mobile application development including loyalty apps, e-commerce apps, and custom solutions with backend integration, third-party platform integration (Square POS, TapMango), and app store deployment, exemplified by the FUEL+ app with POS and loyalty across 3 Toronto locations.
• Brand Design & Identity Services Comprehensive brand identity services including logo design, brand guidelines, corporate style guides, and visual asset creation for consistent brand experiences across digital and print channels, demonstrated by the multi-decade Sport & Social Club engagement covering logo, website, vehicle wrap, and apparel design.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1000+ projects completed with over 20 years in business
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers21 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• KurationminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKuration served as an agency partner for the Horseshoe Resort project. Lush Concepts worked with Kuration to build and migrate websites for Skyline Investments properties out of a dated proprietary CMS.
• EQ Works (formerly Tapped Mobile)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnered with mobile marketing firm EQ Works (formerly Tapped Mobile) for the Xbox GamePass mobile contest campaign. Lush designed and developed the contest while EQ Works managed mobile marketing distribution.
• Stephen ThomasminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStephen Thomas is an agency partner that engaged Lush Concepts for the Children's Wish Foundation website refresh project. They identified the homepage refresh as a key driver for new donations.
• Responsible Gambling CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing 5+ year partnership with the Responsible Gambling Council of Ontario for interactive kiosk development. Lush has developed 4-5 interactive games deployed across Ontario casinos and bingo halls, with ongoing maintenance and deployment support.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Jam3: Toronto-based design-led digital creative studio producing interactive experiences, brand work, mobile apps, and immersive campaigns for global brands. Closely comparable on geography, design-first positioning, project-based model, and enterprise client roster.
• Dockyard: Toronto digital experience agency specializing in custom web and mobile application development, Shopify and content platform integrations. Closely comparable as a Toronto-based boutique delivering Shopify-adjacent and full-stack digital builds for mid-market and enterprise clients.
• ustwo: Global design and technology studio with studios in London, New York, and elsewhere, building digital products, apps, and brand experiences. Comparable on design-led positioning, multi-disciplinary service offering, and project-based engagements for established enterprises.
• OneMethod: Toronto creative and digital agency delivering brand, design, web, and digital marketing work for consumer brands. Comparable on Toronto base, design-led positioning, and project-based engagements for established brands and challenger companies.
• Work & Co: Digital product studio designing and engineering websites, mobile apps, and commerce experiences for brands such as Apple, Google, and Nike. Comparable as a design-led, technology-capable studio competing for the same type of premium brand engagements Lush Concepts pursues.

Broad incumbents

• Huge: Global digital agency delivering strategy, creative, technology, and marketing for enterprise clients across categories including retail, travel, and financial services. Comparable on full-stack digital services for large brands but at meaningfully larger scale and geographic reach.
• Critical Mass: Calgary-founded, now global digital experience agency offering strategy, design, technology, and marketing services. Comparable on full-stack digital services for enterprise clients, though at significantly larger scale and breadth than Lush Concepts.
• Nurun: Publicis-owned Toronto digital agency with strategy, design, and technology capabilities across web, mobile, and commerce. Comparable service mix for enterprise clients but operates as part of a global holding-company network with materially larger scale and reach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lushconcepts
• Facebookfacebook.com/lushconcepts
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lush-concepts
• Instagraminstagram.com/lushconcepts

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Lush Concepts