Ethode
Ethode is a US-based custom web and mobile software development firm in Medina, Ohio offering design, development, hosting, and blockchain services. It serves enterprise, healthcare, education, and SMB clients — including marquee logos like LeBron James Family Foundation and MD Anderson — with project-based pricing and recurring managed hosting.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersMedina, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Ethode does
Ethode is a privately-held US custom web and mobile software development firm headquartered in Medina, Ohio with a secondary office in Atlanta, Georgia. The company provides full-cycle services spanning design, development, hosting, data integration, and digital marketing, with project-based pricing that ranges from $5,000 for small brochure sites to $300,000+ for enterprise-grade custom platform builds. Ethode serves a hybrid mix of enterprise clients (e.g., LeBron James Family Foundation, MD Anderson Cancer Center, St. Jude, Cedars-Sinai, The Cheesecake Factory, Roto-Rooter, ThousandEyes), educational institutions (Taylor University, University of Akron, Gettysburg College, Oberlin College, Colorado College), SMBs, and non-profits, and manages hosting and monitoring for over 1,000 client websites including HIPAA-compliant healthcare environments.
The company's core technology stack is full-stack and platform-agnostic: Java (dotCMS, SpringMVC, Velocity), PHP (Laravel, WordPress, Magento, CodeIgniter), JavaScript (Vue.js, React, Angular, Node.js), and databases (MongoDB, Redis, MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle), with mobile development via PhoneGap/Cordova and cloud infrastructure on AWS. Ethode is a global implementation partner of the dotCMS Partner Network and one of its earliest partners, and has co-developed a proprietary SAML Authentication Module for dotCMS that supports ADFS, Shibboleth, and Okta identity providers. The firm also offers blockchain and cryptocurrency payment development, and operates a wholly-owned hosting subsidiary, LightSpeed Hosting, which provides datacenter, application hosting, and cryptocurrency mining services.
Ethode's business model combines one-time project revenue (custom development engagements with a paid discovery phase, typically $2,000–$5,000) with recurring hosting, monitoring, security, and compliance-auditing revenue across its managed client base. Go-to-market is sales-led and relationship-driven, with direct engagement (phone, in-person consultations, online quote requests) concentrated in the Cleveland, Akron, and Medina Ohio region but with national client reach and a global dotCMS partner channel. The company is founder-owned, with Joshua Holmes as CEO, has received no disclosed external venture or private equity funding, and was originally founded as Holmes-Media in 2003 before rebranding to Ethode in 2010.
Ethode firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Ethode
- Legal name
- Ethode
- Website
- https://ethode.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Ethode is a US-based custom web and mobile software development firm in Medina, Ohio offering design, development, hosting, and blockchain services. It serves enterprise, healthcare, education, and SMB clients — including marquee logos like LeBron James Family Foundation and MD Anderson — with project-based pricing and recurring managed hosting.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Ethode industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Custom Web and Mobile Development Services
- NAICS
- Computer Systems Design Services (541512), Custom Computer Programming Services (541511), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (51821)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Data Engineering, Integration & ETL/ELT Services (BPAEAHAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Enterprise Content Management (ECM) Suites (HDAEAGAB)
Keywords
Where Ethode is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Medina
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Ethode business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations
Revenue model
- Custom Web & Mobile Development Projects: Bespoke software development projects with pricing tiers from $5,000 (X-Small) to $300,000+ (X-Large). Projects include discovery phases (10-15% of estimate). Revenue recognized on project completion basis.
- Web Hosting & Managed Services: Ongoing web hosting services for over 1,000 managed client websites. Includes cloud hosting, monitoring, scalability, security, and compliance auditing.
- Project Discovery & Consulting: Paid discovery phases for project planning and requirements gathering, typically $2,000-$5,000 for small projects.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | X-Small projects: brochure sites, 5 pages, minimal interactivity |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Small projects: moderate functionality, some user accounts or basic e-commerce |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Medium projects: e-commerce, user dashboards, content management |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Large projects: enterprise features, multiple integrations, complex design |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | X-Large projects: enterprise-grade, complex architecture, scalability requirements |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Ethode product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Ethode is a full-cycle custom software development company that designs, builds, and hosts custom websites, mobile applications, e-commerce platforms, and enterprise content management systems for business clients. The firm's core offering bundles design, development, data integration, cloud hosting with security and monitoring, and digital marketing into project engagements priced from $5,000 to over $300,000, with optional ongoing managed hosting.
Product overview
Ethode is a full-cycle web and mobile software development company offering a suite of services centered on web development, mobile development, blockchain development, web hosting, and web strategy consulting. The core offering is custom software development — spanning websites, B2B/B2C software, content management systems (primarily dotCMS and WordPress), e-commerce stores (Magento, Shopify), and custom web applications. Ethode differentiates through a kaizen-based culture of continual improvement and a full-cycle model that covers design, development, data integration, hosting, and digital marketing. Its subsidiary, LightSpeed Hosting, provides dedicated datacenter and cryptocurrency mining services. Notable branded deliverables include a SAML Authentication Module for dotCMS (a custom single sign-on add-on), the myPraize social network, and high-profile client projects such as LeBronJames.com and the MD Anderson Will2Love digital therapy platform.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- LightSpeed Hosting: Subsidiary providing datacenter, application hosting, and cryptocurrency mining services.
Products and services
- Custom Web Development Custom websites, custom B2B and B2C software, platform implementations, and content management system builds, serving enterprise and mid-market customers across Ohio and the US.
- Mobile App Development Custom mobile application development for iOS and Android, including cross-platform solutions using tools such as PhoneGap, for enterprise and mid-market clients.
- Blockchain Development Blockchain application development, including cryptocurrency payment acceptance integration, for businesses looking to adopt distributed ledger technologies.
- Managed Web Hosting Cloud hosting, monitoring, scalability, security, and compliance auditing for client websites and applications, including HIPAA-compliant hosting for healthcare clients, covering more than 1,000 client websites.
- Web Strategy Consulting Third-party software evaluation, systems analysis, viability research, and proof-of-concept applications, plus SEO, creative and technical writing, re-branding, and social media marketing services.
- SAML Authentication Module for dotCMS A custom module developed by Ethode for dotCMS that enables single sign-on across multiple dotCMS sites using Security Assertion Markup Language, supporting ADFS, Shibboleth, and Okta identity providers and compatible with dotCMS Enterprise and Cloud versions 4.3 and 5.
- LightSpeed Hosting A wholly-owned subsidiary of Ethode providing datacenter, application hosting, and cryptocurrency mining services for clients.
- Magento E-Commerce Implementation Full e-commerce store builds and custom plugin development using Magento, including ERP integrations, delivered for enterprise and mid-market retailers.
- dotCMS Enterprise Implementation Enterprise content management implementation using dotCMS, used for multisite management, content delivery, and headless CMS use cases for enterprise and education clients.
Quantifiable outcome
- Managed websites for over 1,000 clients in the United States
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Ethode
Customer profileNamed customers18 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Ethode technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration12 records
Feature1 record
Ethode partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core, notable and flagship.
- dotCMScoreEthode is a global implementation partner of the dotCMS Partner Network and was one of the first partners. They developed a proprietary SAML Authentication Module for dotCMS enabling single sign-on across multiple sites. dotCMS is a powerful open-source content management system used for enterprise websites, intranets, and digital platforms.
- Destination ClevelandnotableWorked with Destination Cleveland and Blockland Leadership Committee to help plan the Blockland Cleveland Solutions Conference. Ethode helped plan conference content and led a session on helping businesses accept cryptocurrency payments.
- Blockland Leadership CommitteenotablePartnered with Blockland Leadership Committee to organize the Blockland Cleveland blockchain conference that sold out with 1,700 attendees.
- LRMR VenturesflagshipEthode collaborated with LRMR Ventures on multiple high-profile projects including LeBronJames.com redesign (2020), I Promise School website (2018), and LeBronJamesFamilyFoundation.org (2019). These projects represent Ethode's flagship client work.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Ethode competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- TheeDigital: TheeDigital is a Midwest US (Ohio-adjacent) digital agency offering web design, development, SEO, and hosting. Closely comparable to Ethode on geography, scale, and full-service agency positioning targeting SMB through enterprise.
- Intechnic: Intechnic is a US-based UX-focused web design and development agency with strong enterprise experience. Comparable to Ethode on enterprise client work, custom development, and emphasis on conversion-focused design.
- Maxburst: Maxburst is a US-based web design and development agency serving SMB and enterprise clients with custom websites and e-commerce solutions. Comparable to Ethode in size, scope of services, and project pricing tiers.
- OuterBox: OuterBox is a US-based digital agency specializing in Magento e-commerce, web development, and SEO with strong enterprise client work. Directly comparable to Ethode on Magento/ERP integration expertise and e-commerce implementation services.
- SmartSites: SmartSites is a US-based full-service web design, development, and digital marketing agency with a similar project-based model and enterprise + SMB client mix. Comparable to Ethode in scope of services and reliance on custom development projects.
- Lounge Lizard: Lounge Lizard is a US-based boutique web design and development agency offering custom websites, branding, and digital strategy for mid-market and enterprise clients. Highly comparable to Ethode in service mix (web dev + hosting-adjacent services), premium US positioning, and project pricing model.
- Lform Design: Lform Design is a US-based web design and development agency focused on custom websites for SMB and mid-market clients. Comparable to Ethode on boutique scale, custom development focus, and recurring client relationships.
- Bop Design: Bop Design is a US-based B2B web design and development agency serving mid-market and enterprise clients. Comparable to Ethode in custom B2B website work, content management implementations, and project-based engagement model.
- Big Drop Inc: Big Drop Inc is a US-based full-service digital agency offering custom web design, development, and branding. Comparable to Ethode in service breadth, project-based model, and enterprise client orientation.
Broad incumbents
- Bounteous: Bounteous is a large US-based digital experience partner offering strategy, design, development, and analytics at enterprise scale. Comparable to Ethode on enterprise CMS and custom development work but operates at materially larger scale with broader service portfolio.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Ethode social profiles
Digital presenceEthode financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Ethode leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Ethode subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Ethode funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Ethode M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Ethode
What does Ethode do?
Ethode is a full-cycle custom software development company that designs, builds, and hosts custom websites, mobile applications, e-commerce platforms, and enterprise content management systems for business clients. The firm's core offering bundles design, development, data integration, cloud hosting with security and monitoring, and digital marketing into project engagements priced from $5,000 to over $300,000, with optional ongoing managed hosting.
Is Ethode a public or private company?
Ethode is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Ethode founded?
Ethode was founded in 2010. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Ethode based?
Ethode is headquartered in Medina, United States, in the North America region.
How does Ethode make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Custom Web & Mobile Development Projects are the primary driver. The others are web Hosting & Managed Services and project Discovery & Consulting.
Who are Ethode's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are TheeDigital, Intechnic, Maxburst, OuterBox, SmartSites, Lounge Lizard, Lform Design, Bop Design and Big Drop Inc. Bounteous is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Ethode have an API?
No public API is recorded for Ethode.
What industry is Ethode in?
Ethode's product category is Custom Web and Mobile Development Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAEAHAB, Data Engineering, Integration & ETL/ELT Services, with a secondary code of HDAEAGAB, Enterprise Content Management (ECM) Suites. Its NAICS code is 541512 and its SIC code is 7373.