Rareloop
Rareloop is a Southampton-based digital product studio founded in 2011 that designs bespoke web apps, mobile apps, and websites for UK charities, financial institutions, healthcare providers, and enterprises including NHS and the European Investment Bank.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersSouthampton, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Rareloop does
Rareloop is a Southampton-based digital product studio founded in 2011 that designs and develops bespoke web applications, mobile apps, and websites for UK-based organizations. The company operates with a small team (1-10 employees) and serves a diverse client base spanning charities, financial institutions, healthcare providers, and enterprises including NHS, the European Investment Bank, National Grid, and 3M. Its core service offering is structured around a Discovery & Strategy phase followed by Design & Build execution, with project-based pricing determined after scoping.
The firm's technical stack centers on Laravel/PHP for backend development, WordPress for content-managed websites (including its open-source Lumberjack MVC framework built on the Timber plugin, with 161k+ installations), and cross-platform mobile frameworks such as Cordova/PhoneGap/Ionic. Beyond client services, Rareloop maintains productized assets including the Lumberjack framework, the Relay SaaS HR integration platform, and the AI Readiness Report — an annual research survey covering 100+ organizations on AI adoption barriers.
Rareloop operates as a privately held, founder-owned limited company in England and Wales with no disclosed external funding, achieved B Corp certification in 2023 with a score of 91.4, and holds Cyber Essentials Plus and Living Wage Employer accreditations. Its revenue model is professional services — bespoke software, websites, and apps delivered on time-and-materials or fixed-price engagements — with no public pricing, no self-serve channel, and a partner-focused direct sales motion concentrated in the UK.
Rareloop firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Rareloop
- Legal name
- Rareloop Limited
- Website
- https://www.rareloop.com/
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Rareloop is a Southampton-based digital product studio founded in 2011 that designs bespoke web apps, mobile apps, and websites for UK charities, financial institutions, healthcare providers, and enterprises including NHS and the European Investment Bank.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Rareloop is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Southampton
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Rareloop business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Professional Services - Bespoke Software Development: Project-based custom software development services including web applications, mobile apps, websites, and digital product creation. Revenue generated through time and materials or fixed-price project engagements.
- Discovery & Strategy Consulting: Product discovery, design sprints, and strategic consulting services to help organizations define and validate digital product requirements before development.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Bespoke website design and development - quote-based pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Rareloop product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Rareloop is a strategic digital product studio that designs, develops, and delivers bespoke web applications, mobile apps (iOS, Android, hybrid), and websites for UK-based organisations. Its core engagements span project-based custom software development, Discovery & Strategy consulting, and full Design & Build delivery, with deep expertise in Laravel/PHP, WordPress (including its proprietary Lumberjack MVC framework), and cross-platform mobile technologies. The firm acts as a long-term product partner rather than a transactional vendor, offering quote-based, multi-year bespoke engagements.
Product overview
Rareloop operates as a Digital Product Studio offering a portfolio of services centered on bespoke digital product development. Their core service offerings span Mobile App Development (iOS, Android, Hybrid/Ionic), Web App Development (including Laravel and PHP specializations), Website Design & Development (with WordPress expertise), and Bespoke Software Development. These services are delivered through structured engagement models: Discovery & Strategy (including Design Sprints and Innovation Days) followed by Design & Build (encompassing UX/UI, design systems, frontend/backend development, and API integration). Beyond client services, Rareloop maintains an open-source product portfolio including the Lumberjack MVC Framework for WordPress (161k+ installations). Their work includes client-specific products such as the ICE App (SmartCall video support), Intelligent Insurance Customer Portal, and Toilet Twinning Back Office System. Recent initiatives include publishing the AI Readiness Report based on research across 100+ organizations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Lumberjack: An open-source MVC framework for WordPress developers, built on top of the Timber plugin, with over 161k installations
- Try Dry
Products and services
- Mobile App Development Design and development of native and cross-platform mobile applications for iOS and Android (including Ionic/Hybrid builds), with bespoke functionality, API integrations, and UX design, delivered to UK organisations as project-based engagements.
- Web App Development Development of bespoke web platforms, dashboards and workflow systems built for scalability, leveraging Laravel/PHP backends and modern JavaScript frontends, targeted at UK organisations needing custom internal or customer-facing web applications.
- Website Design & Development Bespoke website design and development producing performant, accessible and SEO-optimised websites, with strong WordPress and custom-CMS implementation expertise for UK-based organisations including charities, SMEs and enterprises.
- Bespoke Software Development Custom software solutions built to specific organisational requirements, addressing unique business challenges with tailored technology implementations across web, mobile and integration layers, delivered as project-based engagements.
- Discovery & Strategy Product discovery, design sprints, innovation days and user research engagements to help organisations define, validate and roadmap digital product requirements before committing to build.
- Design & Build Full-service design and development engagement covering UX/UI, web design, design systems, frontend and backend engineering, API development and product delivery, forming the build phase that follows Discovery & Strategy.
- Lumberjack MVC Framework for WordPress An open-source Model-View-Controller framework for WordPress developers, built on the Timber plugin and inspired by Laravel API patterns, providing improved developer experience, code organisation and maintainability for complex WordPress applications.
Quantifiable outcome
- 74% of ICE support issues resolved without face-to-face visits
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use Rareloop
Customer profileNamed customers18 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Rareloop technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration10 records
AI capability6 records
Feature4 records
Rareloop partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- Timber (Upstatement)coreLumberjack framework builds directly on the Timber plugin by Upstatement, leveraging Timber's Twig templating integration with WordPress to create an MVC architecture for WordPress development.
- KinstasupportingRecommended WordPress-optimized hosting provider for client projects. Provides managed hosting on Google Cloud Platform with 100% green energy, CDN, caching, and security features.
- AmitosupportingHosting partner providing scalable infrastructure solutions, particularly for high-traffic events and websites requiring failover capabilities.
- StripecorePayment gateway integration used across client projects for donation collection and payment processing (e.g., New Wine, OCCA donation widgets).
- BrevosupportingEmail marketing platform used for newsletter and marketing communications from company website.
- InVisionsupportingOnline whiteboard and collaboration tool (InVision Freehand) used during discovery phases for remote collaborative design sessions.
- EcologicoreCarbon offset partnership where Rareloop plants trees monthly via Ecologi to offset company and team personal carbon footprint. Also promotes tree planting to Lumberjack open-source users.
- FigmasupportingCollaborative design tool used for real-time design collaboration across distributed project teams.
Scale indicators20 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Rareloop competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Human Made: UK-based digital agency specializing in WordPress and bespoke web development with a similar enterprise/charity client mix and Laravel/PHP tech stack. Closest direct comparable by geography, size, and service offering.
- Wholegrain Digital: UK-based B Corp digital agency focused on WordPress and sustainable web design, with a comparable mid-market/charity client profile. Matches Rareloop on B Corp positioning, geography, and WordPress specialization.
- Upstatement: US-based digital product studio and creator of the Timber plugin, which Rareloop's Lumberjack framework builds directly on. Closely aligned on Laravel-inspired WordPress architecture and bespoke digital product delivery.
- 10up: Larger WordPress-focused digital agency offering bespoke web development, design, and content strategy for enterprise and media clients. Comparable on core WordPress/bespoke development service line, though at greater scale.
- Torchbox: UK-based B Corp digital agency serving charities, nonprofits, and universities with bespoke websites and platforms. Highly comparable on B Corp credentials, charity/nonprofit client base, and WordPress/CMS expertise.
- Big Bite Creative: UK-based digital agency specializing in WordPress and WooCommerce development for mid-market and enterprise clients. Comparable by geography, size bracket, and bespoke WordPress service offering.
- 93digital: London-based WordPress and digital agency serving SMEs and enterprises with bespoke development and design. Directly comparable on UK geography, WordPress specialization, and mid-market focus.
- Angry Creative: Nordic digital agency with strong WordPress, WooCommerce, and bespoke web development capabilities for enterprise and public-sector clients. Comparable on bespoke service model and enterprise-grade delivery, though regional.
- Alley: US-based digital agency with strong publishing, editorial, and bespoke web platform capabilities for enterprise and media clients. Comparable on bespoke development, design systems, and enterprise/charity client mix.
- Studio 24: UK-based digital agency specializing in WordPress and bespoke website development for charities, public sector, and enterprise clients. Comparable on UK geography, WordPress expertise, and charity/nonprofit client profile.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Rareloop social profiles
Digital presenceRareloop compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Rareloop financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Rareloop leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Rareloop funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Rareloop 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 Rareloop
What does Rareloop do?
Rareloop is a strategic digital product studio that designs, develops, and delivers bespoke web applications, mobile apps (iOS, Android, hybrid), and websites for UK-based organisations. Its core engagements span project-based custom software development, Discovery & Strategy consulting, and full Design & Build delivery, with deep expertise in Laravel/PHP, WordPress (including its proprietary Lumberjack MVC framework), and cross-platform mobile technologies. The firm acts as a long-term product partner rather than a transactional vendor, offering quote-based, multi-year bespoke engagements.
Is Rareloop a public or private company?
Rareloop is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Rareloop founded?
Rareloop was founded in 2011. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Rareloop based?
Rareloop is headquartered in Southampton, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Rareloop make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Professional Services - Bespoke Software Development is the primary driver. The others are discovery & Strategy Consulting.
Who are Rareloop's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Human Made, Wholegrain Digital, Upstatement, 10up, Torchbox, Big Bite Creative, 93digital, Angry Creative, Alley and Studio 24.
Does Rareloop have an API?
No public API is recorded for Rareloop.