Qafoo GmbH

What Qafoo GmbH does

Qafoo GmbH was a Dinslaken, Germany–based consulting and training firm founded in 2010 by PHP experts Kore Nordmann, Manuel Pichler, and Tobias Schlitt. It specialized in software quality services for PHP and adjacent web application stacks, delivering customized on-site training (OOP/OOD, PHPUnit testing, refactoring, BDD with Behat, continuous integration), expert consulting on software architecture and quality assurance processes, and quality-focused code review engagements.

The firm built and maintained a portfolio of open source PHP tooling that anchored its credibility, including Arbit (project tracker with QA tool integration), PHPMD and PHP_Depend (static analysis and metrics, founded by Pichler), phpUnderControl (CI for PHP), PHP_ChangeCoverage (coverage analysis tied to version control history), Apache Zeta Components (formerly eZ Components) support, the web-based Code Review Tool, BSOAD (HTTP/SOAP/REST debugger), PHP Commit Hooks, and qaCFP. These were BSD- or AGPL-licensed and provided the technical platform underpinning the firm's professional services.

Qafoo monetized through day-rate professional services (code review listed at 1,200 EUR/day standard, 960 EUR/day discounted) and recurring professional support contracts for its open source tools. Go-to-market was exclusively direct-to-enterprise, supported by a community-led content engine of technical blogs, conference talks, webinars, and personal sites of the founders. The firm operated without external funding as a founder-controlled GmbH and entered liquidation, ceasing all service delivery.

Name

Qafoo GmbH

Legal name

Qafoo GmbH

Website

https://qafoo.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Closed

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Qafoo GmbH was a German consulting and training firm specializing in PHP software quality. It delivered expert consulting, customized training, and code review services while developing open source quality tools. The company ceased operations and entered liquidation around 2024.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Software Quality Consulting

NAICS

Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169), Custom Computer Programming Services (541511), Management Consulting Services (54161)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

Testing, QA & Release/Deployment Enablement (BPAEAAAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

QA, Test Automation & Software Quality (Manual/Automated Testing, Performance) (EDABAFAL), Quality Engineering & Test Automation (QE/QA) (BPAEAFAJ)

Keywords

• PHP software quality
• Code review consulting
• Static code analysis
• Software architecture consulting
• Developer training services

Headquarters

HQ city

Dinslaken

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. On-site Training: Customized in-person training workshops on software quality topics including OOP/OOD, testing, refactoring, and PHP development. 3-day training packages offered at 20% discount in January.
2. Expert Consulting: Short-term expert consulting for software quality issues, architecture reviews, and decision support. On-site professional consulting engagements.
3. Code Review Services: Quality-focused code review engagements. Standard rate 1200 EUR per day, discounted rate 960 EUR per day for 2+ day engagements booked before January 31st.
4. Open Source Professional Support: Professional support contracts for open source tools including Arbit, phpUnderControl, PHPMD, PHP_Depend, and Apache Zeta Components. Offered as mid-term support contracts or incident-based support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Qafoo GmbH provided expert PHP software quality consulting, customized on-site training, code review engagements, and professional support contracts for enterprise development teams. The firm also developed and maintained a portfolio of open source PHP quality tools (Arbit, PHPMD, PHP_Depend, PHP_ChangeCoverage, Apache Zeta Components, BSOAD, Code Review Tool) and offered recurring support subscriptions for those tools.

Product overview

Qafoo GmbH was a German consulting and training company specializing in PHP software quality. The company operated from 2010 to 2026 and is now in liquidation. Qafoo's offerings combined professional services (training, consulting, code reviews, and support) with a portfolio of open source tools focused on software quality assurance. Their open source products included: Arbit (project tracking), phpUnderControl (CI), PHP_Depend and PHPMD (static code analysis), PHP_ChangeCoverage (coverage analysis), Apache Zeta Components (PHP component library), BSOAD (HTTP debugging), Code Review Tool (metrics visualization), PHP Commit Hooks (version control hooks), and qaCFP (conference CFP management). Qafoo also offered the Qafoo Profiler, a performance profiling tool that was discontinued. The company provided training and consulting services to help teams improve software quality through proper OOP/OOD practices, testing methodologies, and continuous integration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Arbit

Quantifiable outcome

• Legacy code testability improvement through change-based coverage reporting
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Age of PeersminorOthers · 20 January 2011Age of Peers provided marketing, community, and media relations support for Qafoo's rebranding and new website launch in 2011. A one-time project engagement rather than an ongoing partnership.
• eZ SystemscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerQafoo became eZ Community Partner and provided professional support for Apache Zeta Components (formerly eZ Components). Deep involvement in the component library migration from eZ to Apache.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• SensioLabs (Symfony): French company behind the Symfony framework offering PHP consulting, training, and certification. Directly comparable as a founder-led PHP quality/training/services firm with a strong community brand.
• Liip AG: Swiss web agency specializing in PHP and open source web development with a focus on quality engineering, agile delivery, and Symfony-based solutions. Closely comparable service offering and customer base.
• php[architect]: PHP-focused training, publishing, and conference organization. Comparable in its content-led, community-driven monetization of PHP expertise and quality education.
• Tidelift: Subscription-based professional support and maintenance service for open source projects. Directly comparable to Qafoo's mid-term support and incident-based open source support offering.

Regional players

• Mayflower GmbH: German PHP/web consulting firm offering software development, quality engineering, and training services. Operates in the same DACH market with a similar PHP-centric services model.
• TYPO3 GmbH: German company behind the TYPO3 CMS with a similar founder/team-led model offering services, training, and community partnerships in the DACH region. Comparable regional, community-rooted services and open source business model.

Broad incumbents

• SonarSource: Provider of SonarQube, a leading code quality and static analysis platform supporting multiple languages including PHP. Comparable at the product level (code quality analysis) but operates as a broader, multi-language incumbent.
• Code Climate: Automated code review and quality platform. Comparable in the code review / static analysis space where Qafoo offered code review engagements.
• Zend (Laminas Project / Rogue Wave): Long-standing PHP framework (Laminas, formerly Zend Framework) and PHP ecosystem steward with associated training, certification, and enterprise support. Comparable as a broader PHP training and tooling incumbent.

Emerging players

• Tideways: German-based PHP application performance monitoring and profiling vendor. Comparable to the now-discontinued Qafoo Profiler and adjacent PHP quality tooling.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/qafoo-gmbh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Qafoo GmbH