What Imaginato does

Imaginato is a privately held technology services firm founded in 2012 in Qingdao, China, by Sean Liao, the former Managing Director of Rocket Internet China who led platform launches for Lazada and Zalora. The company provides mobile and web application development, eCommerce platform engineering, O2O solutions, system integration, and Web3 / blockchain development for technology startups, O2O businesses, and enterprise clients across Southeast Asia, Greater China, and the United States. Its service portfolio is organized around three engagement models — Expand Your Team (dedicated agile engineers embedded in client SCRUM teams, matched on 20+ factors), Co-Develop Your Platform (collaborative build of mobile and web applications), and Manage Entire Agile Process (end-to-end product strategy, sprint management, and BI-driven optimization) — supported by expertise modules in eCommerce, system integration, application development, product strategy, and Web3.

The company operates from a Qingdao engineering and R&D hub of 80+ engineers, a Singapore regional headquarters established in 2020 and overseen directly by the CEO, and a Chicago office serving North American clients. Imaginato's commercial model is professional services with quote-based pricing and multi-year contract cadences; revenue is not publicly disclosed. Its client roster includes enterprise logos such as Valve (via WeLoveFine merchandise storefronts), Hong Leong Group (GEMFIVE marketplace), KFC, and BCA alongside venture-backed platforms including Qraved, TIXid, GoWork, ServisHero, VIDA, and SoyakaAI. The firm cites 1000+ releases delivered, 18-month average client engagement tenure, six engineers per agile team, and client VC backing of more than $65 million from investors including Convergence VC, Social Capital, 500 Startups, Gobi Partners, Jungle Ventures, Golden Gate Ventures, and Naspers. The only disclosed external funding is a ~$1M round in 2016 led by the VC arm of a Southeast Asian diversified conglomerate, suggesting a largely bootstrapped operating posture.

Name

Imaginato

Legal name

青岛文烁信息技术有限公司

Website

https://imaginato.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Imaginato is a China-founded, Singapore-headquartered technology services firm that provides dedicated agile engineering teams, co-development, and managed agile process services to startups and enterprises across Southeast Asia, Greater China, and the United States, with focus on mobile, web, eCommerce, and Web3 platforms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Custom Software Development Services

NAICS

Custom Computer Programming Services (541511), Computer Systems Design Services (541512), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)

SIC

Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

Data Engineering, Integration & ETL/ELT Services (BPAEAHAB)

Keywords

• Mobile application development
• Web application development
• Dedicated engineering teams
• Agile development services
• Blockchain development services

Headquarters

HQ city

Qingdao Shi

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Dedicated Team Expansion Services: Providing dedicated agile software engineering teams to clients on an ongoing basis. Teams are matched to client needs and operate as extensions of the client's internal teams.
2. Co-Development Services: Joint development of platforms and applications with clients, leveraging Imaginato's technical expertise and product experience to build market-leading technology solutions.
3. Managed Agile Process Services: Full management of product development lifecycle including product strategy, sprint management, development, and ongoing optimization using lean and agile methodologies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Imaginato is a technology development services firm that provides dedicated agile software engineering teams, co-development of mobile and web platforms, and full managed agile process services to enterprise and startup clients. The company specializes in building and scaling eCommerce, O2O, and Web3/blockchain applications, with deep expertise across the full technology stack from mobile (iOS, Android, React Native, Flutter) to backend (Java, Go, Node.js, Python) and cloud infrastructure (AWS).

Product overview

Imaginato is a mobile and web application development company offering three core service products: (1) Expand Your Team - dedicated engineering talent sourcing and team embedding; (2) Co-Develop Your Platform - collaborative product development; and (3) Manage Entire Agile Process - full agile management and optimization. These core offerings are supplemented by specialized expertise modules including Ecommerce Tech (Magento/custom platforms), System Integration (SaaS/PaaS with ERP, payments), Application Development (native/cross-platform mobile and web), Product Strategy and Growth, and Web3 Development. The company operates as a technology services provider, primarily serving clients across Southeast Asia, China, and the USA, with a portfolio of completed projects including Qraved, TIXid, GoWork, GEMFIVE, ServisHero, VIDA, Fundsup, ChainXP, FanUp, CrowdServe, and SoyakaAI.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Expand Your Team Dedicated software engineering team expansion service providing pre-screened mobile, web frontend, backend, QA, Scrum Master, and Product Owner professionals. Imaginato matches clients with engineers based on 20+ factors and embeds them into 100% SCRUM teams, operating as extensions of the client's internal engineering organization.
• Co-Develop Your Platform Collaborative platform development service where Imaginato works alongside client teams to design, build, and launch mobile and web applications. Includes product experience design, deployment, and growth services, drawing on the company's track record of building and scaling Southeast Asia's leading tech platforms.
• Manage Entire Agile Process Full-stack agile management service covering product strategy, roadmap planning, sprint management, development execution, and business intelligence optimization. Imaginato takes ownership of dedicated co-development teams and the full product development lifecycle using lean and agile methodologies.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1000+ releases delivered across multiple clients
• +9 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration25 records

AI capability9 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Astro Go ShopcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerImaginato partnered with Astro Go Shop, the eCommerce platform of Malaysia's leading multi-platform media company Astro, to launch Go Shop F&B Bazaar - a free online marketplace helping Malaysian SMBs during COVID-19. Imaginato provided marketplace-building and product-launch capabilities for this CSR initiative launched in April 2020.
• IsmayacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIsmaya is an Indonesia-based lifestyle and hospitality group that formed a strategic partnership with GoWork (Imaginato client). Ismaya helped design Rework's coworking space interiors, provides coffee bar service through its Djournal coffee shop chain, and partnered on a special edition Rework-Ismaya Lifestyle Card. Ismaya Co-Founder Christian Rijanto serves as an advisor to Go-Rework.
• WeLoveFinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerImaginato partnered with WeLoveFine, a licensed merchandise retailer, to build and operate Valve's official online merchandise stores including The International Secret Shop and Valvestore.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Globant: Large global IT services and digital transformation firm offering dedicated teams, co-development, and managed agile delivery across enterprise and startup clients. Significantly larger scale and broader geographic footprint than Imaginato, but overlapping service catalog and GTM motion.
• EPAM Systems: Large IT services and digital engineering firm with dedicated teams, co-development, and platform engineering offerings. Much larger and broader than Imaginato but directly comparable on service lines and target customer mix.

Direct peers

• Andela: Talent marketplace and dedicated engineering team provider connecting clients with vetted software engineers globally. Directly competes with Imaginato's 'Expand Your Team' and co-development offerings, particularly for tech startup and enterprise clients.
• Endava: Public IT services company providing dedicated agile teams, custom software development, and digital transformation to enterprise clients across financial services, retail, and tech. Closely comparable service mix, agile methodology, and mid-market/enterprise GTM to Imaginato.
• Ciklum: Global digital engineering services firm with dedicated teams, custom development, and managed services across multiple delivery centers. Comparable agile delivery model and enterprise/startup client mix to Imaginato.
• DataArt: Custom software development and IT consulting firm offering dedicated teams and end-to-end engineering for enterprise clients in financial services, retail, and travel. Comparable scope and delivery model to Imaginato's co-development and managed agile services.
• Toptal: Global freelance talent platform for software engineers, designers, and finance experts; offers dedicated team and individual engagements. Direct competitor to Imaginato's talent expansion services with stronger global brand recognition.
• ThoughtWorks: Global technology consultancy specializing in custom software development, agile delivery, and digital strategy for enterprise and growth-stage clients. Highly comparable on agile-first delivery, co-development, and managed product services.
• BairesDev: Latin America-based dedicated software team and staff augmentation provider serving US and global clients. Closely comparable business model (dedicated teams, co-development) and target customer profile to Imaginato.

Emerging players

• Xsolla: Commerce and game-tech solutions provider that also builds custom ecommerce and platform solutions for gaming clients, including partnerships with Valve. Partial overlap with Imaginato's gaming/merchandise ecommerce work (Valve/WeLoveFine) and SEA market focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/imgnto
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/imaginato

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

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 Imaginato