What Airsource does

Airsource Limited is a privately held, bootstrapped digital product development consultancy headquartered in Cambridge, United Kingdom, founded in 2003 by Nick Clarey (CEO) and Ben Blaukopf (CTO). The firm operates with a small team of senior engineers (1-10 employees) and delivers end-to-end mobile and web application development services, spanning iOS, Android, VueJS, TypeScript, Django, and serverless cloud architectures across AWS, Google Cloud, and Azure. Its core commercial activity is project-based consulting sold directly to enterprise, government, and startup clients, with engagements ranging from prototype through final release and including maintenance.

Airsource maintains a portfolio of proprietary consumer applications distributed through Apple App Store and Google Play, including Optiscan (a QR code scanner using a custom library), Cellar 2 (wine tracking), Gift Plan (gift tracking), and Shtodo (task management). The company has also built two reusable internal platforms: Atrium, a heritage and cultural venue platform with Bluetooth/GPS support and an offline content management backend; and a custom Optiscan QR code processing library that has reportedly outperformed Google's ZXing on the iOS App Store. Select disclosed clients include Ordnance Survey, Featurespace, Meridian Audio, Ilika, ioLight, the Forestry Commission, the Obstetric Anaesthetists' Association, and BloomOptix.

The business model combines professional services revenue from custom development projects with one-time consumer license sales from in-house apps. There is no external funding, no parent company, and no public listing. Airsource is operated as a founder-led lifestyle consultancy with global app-store distribution but primarily UK-based client relationships, and marketing is conducted through a long-running technical blog (The Air Source, active since 2007) and a Bluesky social presence rather than paid channels.

Name

Airsource

Legal name

Airsource Limited

Website

https://airsource.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Airsource is a bootstrapped, founder-led Cambridge-based digital product consultancy (1-10 employees, est. 2003) that designs and develops custom iOS, Android, and web applications for enterprise, government, and startup clients, alongside a small portfolio of in-house consumer mobile apps.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Cambridge

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Software Development Consulting: Project-based mobile and web application development services for clients. They work with customers from earliest prototype through final release, providing end-to-end digital product development.
2. In-house Mobile Applications: Direct-to-consumer mobile applications sold through App Store and Google Play. Products include Cellar 2 (wine tracking), Optiscan (QR code scanner), Gift Plan (gift tracking), and Shtodo.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Airsource is a digital product development consultancy that builds custom mobile (iOS, Android) and web applications for clients from earliest prototype through final release. The company also develops and sells its own consumer mobile applications (Optiscan QR code scanner, Cellar 2 wine tracker, Gift Plan, Shtodo) and the Atrium platform for heritage and cultural venues, distributed through the Apple App Store and Google Play.

Product overview

Airsource is a digital product development consultancy offering mobile and web application development services. Their portfolio includes proprietary consumer mobile applications (Optiscan, Cellar 2, Gift Plan, Shtodo) and a heritage platform (Atrium) built on a customisable backend system supporting offline content delivery via Bluetooth/GPS. The company also delivers client projects across healthcare, biotech, scientific instruments, IoT, and enterprise applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Atrium: A platform designed for heritage and cultural venues, featuring Bluetooth and GPS support, customisable and extensible content management.
• Optiscan
• Cellar 2
• Gift Plan
• Shtodo

Products and services

• Optiscan QR code scanner and generator application for iOS and Android featuring a custom QR code processing library designed for high-accuracy scanning in difficult conditions, including angled or creased codes. Targeted at consumer users and organisations needing reliable QR scanning.
• Cellar 2 Wine collection tracking iOS application that allows users to manage their wine inventory, track spending, and share wine recommendations. Sold to individual consumers through the Apple App Store.
• Gift Plan Gift tracking iOS application that helps users remember birthdays, anniversaries, and special occasions, and plan appropriate gifts. Sold to individual consumers through the Apple App Store.
• Atrium Heritage and cultural venue platform featuring Bluetooth and GPS support, customisable and extensible content management, and a backend Collection Curation System (CCS) that enables content updates without requiring app store releases. Used by heritage organisations including the National Botanic Garden of Wales, Mid-Antrim Heritage Partnership, and Forestry Commission projects.
• Shtodo In-house task and todo management application distributed under its own brand (shtodo.com). Sold to individual consumers as a personal productivity mobile app.
• Custom Software Development Services Project-based mobile and web application development consulting for enterprise, government, and startup clients. Engagements run from earliest prototype through final release and span iOS, Android, VueJS, TypeScript, serverless backends, Django, and cloud platforms (AWS, GCloud, Azure).

Quantifiable outcome

• 10x bandwidth improvement achieved for BLE medical app connectivity issues

Named customers15 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• ustwo: London-headquartered digital product studio that designs and builds iOS, Android and web applications for enterprise clients, with proprietary consumer apps on the side. Closely comparable to Airsource in offering mix (custom development plus in-house products) and small-studio positioning.
• Hedgehog Lab: UK-based mobile app, web and IoT development agency serving enterprise clients across fintech, healthcare and industrial verticals. Directly comparable in service offering, geographic focus and project-based commercial model.
• Apadmi: UK mobile app development and connected experiences agency with strong retail, transport and healthcare credentials. Comparable to Airsource as a UK mobile-first consultancy serving large enterprise brands.
• Mando: UK digital product agency focused on mobile, web and connected device experiences for enterprise clients. Comparable in size, geographic focus and end-to-end product development remit.
• The App Business: London-based mobile app development studio building iOS, Android and cross-platform apps for enterprise clients. Directly comparable to Airsource as a specialist UK mobile consultancy with both consulting and consumer app distribution.
• AND Digital: UK-based digital consultancy delivering end-to-end software product development for enterprise and scale-up clients, with engineers embedded alongside client teams. Comparable to Airsource as a UK-focused custom product development partner operating from regional hubs.
• Waracle: UK mobile and IoT app development agency specialising in iOS, Android and connected device integrations for healthcare, energy and industrial clients. Highly comparable to Airsource's BLE and IoT project focus.
• Snook: UK service design and digital product studio delivering design-led mobile and web builds for public-sector and enterprise clients. Comparable to Airsource's heritage and government work (Ordnance Survey, Forestry Commission).

Broad incumbents

• Netcompany: European IT and digital consultancy delivering custom software development and digital transformation for public and private sector clients. Comparable in offering mix, though significantly larger and broader than Airsource.
• Thoughtworks: Global technology consultancy delivering custom software, mobile and platform engineering at scale. Comparable to Airsource in the consulting services it offers, but operates at vastly larger scale and across geographies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/airsourceltd
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/airsource

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Airsource