Highfive

What Highfive does

Highfive is an independent French web agency founded in 2007 and headquartered at 1 Rue Neuve Saint-Jean, Caen, Normandy (SIREN 501 601 108). The firm designs, develops, and maintains WordPress-based digital properties for institutional, public-sector, B2B enterprise, association, and tourism clients, primarily across the Normandy region (Calvados, Manche, Orne, Seine-Maritime, Eure) with capacity for national and selected European projects. Service lines span custom WordPress theme and Gutenberg block development, WooCommerce e-commerce builds, UX/UI design and redesigns, technical SEO (including Generative Engine Optimization for AI search), and beyond-CMS custom web development with third-party system integrations (Tourinsoft, GICASA ERP, Pôle emploi API).

The agency's core technology stack is WordPress-centric: bespoke themes and plugins built with modular, evolvable architecture, WooCommerce for commerce, and HTML/CSS/JavaScript for responsive front-ends, augmented by an SEO methodology that integrates crawl budget optimization, schema.org structured data, and Core Web Vitals from project inception. Recurring revenue is generated through WordPress maintenance and hosting-management contracts layered on top of one-off project delivery, with services priced via bespoke quote-based proposals rather than public tiers or productized SaaS.

Commercially, Highfive operates a sales-led, direct-engagement model with no intermediaries, marketplaces, or channel partners. Its 1-10 person headcount, founder-owned structure, and lack of disclosed external funding indicate a bootstrapped, regional professional-services business whose growth levers are inbound content marketing, local SEO, a 100-plus project portfolio of public-sector references, and incremental expansion of higher-value service modules (custom dev, marketing automation, GEO). Customer concentration is diversified across government, manufacturing, tourism, retail, and association end-markets, reducing single-customer revenue dependency but capping absolute revenue scale relative to venture-backed or platform competitors.

Name

Highfive

Legal name

Highfive

Website

https://highfive.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Highfive is a Caen-based, bootstrapped French web agency (founded 2007) that designs and develops WordPress and WooCommerce sites, e-commerce platforms, UX/UI redesigns, and technical SEO for institutions and B2B clients across Normandy and France.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Web Development Services

NAICS

Custom Computer Programming Services (541511), Graphic Design Services (541430), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (5182)

SIC

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

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAFAKAE

Lead Generation & List Building Services (Prospecting, Data Sourcing)

Business & Public Services/Marketing, Advertising & PR Services/Direct Marketing & Lead Generation (Email, Telemarketing, Demand Gen)

Keywords

• Web development services
• Wordpress development
• E-commerce solutions
• Ux ui design
• Seo services

Headquarters

HQ city

Caen

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Web Development Services: Project-based professional services for website creation, redesign, and development. Services include WordPress theme development, WooCommerce e-commerce implementation, custom web applications, and technical SEO. Revenue generated through bespoke project quotes based on scope, complexity, and requirements.
2. Ongoing Maintenance and Support: WordPress maintenance services, hosting management, and ongoing technical support for existing client sites.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Highfive is a web agency that designs, develops, and maintains custom WordPress websites, WooCommerce e-commerce platforms, and bespoke web applications for institutions, brands, and businesses. Services span UX/UI design, technical SEO, website redesign, custom theme and plugin development, and ongoing WordPress maintenance. The agency delivers end-to-end projects from strategy and consulting through design, development, SEO optimization, and post-launch support.

Product overview

Highfive is a Normandy-based web agency founded in 2007 offering a unified service portfolio centered on WordPress-powered digital solutions. The core offering combines custom WordPress website creation, WooCommerce e-commerce development, and UX/UI design services, supported by specialized modules including SEO/performance optimization, marketing automation, and consulting. The agency builds on WordPress as its primary platform, leveraging WooCommerce for e-commerce, Gutenberg for block-based development, and custom theme/plugin development for specialized needs. Additional services include website redesign, WordPress maintenance, inbound marketing strategy, and beyond-CMS custom web development for complex requirements. The portfolio demonstrates expertise across institutional, tourism, e-commerce, B2B, and public sector websites, with regional coverage across Normandy departments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• WordPress Website Creation Custom WordPress website development including theme creation, plugin development, and Gutenberg block development for businesses and institutions seeking unique, scalable web presence.
• E-commerce Solutions WooCommerce-powered online store development and migration services from platforms like PrestaShop, featuring product catalogs, payment processing, booking systems, and B2B functionality.
• Webdesign & UX/UI Design User experience and interface design services including UX audits, wireframing, UI design, responsive design, and design system creation for consistent cross-platform experiences.
• SEO & Performance Search engine optimization including technical audits, on-page SEO, semantic content strategy, local SEO, Core Web Vitals optimization, and Generative Engine Optimization for AI-powered search.
• Website Redesign Complete website overhaul services including SEO migration, UX improvement, technical modernization, and content restructuring to improve visibility and user engagement.
• Consulting & Support Strategic and technical digital consulting including project scoping, functional specifications, data flow modeling, and ongoing digital strategy support for clients.
• WordPress Maintenance Ongoing WordPress maintenance services including security updates, performance optimization, plugin management, and technical support for existing WordPress installations.
• Custom Web Development Beyond-CMS custom development including web applications, connected portals, autonomous back-offices, decoupled modules, microservices, and API integrations for complex business requirements.

Quantifiable outcome

• Significant online sales growth reported by Le Parapluie de Cherbourg following WooCommerce migration

Named customers15 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

AI capability5 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Unik StudiominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Creative partnership for the Elairgie project where Unik Studio handled graphic identity and branding while Highfive delivered web design and development. Collaboration combines design agency creativity with technical web implementation.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Smile (Open Source): European open-source digital agency with deep WordPress/Drupal practice across multiple countries. Comparable technology stack and service mix, but substantially larger scale and broader geographic footprint than Highfive.
• Publicis Sapient: Global digital transformation consultancy within Publicis Groupe, covering custom web, commerce, and SEO/performance. Represents the enterprise-tier competitor Highfive would face on national and EU institutional tenders.
• AKQA: Global digital experience agency within the WPP network, offering web, design, and digital strategy at enterprise scale. Demonstrates the upper bound of Highfive's category and the competitive pressure from global incumbents on large mandates.
• Isobar (dentsu): Global digital agency network offering web, commerce, and marketing services as part of a broader portfolio. Comparable end-to-end offering but at vastly greater scale and with multinational client base.
• Capgemini Engineering: Global IT services and engineering firm offering large-scale custom web, integration, and SEO-enabled digital platforms. Most extreme scale contrast in the peer set — relevant for understanding enterprise-procurement competition.

Direct peers

• CosaVostra: French independent agency offering custom web development, UX/UI, and digital product design. Comparable boutique size and end-to-end service profile targeting similar B2B and institutional buyers.
• Elao: French web agency focused on PHP/Symfony with a similar small-team, custom-development profile serving B2B and institutional clients. Directly comparable in size, methodology, and target customer.
• Kaliop: French digital transformation agency specializing in open-source CMS (WordPress, Drupal, Symfony). Directly comparable in offering (custom web development, UX, e-commerce) though larger in headcount and geographic reach.
• The Coding Machine: French custom web and application development agency. Similar boutique scale, technical depth, and project-based delivery model to Highfive, with comparable B2B and institutional client mix.
• Novaway: French WordPress-specialist web agency offering custom theme/plugin development, WooCommerce, and ongoing maintenance — essentially Highfive's exact niche at comparable scale and regional footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/agencehighfive
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/highfive
• Instagraminstagram.com/agencehighfive

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Highfive