emBold
emBold Creative, LLC is a privately held, founder-owned digital agency in Akron, Ohio delivering web and mobile design, development, ecommerce, and custom integrations to brands, startups, other agencies, and government and nonprofit clients, with two SaaS products (WP Haven and LinkedXL) supplementing project-based services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersAkron, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What emBold does
emBold (legal entity: emBold Creative, LLC) is a privately held, founder-owned digital agency founded in 2012 and headquartered in Akron, Ohio, with an additional office in Hudson, Ohio. The firm delivers web and mobile design and development services to a diverse client base spanning established brands, startups, other marketing agencies, government entities, and nonprofit organizations. Its core offering is project-based professional services covering website and mobile application design and development, ecommerce builds on platforms such as Magento, Shopify, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce, custom API and third-party integrations (including Salesforce, HubSpot, Epicor ERP, and Square POS), and headless CMS architectures. Technical execution spans modern full-stack frameworks (Laravel, Ruby, Vue, Nuxt, Svelte, Swift) with infrastructure on Apache, Nginx, and Kubernetes, and "AI Integration" listed as part of its working stack.
The company's revenue model is primarily project-based professional services priced via custom quotes and multi-year contracts, supplemented by recurring revenue through its WP Haven WordPress hosting and maintenance SaaS product. emBold also operates LinkedXL, an enterprise alignment SaaS platform offering permission management, KPI tracking, and collaborative tools, signaling a deliberate expansion from pure services into platform products. Go-to-market is sales-led, relying on referrals, an extensive public portfolio of 40+ projects, and a white-label agency-partner channel that enables global reach without direct sales headcount expansion. The Summit Collective partnership provides on-demand access to additional creative professionals (graphic design, photography, videography, AR/VR, SEO, PR, copywriting, IT), allowing emBold to deliver full-service agency capabilities with boutique overhead.
Ownership and operating structure are founder-centric: Joren Rapini serves as President & Creative Director alongside a small in-house team of approximately four developers and a dev-ops lead, with no disclosed institutional funding or parent company. The business combines the cost structure of a small boutique with the delivery capacity of a larger agency through the Summit Collective ecosystem, serving clients globally while maintaining its Northeast Ohio base.
emBold firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- emBold
- Legal name
- emBold Creative, LLC
- Website
- https://embold.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- emBold Creative, LLC is a privately held, founder-owned digital agency in Akron, Ohio delivering web and mobile design, development, ecommerce, and custom integrations to brands, startups, other agencies, and government and nonprofit clients, with two SaaS products (WP Haven and LinkedXL) supplementing project-based services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
emBold industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Web Development and Digital Agency Services
- NAICS
- Advertising Agencies (54181), Other Services Related to Advertising (541890)
- SIC
- Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Advertising (7310)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Activation/Experiential Creative Agencies (MPAAAAAO)
Keywords
Where emBold is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Akron
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
emBold business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Web Design & Development Services: Project-based professional services for website design, development, and mobile application development. Clients include businesses, startups, government entities, nonprofits, and other agencies seeking design/development expertise.
- Ecommerce Development: Custom ecommerce website development using platforms like Magento, Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, with heavy customization for fulfillment, product customization, checkout processes, and POS integrations.
- Website Hosting & Maintenance: Ongoing website hosting and maintenance services through WP Haven SaaS brand, providing white-glove WordPress management with professional developer support.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom project-based pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels3 records
emBold product offering
Product offeringCore offering
emBold is a web and mobile design and development digital agency offering website/app development, web/UI/mobile design, ecommerce builds, website hosting, and custom third-party integrations for established brands, startups, government entities, nonprofits, and other marketing agencies. It operates two SaaS products: WP Haven, a white-glove WordPress hosting and maintenance platform, and LinkedXL, an enterprise strategic alignment and KPI tracking platform.
Product overview
emBold is a web and mobile design and development digital agency that offers services including Website/App Development, Web/UIX/Mobile Design, Ecommerce, and Website Hosting. They work with established brands, startups, and supplement other agencies. Their core products include WP Haven (a WordPress hosting and maintenance SaaS platform) and LinkedXL (an enterprise alignment and strategic execution SaaS platform). They also build custom projects and third-party integrations for clients.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- WP Haven A WordPress hosting and maintenance SaaS platform that gives agencies and WordPress website owners a comprehensive white-glove experience with a professional developer on staff to handle needs and automate website maintenance.
- LinkedXL A SaaS platform that helps organizations drive enterprise-wide alignment through clarity, accountability, and strategic execution, featuring advanced permission management, dynamic data structures for organizational strategies, integrated KPI tracking, task management, meeting management, and collaborative tools.
- Web Design & Development Services Project-based professional services covering website design, web/UI/mobile design, and full-stack development for established brands, startups, government entities, nonprofits, and marketing agencies.
- Ecommerce Development Services Custom ecommerce website development and customization using Magento, Shopify, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce with heavy customization for fulfillment, product customization, checkout processes, and POS integrations (Square).
- Mobile App Development Services Native iOS and Android mobile application development using Swift and other modern mobile frameworks, delivered as project-based engagements alongside web development.
- Custom API and Third-Party Integration Services Custom API development and integrations with third-party platforms including Salesforce, HubSpot, Epicor ERP, Square POS, and bespoke APIs for real-time data syncing such as vehicle listings and distributor networks.
Quantifiable outcome
- 67% reduction in page load time for ACBA
Companies that use emBold
Customer profileNamed customers14 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
emBold technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration7 records
Feature3 records
emBold partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Summit CollectivecoreSummit Collective is a group of creative professionals who work both independently and collaboratively with emBold to offer businesses and nonprofits a wide range of services including SEO, graphic design, website development, photography, videography, social media, PR, and copywriting. emBold clients gain access to these services, functioning as a full-service creative agency with lower overhead.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves1 record
Expansion highlights6 records
emBold competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- SmartSites: Established digital agency offering website design, development, and digital marketing; competes in the same SME/mid-market web build segment as emBold but with significantly more headcount and brand recognition.
- WebFX: Large, established digital marketing agency with comprehensive web development, SEO, and ecommerce services; competes for the same mid-market web builds but at much greater scale than emBold.
Direct peers
- Blue Fountain Media: Digital agency specializing in web design, ecommerce development, and custom integrations across platforms like Shopify, Magento, and WordPress—same core offering as emBold.
- Huemor: Boutique web design and development agency serving B2B and ecommerce brands with custom builds and platform integrations—comparable in size, scope, and go-to-market to emBold.
- Big Drop Inc: Custom web design and development agency serving brands and enterprises, with focus on tailored builds rather than templates—comparable boutique digital agency model.
- UPQODE: Web design and development agency delivering custom websites, ecommerce builds, and CMS solutions for SMB and mid-market clients—similar size and service scope as emBold.
- Coalition Technologies: Ecommerce-focused web design and development agency with strong Magento, Shopify, and BigCommerce expertise—closely aligned with emBold's ecommerce build work for clients like BOSU and National Vehicle.
- Digital Silk: Digital agency delivering custom website design, development, and branding services, often with ecommerce and CMS customization—directly comparable service profile to emBold.
- Lounge Lizard: Full-service digital agency offering web design, development, and branding for mid-market and enterprise clients; directly comparable service mix to emBold, though typically larger.
- Thrive Agency: Full-service digital marketing and web design agency offering custom web development alongside SEO and content; comparable in offering breadth though larger in headcount.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
emBold social profiles
Digital presenceemBold financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
emBold leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
emBold funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
emBold 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 emBold
What does emBold do?
emBold is a web and mobile design and development digital agency offering website/app development, web/UI/mobile design, ecommerce builds, website hosting, and custom third-party integrations for established brands, startups, government entities, nonprofits, and other marketing agencies. It operates two SaaS products: WP Haven, a white-glove WordPress hosting and maintenance platform, and LinkedXL, an enterprise strategic alignment and KPI tracking platform.
Is emBold a public or private company?
emBold is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was emBold founded?
emBold was founded in 2012. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is emBold based?
emBold is headquartered in Akron, United States, in the North America region.
How does emBold make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Web Design & Development Services are the primary driver. The others are ecommerce Development and website Hosting & Maintenance.
Who are emBold's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are SmartSites and WebFX. Direct peers are Blue Fountain Media, Huemor, Big Drop Inc, UPQODE, Coalition Technologies, Digital Silk, Lounge Lizard and Thrive Agency.
Does emBold have an API?
No public API is recorded for emBold.
What industry is emBold in?
emBold's product category is Web Development and Digital Agency Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAAAAAO, Activation/Experiential Creative Agencies. Its NAICS code is 54181 and its SIC code is 7311.