What Curiosum does

Curiosum Sp. z o.o. is a privately held Polish IT services company founded in 2020 and headquartered in Poznan, Poland, operating as a remote-first digital product studio with 18 specialists distributed across 9 countries. The company specializes in custom software development and product design, with a concentrated technology stack built around Elixir and the Phoenix Framework (including Phoenix LiveView) on the backend, paired with React and React Native on the frontend; production deployments typically run on AWS with Kubernetes clustering and PostgreSQL. Curiosum maintains and sponsors open-source developer tooling — Permit (authorization), Contexted (Phoenix contexts), Kanta (translations), and the Hologram framework (main sponsorship) — which doubles as both marketing channel and technical authority signal.

Curiosum sells its services through two cooperation models: team extension (senior engineers embedded into client teams, with internal rate proxies in the 12,000–18,000 PLN net B2B monthly range) and project-based outsourcing (end-to-end custom delivery from concept to handover). Its client portfolio spans roughly 20 tech companies across at least seven industries, anchored by long-tenure engagements with Digiforma in French EdTech (since 2020, with 14 contributed developers and a platform reaching 1.1M end users), WeBill in South African utilities, Locket in UK insurtech, Stakester in skill-based gaming, and Twine in HR data synchronization. In 2024 the firm added an in-house design department, broadening the offering to end-to-end product design, UX/UI, web design, mobile, and SaaS development.

The go-to-market is community-led, anchored by monthly Elixir Meetups (running continuously since January 2022), a biweekly Elixir Newsletter, the Elixir Hub community platform, 100+ expert Elixir articles, conference talks and podcast appearances by CTO Michał Buszkiewicz and CEO Szymon Soppa, and gated ebooks including the Elixir Adoption Guide and the Complete MVP Builder's Guide. Clutch recognized Curiosum as Top Elixir Developer, Top Phoenix Developer, and Top Software Developer Poznan in 2023, and SoDA awarded the company in 2022 for organizing 32 consecutive monthly meetups. The company is bootstrapped with no disclosed funding rounds and is member-led by its two co-founders.

Name

Curiosum

Legal name

Curiosum Sp. z o.o.

Website

https://curiosum.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Curiosum is a Poznan-based, remote-first Polish digital product studio of 18 specialists across 9 countries that delivers custom Elixir/Phoenix/React software development, team-extension, and product design services to roughly 20 tech clients across education, insurance, utilities, HR, marketing, and gaming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Poznan

HQ country

Poland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Project-based outsourcing: End-to-end custom software delivery — building new applications, modernizing legacy systems, or scaling platforms — where Curiosum takes full ownership from concept to delivery for a fixed project scope.
2. Team extension (staff augmentation): Senior Elixir/Phoenix engineers embedded into the client's in-house team on an ongoing basis; clients pay for dedicated FTE capacity (e.g., the Elixir Developer posting lists 12,000–18,000 PLN net (B2B) per month).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Curiosum delivers custom Elixir/Phoenix software development and product design services to businesses, ranging from ideation and technical advisory through UX/UI/product design to full custom web app, mobile app, and SaaS development, plus app modernization. Engagements are delivered under two cooperation models — Team Extension (senior Elixir engineers embedded into the client's team) and Project Based (end-to-end ownership from concept to delivery) — supported by deep Elixir expertise (6+ years, 50+ delivered projects) and an Elixir community footprint (open-source libraries, monthly meetups, Elixir Hub).

Product overview

Curiosum's offering is a unified portfolio of professional services plus a set of standalone open-source products and community platforms, all centered on the Elixir / Phoenix / React ecosystem. The core service catalog is organized into four pillars — Ideation (Product Strategy, Product Workshops, Research & Development, Technological Stack Advisory), Design (Product Design, UX Design, UI Design, Web Design), Development (Web App Development, Mobile App Development, SaaS Software Development, Proprietary Software Solutions, App Modernization), and Technology-specific expertise (Elixir, Phoenix Framework, Phoenix LiveView, React, React Native) — delivered through two cooperation models: Team Extension and Project Based. Alongside these services, Curiosum maintains self-published open-source developer products (Permit for authorization, Contexted for Phoenix contexts, Kanta for translations), runs the Elixir-hub community platform, organizes the monthly Elixir Meetups series, and publishes expert ebooks (Elixir Adoption Guide and Complete MVP Builder's Guide). Together, the consulting services, open-source libraries, community platforms, and educational resources form a full-stack Elixir-focused digital product studio.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Elixir Hub: A platform connecting the Elixir community with top companies, books, podcasts and more (elixir-hub.com).
• Permit
• Contexted
• Kanta

Products and services

• Web App Development Custom web application development service for businesses needing cross-platform web applications, typically built on Elixir/Phoenix with React frontends.
• Mobile App Development Custom mobile application development service building native and cross-platform mobile apps with React Native for B2B clients.
• SaaS Software Development Service developing scalable cloud-based SaaS solutions for recurring-revenue business models using Elixir/Phoenix backends.
• Proprietary Software Solutions Custom proprietary software development service addressing unique business needs that off-the-shelf products cannot solve.
• App Modernization Service upgrading legacy systems to modern architectures, including migrations from Node.js microservices to Elixir umbrella apps with Phoenix LiveView and Kubernetes clustering.
• Elixir Software Development Service for building fault-tolerant, scalable backend systems with the Elixir programming language, leveraging Curiosum's deep Elixir expertise (6+ years, 50+ projects).
• Phoenix Framework Software Development Service creating fast, reliable web applications with the Phoenix Framework, often paired with LiveView for interactive experiences.
• Phoenix LiveView Software Development Service delivering interactive, real-time web experiences without complex JavaScript using Phoenix LiveView (e.g., analytics dashboards, admin tools).
• React Software Development Service building dynamic user interfaces with React, typically paired with Elixir/Phoenix backends for B2B web apps.
• React Native Software Development Service developing cross-platform mobile apps using React Native, intended to feel native on both iOS and Android.
• Product Strategy Consulting service that defines an actionable product roadmap with clear KPIs and milestones through strategic exploration and validation.
• Product Workshops Ideation service validating ideas and defining core product features through facilitated workshops with client teams.
• Research & Development Service exploring and validating new technologies for client products, including Elixir/Phoenix proof-of-concepts and architecture spikes.
• Technological Stack Advisory Advisory service selecting the right technologies for a product's future, including Elixir adoption strategy and migration planning.
• Product Design End-to-end product design service creating product experiences that solve real user problems, delivered by the design department launched in 2024.
• UX Design Service building user journeys that feel natural and effortless, supporting Curiosum's web and mobile development projects.
• UI Design Service crafting beautiful interfaces that reflect brand identity, supporting Curiosum's web and mobile development projects.
• Web Design Service delivering responsive websites that convert visitors into customers.
• Permit (open-source) Open-source uniform authorization library for Elixir supporting Plug and Phoenix LiveView, with Permit.Ecto, Permit.Phoenix, and Permit.Absinthe extensions for GraphQL authorization.
• Contexted (open-source) Open-source Elixir library designed to streamline the management of complex Phoenix contexts in projects, improving maintainability.
• Kanta (open-source) Open-source, user-friendly translations manager for Elixir and Phoenix projects, enabling tidy localization workflows.
• Elixir-hub External go-to platform connecting the Elixir community with top companies, books, podcasts, and curated Elixir news delivered via a newsletter.
• Elixir Meetups Monthly online Elixir developer meetup series (numbered #1 through #31+) covering topics like LiveView, Absinthe, OTP, GenServers, authorization, and concurrency, with an archive of recordings.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10x increase in supported users on Stakester platform within the same server capacity.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• HologramflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Curiosum became the main sponsor of the Hologram Elixir framework. Bart Blast, the founder of Hologram, joined Curiosum as an Elixir Open Source Developer — a deep co-development alliance strengthening Curiosum's open-source Elixir positioning.
• SoDA (Polish Software Development Association)coreOthers · 1 January 2022Curiosum is a member of SoDA, the Polish Software Development Association representing IT services companies in Poland. Benefits include networking with other Polish software houses, industry reports, business meetings, conferences, and lead exchange. SoDA has 154 member software houses.
• A World For Us (Digiforma, Formalerte, Skills Marketplace)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Long-term strategic partnership since 2020 covering co-development of multiple French EdTech SaaS products: Digiforma (training management platform), Formalerte (compliance monitoring), and Skills Marketplace. Curiosum has contributed 14 developers to Digiforma over the years.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• DockYard: US-based digital product consultancy with deep Phoenix and Elixir expertise, offering custom software development, team extension, and product design. Closely comparable to Curiosum in stack specialization, client profile (mid-market to enterprise), and delivery model.
• Alembic: Elixir/Phoenix-focused development agency offering custom application development and team extension. Directly comparable to Curiosum in stack specialization, target client profile, and delivery model.
• Very Big Things: Software agency focused on Elixir and Phoenix LiveView development for startups and scale-ups. Comparable to Curiosum in Elixir/Phoenix specialization and team-extension model serving European and US clients.
• Hashrocket: US-based software consultancy originally known for Ruby on Rails, expanded into Elixir/Phoenix development. Comparable to Curiosum as a niche-stack development agency serving product teams with team-extension and project-based engagements.
• The Gnar Company: US-based custom software consultancy building web applications with Elixir/Phoenix and Ruby on Rails. Direct comparable to Curiosum in Elixir specialization, product studio positioning, and team-extension delivery model.
• Erlang Solutions: UK-based consultancy specializing in Erlang and Elixir development, system integration, and training. Direct competitor to Curiosum in the Elixir/Phoenix agency market, serving enterprise clients globally with comparable staff-augmentation and project-based offerings.

Broad incumbents

• Thoughtworks: Global technology consultancy with Elixir/Phoenix practices among many other technologies. Competes with Curiosum for enterprise custom-software and modernization engagements at much larger scale and broader geographic reach.
• Toptal: Global talent marketplace for freelance software engineers including Elixir/Phoenix developers. Competes with Curiosum's team-extension offering by providing on-demand senior engineers to enterprise buyers at scale.
• Carbon Five: US-based full-service digital product consultancy with Elixir/Phoenix capability among other stacks. Broader incumbent competing for the same enterprise custom-development work but offering multi-stack flexibility that Curiosum does not.

Regional players

• BairesDev: Latin America-headquartered software outsourcing and staff-augmentation provider with multi-stack capabilities. Comparable to Curiosum's team-extension model but primarily competes from a nearshore-for-US angle rather than European delivery.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• GitHubgithub.com/curiosum-dev
• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=x9OMlrrKYyE
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/curiosum-dev
• Xx.com/curiosum_dev

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Curiosum