What Dolphin Software does

Dolphin Software Pty Ltd is an Australian private consulting and intellectual property firm founded in 1990 and headquartered in Darwin, Northern Territory. The company began as a software startup focused on electronic survey authoring and automated collation systems, securing software patents with an International Patent Cooperation date of 1995 across the United States, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Singapore. Over time, Dolphin pivoted from a pure software vendor model to a consultancy services model, retaining license rights to use its patents in its own software while selling patents to other buyers.

Today, Dolphin operates as a small specialist consultancy (core team of two principals, Jude Ellen and Peter Barwell, plus a partner network of 1-10 total people) delivering strategic business analysis, performance measurement, customer experience mapping, process automation, and innovation facilitation to private, public, and social enterprises. The company leverages its legacy survey data acquisition software and automated reporting tools as inputs within client engagements rather than as standalone products. Its go-to-market is sales-led and direct, with pricing not publicly disclosed and engagement initiated via phone or email.

Dolphin also operates two wholly-owned sub-brands: Rust 490, an innovation collaborative and coworking space in Darwin hosting events such as Startup Weekend, Govhack NT, and IdeasFest; and The Web Hosting Machine, a website hosting and design business. The firm participates in the global Impact Hub Network and has held foundation partnerships with the Darwin Innovation Hub and Techstars' Startup Weekend. Microsoft is named as a past corporate client for skills assessment and benchmarking work. The firm's stated geographic market is Northern Territory, Australia, though its patent portfolio extends internationally.

Name

Dolphin Software

Legal name

Dolphin Software Pty Ltd

Website

https://dolphinsoftware.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Dolphin Software Pty Ltd is a Darwin-based Australian consultancy founded in 1990 that delivers strategic business analysis, performance measurement, and innovation facilitation to enterprises, operating alongside sub-brands Rust 490 (coworking space) and The Web Hosting Machine (web hosting services).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Consulting Services

NAICS

Software Publishers (513210), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151), Custom Computer Programming Services (541511), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (5415), Software Publishers (5132)

SIC

Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

Core ERP Suites (Financials, Procurement, Projects) (HDAEAEAA)

Keywords

• Business strategy consulting
• Process automation services
• Innovation advisory
• Performance measurement consulting
• Intellectual property licensing

Headquarters

HQ city

Darwin

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Consultancy Services: Business consultancy services using proprietary surveying data acquisition software and automated reporting as tools in client projects. Focus on strategic thinking, innovation, and process transformation.
2. Software Licensing: Historical software vendor model with retained license to use patents in own software after selling patents to different buyers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Dolphin Software is a Darwin-based consultancy that delivers strategic business analysis, performance measurement, process automation, and innovation advisory services to organizations. The firm combines proprietary patented survey authoring and automated collation software with strategic consulting expertise, and operates two sub-businesses: the Rust 490 coworking and innovation space and The Web Hosting Machine (website hosting and design).

Product overview

Dolphin Software is a specialist business services company that evolved from a software startup (late 1990s) into a consulting firm focused on technology as a transformative enabler. The company originally developed survey data acquisition software with automated reporting capabilities, holding international software patents. Today, Dolphin offers strategic consulting services including business analysis, process automation, design thinking, and innovation strategy. The company also operates two sub-brands: Rust 490 (a coworking and innovation space in Darwin) and The Web Hosting Machine (a website hosting and design business).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Rust 490: Coworking space and innovation collaborative meeting place for ideas, partnership building and creative startup thinking for business development.
• The Web Hosting Machine

Products and services

• Strategic Business Consulting Services
• Survey Data Acquisition and Automated Reporting Software
• Rust 490 Coworking and Innovation Space

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• IdeasFestminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017First ideas innovation community festival in Darwin, created in April 2017. Jude Ellen from Dolphin was mentor, coach, and organizer.
• Techstars Startup Weekend DarwinminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Partnership bringing Techstars' Startup Weekend to Darwin for the first time in November 2017. Linked with Adelaide Australian Techstars base.
• Darwin Innovation HubcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Rust 490 was a foundation partner in the successful application for the Darwin Innovation Hub in 2016. Strategic partnership supporting innovation ecosystem development in Darwin.
• Rust 490coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Innovation collaborative and creative workshop space established by Dolphin team. Originally a creative workshop space for ideas, partnership building and creative startup thinking for business development. Hosts coworking space, networking events, and entrepreneurial activities in Darwin.
• The Web Hosting MachineminorOthersWebsite hosting and design business operated by Dolphin, designed to help businesses leverage internet power with security. Also sells Bun Coffee Byron Bay beans.
• Impact Hub NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDolphin and Rust 490 are part of the global impact hub movement, connecting local Darwin ecosystem to global network of impact hubs.
• Bun Coffee Byron BayminorOthersCoffee supplier for The Web Hosting Machine business. Bun Coffee beans sold through the web hosting company's operations.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Thoughtworks: Global technology consultancy offering software development, systems integration, and strategic advisory to enterprises. Comparable to Dolphin in combining proprietary software/IP with bespoke consulting services for transformation engagements.
• Typeform: Survey and data acquisition SaaS company specializing in interactive form authoring and automated reporting — directly analogous to Dolphin's patented electronic survey authoring and automated collation systems (1995).
• Slalom: Technology and business consulting firm focused on strategy, technology, and transformation outcomes for clients. Similar to Dolphin in blending business strategy with hands-on technology enablement for customer-focused organizations.
• Impact Hub Network: Global network of innovation and coworking hubs. Dolphin and Rust 490 are explicitly part of this network, making it a directly comparable ecosystem operator for the Rust 490 sub-brand.

Broad incumbents

• Accenture: Global consulting and technology services giant. Broadly competes with Dolphin's strategic advisory and process transformation work but at vastly greater scale and across many more geographies and industries.
• SurveyMonkey: Market-leading online survey platform. Dolphin's own narrative explicitly positions its 1995 survey authoring patent as predating SurveyMonkey, making them a comparable (though much larger) peer in the same survey/assessment category.
• WeWork: Large global coworking and flexible-office operator. Comparable to Rust 490 as a coworking/innovation space operator, though at vastly different scale and with a different geographic footprint.
• Deloitte Digital: Digital transformation and consulting arm of a Big Four firm. Overlaps with Dolphin's customer-experience and technology-enabled strategy work but as part of a much broader services portfolio.

Regional players

• River City Labs: Brisbane-based coworking and startup accelerator referenced by Dolphin as a model for Rust 490. Comparable Australian coworking operator in a larger but distinct regional market.
• Fishburners: Sydney-based coworking and startup community hub cited by Dolphin as an inspiration model for Rust 490. Operates in the same Australian coworking/innovation space but in a different geographic market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dolphin-software

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Dolphin Software