Stickbuilt

What Stickbuilt does

Stickbuilt is a privately held, founder-owned software services studio headquartered in New Plymouth, New Zealand, that builds custom mobile and web applications on a project basis. The firm was founded by Ben Nichols, a 15-year mobile development veteran and former Director of Engineering at PunchTab, and operates as a small-batch "craft" studio serving primarily startups, growth-stage companies, and social-impact organizations that need external engineering capacity without maintaining large internal teams.

The studio's core offerings are organized into three service lines: Prototype (proof-of-concept and demo builds), Optimize (performance, reliability, and design improvements to existing applications), and Extend (mobile and web frontend development for existing products). Underlying technology is conventional modern mobile and web development — notably Swift for iOS — delivered through a modified agile process with short iterative cycles, continuous client feedback loops, and a multi-environment deployment pipeline. Demonstrated technical scope ranges from pure frontend (ChangeTip iOS app) to full-stack platform delivery including mobile, server, database, and web components (the unself volunteer platform).

Go-to-market is sales-led and direct: the company markets exclusively through its own website, presenting case studies and client testimonials, and receives inquiries via listed email addresses. Revenue mechanics are professional-services based — quote-based project engagements rather than recurring subscriptions or productized pricing — and there are no disclosed investors, funding rounds, or institutional capital. Public customer evidence is limited to two named case studies (ChangeTip in fintech/social micropayments, and unself in nonprofit/community technology), underscoring a boutique, high-touch engagement model.

Name

Stickbuilt

Website

https://stickbui.lt

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Stickbuilt is a privately held, founder-owned software services studio in New Plymouth, New Zealand that builds custom mobile and web applications for startups, growth-stage companies, and social-impact organizations via project-based Prototype, Optimize, and Extend engagements.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New Plymouth

HQ country

New Zealand

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. Custom Software Development Services: Project-based custom software development including prototyping, optimization, and extending existing products. Services billed per project/client engagement rather than a recurring subscription model.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Stickbuilt is a small-batch craft software development studio that designs, prototypes, and builds custom mobile and web applications for client companies. It delivers end-to-end product work — from concept demos and proofs of concept to performance optimization of existing apps and full mobile/web frontend builds — using Swift and modern web technologies through short, iterative agile cycles.

Product overview

Stickbuilt is a small-batch craft software studio offering three core service lines: Prototype (proof-of-concept and demo development), Optimize (performance, reliability, and UI improvements), and Extend (mobile and web frontend development). The company has delivered client projects including the ChangeTip iOS mobile app with micropayment and location-based tipping features, and the unself platform—a comprehensive volunteer management solution spanning mobile, server, database, and web components.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Prototype Service

Named customers2 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

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• unselfcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBuilt unself's entire product including mobile, server, database, and web components. Used modified agile development and multi-environment deployment to deliver the platform in phases. Served as technical partner providing guidance across the stack.

Scale indicators1 record

Expansion highlights3 records

Emerging players

• Arc.dev: Developer-matching platform that connects companies with pre-vetted remote engineers for product development. Adjacent to Stickbuilt as a way startups source custom mobile/web development talent and teams, even if not a direct agency competitor.

Broad incumbents

• BairesDev: Large-scale outsourced software development firm providing dedicated engineering teams across web, mobile, and data. Operates in the same custom-development category as Stickbuilt but at significantly greater scale and with staff-augmentation emphasis.
• Pivotal Labs (Tanzu / VMware): Long-running software consultancy known for extreme programming, pair-programming, and agile delivery to enterprise clients. Comparable in craft-driven, agile-iterative software delivery to Stickbuilt, though now embedded within VMware/Tanzu at much larger scale.

Direct peers

• Netguru: Global software consultancy building web and mobile products for startups and enterprises. Comparable in full-stack delivery (mobile, web, backend) and project-based custom development to Stickbuilt, though at much larger scale.
• Intellectsoft: Enterprise software and mobile app development firm delivering custom digital products to clients across industries. Comparable to Stickbuilt in project-based custom mobile/web development for clients needing end-to-end delivery.
• Fingent: Custom software development company offering web, mobile, and enterprise application development. Similar service-line structure (custom build, optimize, extend) and professional-services revenue model to Stickbuilt.
• Mutual Mobile: Custom mobile and emerging-technology development agency serving enterprises and startups. Direct peer to Stickbuilt in mobile-app-centric custom development services and iterative delivery to product teams.
• Thoughtbot: US-based software consultancy offering custom web and mobile development, design, and product strategy. Closely comparable to Stickbuilt in its boutique, iterative, quality-focused delivery model and startup-focused client base.
• Itransition: Custom software development company providing web, mobile, and enterprise application services globally. Direct comparable to Stickbuilt in professional-services custom development with a focus on delivering business outcomes for clients.
• DockYard: Custom digital product consultancy specializing in mobile, web, and full-stack engineering (notably Elixir and React Native). Comparable to Stickbuilt as a focused, craft-oriented dev shop delivering end-to-end products for startups and growth-stage clients.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stickbuilt-inc

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 Stickbuilt