What Smartshore does

Smartshore is a Dutch-headquartered software development services firm founded in 2012 and operating from Utrecht and Voorburg in the Netherlands, with engineering centers in Ludhiana and Panaji, India. The company sells dedicated development teams under two models: Human Teams (Dutch senior leadership paired with Indian developers) and AI Teams (fully autonomous AI agent-driven teams), supplemented by DevOps, Hyper Agile Development (two-day sprints), Vibe Code to Production services, and FusionAuth identity implementations. Productized offerings include Professional Strapi Hosting on Kubernetes (Basic €450/month, Professional €1,250/month, Gold custom), the Strapi Forms Plugin available in the Strapi marketplace, the Play! Scrum Poker estimation tool, and the DAGONGIN data governance engine.

The underlying technology stack spans PHP, JavaScript/TypeScript, Python, .NET, with frameworks including Symfony, Laravel, Vue, React, Next.js, Nuxt, and NestJS. Headless CMS specialization covers Strapi (where Smartshore is the only official partner in the Netherlands) and Storyblok. Infrastructure runs on Kubernetes, Docker, Azure, AWS, and Google Cloud, with ISO 27001 and ISO 9001 certifications and a Kubernetes cluster hosted in Amsterdam keeping client data within Europe. AI capabilities center on a multi-agent RAG architecture using Flowise, LangChain, Pinecone, and third-party LLMs (Claude, OpenAI, Mistral, Llama).

The business model combines subscription/recurring revenue (Strapi Hosting tiers, ongoing team retainers) with project-based professional services and managed services (DevOps). GTM is primarily direct enterprise field sales supplemented by partner referrals from Strapi, Storyblok, FusionAuth, and design partner Ability. The customer base spans Dutch government (UWV, Province of Zuid-Holland, Deltares, UNESCO), enterprise (CM.com, Heineken, Hubble Fleet Management, Reformatorisch Dagblad, Hallo), nonprofit (Red Cross Netherlands managing 300,000+ trainees), and mid-market/startup segments across at least 15 documented case studies.

Name

Smartshore

Legal name

Smartshore

Website

https://smartshore.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Smartshore is a Dutch software development services firm founded in 2012 that sells dedicated Human and AI development teams, DevOps, and Strapi hosting to Dutch government, enterprise, and nonprofit clients, delivered through a hybrid Dutch-Indian team model from Utrecht and India engineering centers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Utrecht

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Development Teams (Human & AI): Dedicated development teams combining Dutch senior leadership with Indian developers, supplemented with AI agents. Revenue generated through ongoing team retainers and project-based engagements. Teams are permanent and integrated with client organizations.
2. Strapi Hosting Services: Professional Strapi hosting with three tiers (Basic €450/month, Professional €1,250/month, Gold custom pricing). Includes Kubernetes infrastructure, monitoring, SSL management, automated backups, and Web Application Firewall.
3. DevOps Services: Infrastructure management including CI/CD pipelines, cloud hosting on Kubernetes in Amsterdam, continuous monitoring, incident management, and security services. Provided as managed service.
4. Vibe Code to Production: Professional services to bridge AI-generated prototypes to production-ready software. Includes code review, security assessment, DevOps setup, and knowledge transfer.
5. Hyper Agile Development: Accelerated development methodology using 2-day sprints with micro-stories. Revenue generated through development team engagements with higher velocity delivery.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Smartshore is a Dutch software development services firm that provides dedicated development teams combining Dutch senior leadership (Scrum Master, Tech Lead, Architect, UX Designer) with Indian developers, plus fully autonomous AI-driven development teams. The firm delivers custom web applications, headless CMS implementations (notably Strapi), DevOps infrastructure, and Hyper Agile development using 2-day sprints. Supporting offerings include Professional Strapi Hosting (Kubernetes-based managed service), Vibe Code to Production (refining AI prototypes to production), and the DAGONGIN data governance engine.

Product overview

Smartshore is a Dutch software development services firm offering two primary team models: Human Teams (Dutch senior leadership combined with Indian developers) and AI Teams (fully autonomous AI agent development teams). Supporting services include DevOps (Kubernetes hosting, CI/CD, monitoring), Hyper Agile Development (2-day sprints), Vibe Code to Production (AI prototype to production), and FusionAuth implementation. Specialized products include Professional Strapi Hosting (Kubernetes-based, three tiers), the Strapi Forms Plugin (available in Strapi marketplace), the Play! Scrum Poker tool, and the DAGONGIN data governance engine built for DGleaders. The company holds ISO 27001 and ISO 9001 certifications and operates offices in Utrecht, Panaji (India), and Ludhiana (India).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Human Teams Dedicated development teams combining Dutch senior leadership (Scrum Master, Tech Lead, Architect, UI/UX Designer) with Indian developers, delivering software projects with Dutch quality oversight at international cost advantages.
• AI Teams Fully AI agent-driven development teams where specialized agents autonomously handle requirements, code writing, testing, documentation, reviews, and deployment, overseen and managed by Smartshore engineers.
• DevOps Full technical infrastructure management including CI/CD pipelines, Kubernetes cloud hosting in Amsterdam, continuous monitoring, incident management, and built-in security for software projects.
• Hyper Agile Development Two-day sprint development methodology with micro-stories (2-4 hours), continuous refinement, and automated multiple-daily production deployments.
• Vibe Code to Production Bridge service that takes AI-generated prototypes and prepares them for production through code review and refactoring, security review, DevOps infrastructure setup, and knowledge handover.
• Professional Strapi Hosting Managed Strapi CMS hosting on Kubernetes with GitOps in three tiers (Basis at €450/month, Professional at €1,250/month, Gold custom pricing) including 24/7 monitoring, SSL management, Web Application Firewall, automated backups, and realtime logs. ISO 27001 and ISO 9001 certified infrastructure.
• Play! Scrum Poker Free Agile estimation tool with real-time voting, results download, and live scrum master controls. Available as web app and Android app, built by the Smartshore Academy team.
• DAGONGIN Data Governance Engine Data Governance Engine providing a dashboard for realtime governance insight, automated task routing, business glossary management, audit trail, and RACI-based domain structuring. Built for DGleaders using Vue, NestJS, Storyblok, and Kubernetes.
• FusionAuth Implementation Services Official FusionAuth partner implementation of identity and access management (IAM) and customer identity and access management (CIAM) solutions, including self-hosted, cloud, and air-gapped deployments supporting OAuth2, OpenID Connect, and MFA.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30% higher velocity and 30% lower costs compared to traditional Scrum teams
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration14 records

AI capability11 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• StrapicoreTechnology or IntegrationSmartshore is the only official Strapi partner in the Netherlands. This partnership provides direct contact with the Strapi team for complex issues, visibility into the product roadmap, and early awareness of new developments. Smartshore has proven experience with complex enterprise projects and custom integrations, including the Reformatorisch Dagblad platform managing over 1 million articles.
• StoryblokcoreTechnology or IntegrationOfficial Storyblok partner providing custom content management solutions. Smartshore's development teams are skilled in Storyblok's API-first architecture, enabling fully customizable, future-proof digital solutions from rapid implementation to seamless integrations.
• FusionAuthcoreTechnology or IntegrationOfficial FusionAuth partner for Identity & Access Management (IAM) and Customer Identity & Access Management (CIAM) solutions. Currently implementing FusionAuth for Restauratiefonds and DG Leaders, demonstrating capability with authentication platforms supporting OAuth2, OpenID Connect, and MFA.
• AbilitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign partner for user experience and visual design. Ability collaborates with Smartshore on complex projects including the AI knowledge service (Geluidshinder Aanpak) with multi-agent RAG architecture, and the Heineken Collection digital museum.
• Productowner (Productowner.nl)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartner for product ownership services including interim secondment, training, recruitment & selection, and events. Provides access to product owner talent and professional development services.
• KBenPminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerIndependent advice and implementation partner in information management, IT services, and organizational design. Provides consulting services that complement Smartshore's technical delivery capabilities.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Conclusion: Large Dutch IT consultancy group delivering application development, cloud, data, and managed services across enterprise and public sector. Overlaps with Smartshore on Dutch government and regulated-industry custom software delivery, but at significantly larger scale and broader portfolio.
• Valtech: Global digital services agency with significant Benelux presence, offering custom development, CMS, DXP, and AI services at much larger scale than Smartshore. Competes for the same Dutch enterprise and government digital transformation deals but operates across a much broader portfolio.

Emerging players

• Braincreators: Dutch data and AI services firm focused on productionizing AI for enterprise and government. Comparable emerging player with overlapping AI/multi-agent capabilities (e.g., accessible knowledge services, RAG deployments for Dutch public-sector clients).

Direct peers

• Triple: Dutch digital agency providing strategy, design, and custom software development for enterprise clients with a strong Dutch government and B2B portfolio. Directly comparable mid-sized Dutch digital services firm competing for similar headless CMS and web platform RFPs.
• Dept: Large Benelux-based digital agency offering end-to-end custom software, design, and marketing services to enterprise and government clients. Most directly comparable Dutch competitor in terms of custom development and CMS-based digital platforms for mid-market and enterprise accounts.
• Incentro: Dutch-headquartered technology consultancy delivering custom software, cloud, and data platforms with a focus on Adobe, Google, and open-source CMS ecosystems. Comparable in size and customer segment (mid-market and enterprise in the Netherlands and EMEA).
• iO (formerly Intracto / Holocraft): Benelux digital agency combining strategy, creative, technology, and marketing with dedicated team delivery for enterprise clients. Comparable hybrid model of Dutch senior leadership with nearshore execution and a similar headless CMS / DXP implementation focus.

Others

• Enterspeed: Headless data orchestration and content federation platform that competes more on infrastructure than services, but is used by similar Dutch agencies and serves the same headless CMS architectural patterns that Smartshore builds on (e.g., Strapi, Storyblok, headless architectures).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xinstagram.com/smartshore_ability
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@SmartshoreNL
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/smartshorenl
• Instagraminstagram.com/smartshore_ability

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Smartshore