What Akawaka does

Akawaka is a French web development agency founded in January 2021 as a SAS (Société par Actions Simplifiée) with €4,000 in share capital, headquartered in Villeurbanne (Lyon metropolitan area) and operating additional offices in Lille and Rennes. The company provides custom web and mobile application development, technical audits and consulting, a flexible service-center model for ongoing team augmentation, and project/operations leadership. Its core technology stack is built on PHP with the Symfony framework, extended through Sylius for e-commerce, Sulu for headless CMS, and API Platform for API-first architectures, with React, Vue.js, Next.js, and Nuxt used for frontend work. Akawaka markets three explicit expertise specializations (Symfony, Sylius, Sulu) and claims certified Sylius expert status with four active contributors to the Sylius ecosystem.

The company's revenue model is professional services-based, monetized through bespoke project engagements and managed service retainers delivered to French enterprise and mid-market clients. Publicly disclosed engagements include e-commerce platform refonte work for Tediber (premium bedding), marketplace build for TooSports (sports equipment), and an information-system modernization for CFC (Centre Français d'exploitation du droit de Copie, a copyright management organization). Akawaka employs a content-driven go-to-market strategy centered on technical blog publishing, conference participation across the PHP/Symfony ecosystem (AFUP, SymfonyCon, API Platform Conference, Sylius events, Forum PHP), and case-study showcases. Direct client engagement via website contact form and phone serves as the primary bottom-of-funnel channel. Akawaka has not raised external institutional funding and operates as a bootstrapped firm with 11-50 employees and a single disclosed senior leader, Gaetan Buelley, serving as Director.

Name

Akawaka

Legal name

Akawaka SAS

Website

https://akawaka.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Akawaka is a French web development agency founded in 2021 that builds custom web, mobile, and e-commerce applications using PHP, Symfony, Sylius, Sulu, and API Platform. It serves enterprise and mid-market clients across France from offices in Lyon, Lille, and Rennes, monetizing through bespoke project work, technical audits, and managed service engagements.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Web Development Services

NAICS

Custom Computer Programming Services (541511), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming Services (7371), Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)

akta.pro primary industry

Captive/Global In-House Center (GIC) Setup & Managed Services (BPAEAMAK)

Keywords

• PHP web development
• Symfony consulting
• Sylius e-commerce
• Headless CMS integration
• Custom web applications

Headquarters

HQ city

Villeurbanne

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Web Application Development: Bespoke web and mobile application development services, project-based or retainer engagements for designing, building, and deploying custom solutions aligned with client business objectives.
2. Technical Consulting & Audit: Expert technical audits, architectural consulting, and strategic technology advisory services for existing projects or new initiatives.
3. Service Center / Managed Services: Ongoing technical team augmentation and dedicated development resources tailored to client needs, providing sustained engineering capacity.
4. Operations & Project Direction: Technical leadership, project management, and operational direction services ensuring alignment of technical execution with business priorities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Akawaka is a French web development agency delivering custom web and mobile applications built primarily on PHP, Symfony, Sylius (e-commerce), Sulu (headless CMS), and API Platform. The agency offers four service lines: custom web/mobile application development, technical audits and expert consulting, a flexible managed service-center model, and operations/project direction, supplemented by deep technical specialization in Symfony, Sylius, and Sulu ecosystems.

Product overview

Akawaka is a French web development agency offering a portfolio of professional services organized around four core offerings: expert consulting and technical audits, a flexible service center model, custom web and mobile application development, and project/operations leadership. The company has built recognized expertise in three key technology specializations—Symfony, Sylius, and Sulu—that serve as the technical foundation across all service lines. Their Symfony experts deliver development, optimization, migration, and coaching services. Their Sylius specialists focus on e-commerce implementations spanning standard, B2B, and custom configurations, plus the Sylius Stack for internal tools. Their Sulu experts handle headless CMS implementations for ambitious web projects requiring multi-site and multi-language capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Custom Web and Mobile Application Development (Développement d'applications web et mobile) Bespoke web and mobile application development service delivering tailored solutions for clients with unique project requirements, covering the full project lifecycle.
• Expert Technical Audit and Consulting (Audit et conseils d'expert) Technical audit and consulting service providing precise diagnosis and honest assessment of client projects to ensure sound technical foundations.
• Service Center / Managed Services (Centre de services) Flexible managed service-center model that adapts to client needs, providing personalized accompaniment with deep understanding of products, users, and objectives.
• Operations Direction and Project Management (Direction des opérations et direction de projet) Project management and operations leadership service ensuring rigorous organization and strategic decision-making aligned with client objectives and priorities.
• Symfony Expertise (Experts Symfony) Symfony framework expertise service including development, integration, code optimization, migration, maintenance, and technical coaching.
• Sylius Expertise (Experts Sylius) Sylius e-commerce platform expertise covering creation, redesign, Pro edition for B2B, custom development, and Sylius Stack for internal tools, with ERP/CRM/PIM integrations.
• Sulu Expertise (Experts Sulu) Sulu headless CMS expertise for complex web projects including corporate sites, institutional platforms, and multi-site/multi-language implementations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Sylius 2.1 migration with performance improvements, cleaner code, and WCAG AA accessibility compliance
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Feature4 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SensioLabs: SensioLabs is the creator of Symfony and offers Symfony consulting, training, and development services in France. It is the most direct peer given Akawaka's deep Symfony/Sylius specialization and shared French market.
• Webnet: Webnet is a French web agency offering custom Symfony, Drupal, and e-commerce development. Direct peer to Akawaka in the French custom-development market for technology-conscious enterprises.
• BitBag: BitBag is a leading Sylius-focused agency (Sylius Gold Partner) offering Sylius e-commerce development, migrations, and B2B extensions. Comparable to Akawaka's Sylius specialization, though operating from Poland rather than France.
• Synolia: Synolia is a French digital agency recognized as a Sylius Gold Partner, providing e-commerce, CRM, and PIM implementations. Direct overlap with Akawaka in Sylius expertise and French enterprise e-commerce market.
• Kaliop: Kaliop is a French digital agency specializing in e-commerce (including Sylius), content management, and digital transformation. Comparable in target market and Sylius/Magento expertise, though larger and more diversified.
• TheCodingMachine: TheCodingMachine is a French PHP/JS web agency specializing in Symfony, React, and modern web stacks. Direct peer given shared French market, custom development model, and similar technology stack orientation.
• Elao: Elao is a French Symfony-specialist web agency offering custom development, consulting, and training. Comparable to Akawaka in size, Symfony focus, and French SMB/enterprise client base.

Broad incumbents

• Smile: Smile is a large French open-source digital agency covering e-commerce, CMS, ERP, and infrastructure across multiple European countries. Overlaps with Akawaka on Sylius/Symfony but operates at much greater scale and breadth.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/akawaka

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 Akawaka