HORTUS SOFTWARE LTD

What HORTUS SOFTWARE LTD does

Hortus Software Ltd is a solo founder-led engineering consultancy based in Redhill, United Kingdom, operating a dual practice in custom electronics design and full-stack software engineering. The hardware practice spans concept through small-batch assembly, with technical specialisation in low-power and energy-harvesting designs, sensor systems, wireless connectivity (LoRa, mesh, WiFi), and unconventional displays such as e-paper and electrochromic. The software practice delivers hands-on full-stack engineering, architecture support, DevOps, and technical leadership for teams facing delivery pressure or in need of additional engineering capacity. The founder is the sole operator, with the company classified in a 1-10 employee SIC band but self-described as a one-person business; the legal entity is a UK private limited company with two directors and an active status.

The business operates three revenue streams: project-based hardware prototyping and design services starting from approximately £4,500, software engineering and technical leadership consulting billed by day rate or fixed project price, and direct-to-consumer e-commerce sales of self-designed products via shop.hortus.dev. The self-designed consumer products — Fire String (RP2040-based LED simulation board), Tiny2048 (ESP32-based gaming board), and a Houseplant Watering Monitor with solar energy harvesting and an electrochromic display — are designed, assembled, and shipped in small batches from the founder's workshop, with CE/UKCA compliance references indicating UK-focused manufacturing. All products are produced in low volumes rather than mass-manufactured.

The go-to-market is direct engagement via the company website and LinkedIn, with prospective clients initiating contact by email for a free initial consultation followed by staged paid engagements (typically a 3-5 day feasibility study then design/build). LLM-assisted development tools are integrated into the engineering workflow as productivity leverage rather than as a productised offering. The company is bootstrapped, with no external funding, partnerships, institutional ownership, or named customers disclosed; the founder maintains full control of the entity.

Name

HORTUS SOFTWARE LTD

Legal name

Hortus Software Ltd

Website

https://hortus.dev

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Hortus Software Ltd is a solo founder-led UK engineering consultancy providing custom low-power electronics design and full-stack software engineering, supplemented by direct-to-consumer sales of self-designed hardware products via an online store.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Redhill

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Hardware prototyping and design services: Project-based consulting for custom electronics design, from concept through to small-batch manufacturable boards. Engagement starts with feasibility (3-5 days, paid), followed by fixed-price or day-rate design and build. Prototyping engagements typically start from around £4,500.
2. Software engineering and technical leadership services: Hands-on software engineering consulting across the full stack, from interactive front ends to infrastructure. Supports teams with architecture, building, deployment, and running of products and services. Billed by day rate or fixed project price.
3. E-commerce hardware product sales: Sale of self-designed and assembled hardware products through the company's own online store (shop.hortus.dev). Products include Fire String, houseplant watering monitors, Tiny2048 game boards, and small-batch badges/gadgets.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Hortus Software Ltd is a solo founder-led engineering consultancy that designs and builds custom electronics (low-power, energy-harvesting hardware, sensors, wireless connectivity, unusual displays) from concept through small-batch assembly, and provides full-stack software engineering and technical leadership services to teams. The company also designs, assembles, and sells its own hardware products (LED controllers, plant monitors, gaming boards, badges) through an online store.

Product overview

Hortus Software Ltd operates as a dual-practice engineering consultancy offering custom hardware design and software engineering services. The hardware portfolio consists of proprietary products including the Fire String (RP2040-based LED fire simulation), Houseplant Watering Monitor (battery-powered soil sensor), Tiny2048 (ESP32 gaming board), and Small-Batch Products (badges and gadgets). These products are designed, built, and sold through the company's own store, demonstrating end-to-end product delivery capabilities. The service offerings include custom electronics design (covering concept through small-batch assembly) and full-stack software engineering with technical leadership, allowing the company to serve clients who lack in-house engineering capability.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Fire String: Real-time fire simulation on an RP2040, driving an LED string with colours derived from black-body radiation curves, running at around 80fps with a browser-based configurator over Web Serial.
• Houseplant Watering Monitor
• Tiny2048

Products and services

• Fire String Real-time fire simulation board based on the RP2040 microcontroller, driving an LED string with colors derived from black-body radiation curves, operating at approximately 80fps with a browser-based configurator over Web Serial. Sold as a finished consumer/hobbyist product.
• Houseplant Watering Monitor Capacitive soil moisture sensing device designed to run for over a year on a single battery, being redesigned to incorporate solar energy harvesting and an ultra-low-power electrochromic display. Sold as a finished consumer product.
• Tiny2048 A playable game of 2048 on a compact custom ESP32 board featuring a grid of addressable RGB LEDs as the display and an accelerometer for tilt-based input. Sold as a finished consumer/hobbyist product.
• Small-Batch Badges and Gadgets Pin badges and small electronic gadgets designed, assembled, and shipped from the founder's workshop, demonstrating direct experience with manufacturability, yield, and unit cost. Sold via shop.hortus.dev.
• Custom Electronics Design Services Custom electronics design and build service covering concept, feasibility (3-5 days), schematic design, PCB layout, firmware development, regulatory compliance (CE/UKCA/FCC), and small-batch assembly. Specializes in low-power, energy-harvesting, sensor systems, and wireless connectivity (LoRa, mesh, WiFi) with displays such as e-paper and electrochromic. Engagements typically start from around £4,500 on fixed-price or day-rate terms.
• Software Engineering and Technical Leadership Services Full-stack hands-on software engineering and technical leadership service including architecture support, DevOps, continuous delivery, test-driven development, pragmatic agile practices, and LLM-assisted development. Billed by day rate or fixed project price; supports senior engineers stepping into leadership roles.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature5 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Pololu: Pololu is a US-based company that designs and manufactures electronics including motor controllers, sensors, and robotics components. Comparable to Hortus in designing and selling original hardware products, with similar engineering-led DNA.
• ByteSnap Design: ByteSnap is a UK electronics and embedded software design consultancy offering project-based services across hardware and firmware. Directly comparable services model to Hortus' custom electronics design practice, including low-power and connected device work.
• Boldport: Boldport is a UK-based independent designer creating custom PCBs and electronics art for makers and professionals. Comparable to Hortus in scale, geography, and approach — independent, design-led, hardware-focused with direct customer engagement.
• Pimoroni: Pimoroni is a UK-based electronics company that designs and sells hobbyist and prosumer hardware through direct e-commerce. Comparable to Hortus' small-batch product business (Fire String, Tiny2048, badges) and shared UK base, though operating at a larger scale.

Broad incumbents

• Adafruit Industries: Adafruit is a US-based electronics company that designs, manufactures, and sells open-source hardware. Comparable to Hortus as a designer-seller of original electronics, but at much larger scale with manufacturing partnerships and a global retail footprint.
• Seeed Studio: Seeed is a global hardware platform that designs, manufactures, and distributes IoT and maker electronics. Comparable as a hardware designer/seller, but at significantly larger scale with manufacturing partnerships and a broader ecosystem.
• ThoughtWorks: ThoughtWorks is a global software engineering consultancy serving enterprises across the full stack. Comparable to Hortus' software engineering services practice (technical leadership, full-stack delivery) but at vastly larger scale with broader technical offerings.
• SparkFun Electronics: SparkFun is a US-based electronics company that designs, manufactures, and sells components, breakout boards, and learning kits. Comparable to Hortus as a designer-and-seller of original hardware, but operates at vastly larger scale with broader product range.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hortus-dev
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 HORTUS SOFTWARE LTD