Your creativity and technology partner
Apptension is a creative product studio focused on crafting innovative experiences and delivering cutting-edge tech to our partners.
We work with founders, investors, and creative agencies to help them bring uncommon ideas to the market. Our partners value our outside-the-box thinking, clear and honest communication, and reliability - even in the most dynamic and time-compressed projects.
Among our clients - plenty of early-stage startups, as well as international tech behemoths like Netflix and Uber. We live and breathe tech - and we’re darn good at it.
To bring even more value to our partners, we create bespoke tools (like SaaS Boilerplate) allowing us to shorten time-to-market while avoiding technical debt.

headquarters
other locations
Focus
Portfolio
Netflix, Uber, Heineken, Unit9, TheMill, Jam3, Psyomics, Schema Design, Bonsainija, Unit9, TheMill, Jam3, SIBERIA, and less known but highly successful – LESS_, Psyomics, pro(o)d, Schema Design, Bonsainija

HyperCRC
Hyper CRC is an innovative spatial design platform that fuses virtual reality with tangible motion-tracked models, thus enabling companies and their clients to physically experience design visions.

HyperCRC
We were approached by Unit9 to function as a tech and creative partner for the project. Hyper required a flawless blend of multiple technologies like VR headsets, real-time motion tracking of various objects, and allowing for haptic experiences on top of that. Using Unity engine and top VR development technology, we had to create a bridge between the tangible and the virtual.

HyperCRC
Key technologies used in this project.
Read more here: https://www.apptension.com/case-studies/marwen-case-study

PepTalk - The Motivation Platform
Peptalk is a platform where you can book online PepTalks delivered by experts, including world-class athletes, best-selling authors, and renowned entrepreneurs.
PepTalks range from personalized one-to-one sessions to virtual keynotes for entire teams. Whether you want to foster your own wellbeing or boost your team’s creativity, Peptalk can provide the nudge to achieve your goals.

PepTalk - The Motivation Platform
We built two web platforms, a website with the catalogue of Experts where users could schedule and book their PepTalks and a webapp to host the live calls. Collaborating with PepTalk’s Product Owner and following the principles of agile project management, we were able to continuously deliver tested functionalities and respond to change requests quickly.

PepTalk - The Motivation Platform
Key technologies used in this project.
Read more here: https://www.apptension.com/case-studies/peptalk

LESS_
The app has become a tool for change towards less stuff and less waste. It allows users to keep upgrading their style while simultaneously supporting a sustainable lifestyle and reducing textile waste.

LESS_
After market research and product workshops, we designed both the brand strategy and the app interfaces, giving LESS_ a minimalistic, but playful identity. Next, we used React Native for optimal UX and performance, and a reliable Django backend for predicted traffic spikes. Finally, we mapped out an early teaser marketing campaign to plant the seed for a successful debut.

LESS_
Key technologies used in this project.
Read more here: https://www.apptension.com/case-studies/less

Vuclip
VIU is a video on-demand service, offering the latest TV productions and music videos, that is taking Asian & African markets by storm. So far, it has been launched in 14 countries, including India, Malaysia, and UAE.

Vuclip
We chose to build this website using Angular. We had to make sure that multiple integrations (players, payments, promo systems etc.) were working seamlessly. Due to VIU’s popularity, it has to be integrated with several external parties (e.g. mobile operators) who are providing access to the service as a perk for their clients.

Vuclip
Key technologies used in this project.
Read more here: https://www.apptension.com/case-studies/viu-case-study

Welcome to Marwen
Apptension was approached by The Mill, a VFX and Creative content studio, to deliver an AR mobile app promoting Welcome to Marwen - a new Robert Zemeckis film by Universal. We were to partner with The Mill’s technology team to transport app users into the movie itself.

Welcome to Marwen
Inside the scene, users can meet the characters and explore the environment. They can even snap a photograph from their favourite angle and then share the image on their social platforms as a Marwen digital postcard. Additional activities include character bios, photo galleries, and behind-the-scenes content.

Welcome to Marwen
Key technologies used in this project.
Read more here: https://www.apptension.com/case-studies/marwen-case-study

blkbx
Providing the ability to sell items simply by using a blkbx seller account and linking it to the Stripe app. Thus, the payment could be easily generated for virtually any product, while the buyer could purchase it in one click using Apple Pay, Google Pay, or regular card payments.

blkbx
The collaboration with blkbx has also given us the perfect opportunity to use our own SaaS Boilerplate product, too. Just to give you a clear idea – our SaaS Boilerplate is an out-of-the-box toolset that will help businesses build impeccable software without tedious work.

blkbx
The simple-checkout application allows you to sell items through social media, ads, and QR codes.
Reviews
the project
E-Commerce Development for Contemporary Art Retailer
"They've integrated very well with my internal team, and they are also able to scale up and down to suit our needs."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
I am the Head of an E-commerce site that sells contemporary art online.
For what projects/services did your company hire Apptension, and what were your goals?
We first brought Apptension on board to create our MVP, which we successfully launched in May 2021. But we decided to prolong the collaboration with Apptension for further development and maintenance. We've also engaged Apptension in a separate scope of work in terms of UX research. Apptension had to build the not-so-simple product in a short amount of time, with strict, inflexible deadlines. The actual challenge was to get meaningful results on a limited budget.
How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?
When we initially looked for developers to work with, we knew the factors we would consider. First of all, I wanted to work with a team that has good references, and somebody had referred us to Apptension, which was indeed helpful. Secondly, we needed to ensure that they could work in the coding languages consistent with some other projects in our "umbrella" organization. Moreover, we were looking for specific processes to be present. Those indicated the ability to meet deadlines and professionalism. Lastly, we were constrained by budget. So, we were looking for a good fit in that capacity, too.
Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.
Apptension had to create an online store that would give buyers a chance to experience the process of buying fine art through the website.
The key deliverables were:
- A customized front-end store application based on the BigCommerce engine
- Wagtail CMS for the content management of the store Gallery panel for partners Integration with the 3rd part applications, like Art Shipper
- Omnisend (for marketing campaigns)
- BigQuery (for SQL inquiries)
Technologies that were used on the Back-end:
- Django 3.1.12
- Django Rest Framework
- Python 3.8
- Wagtail 2.12.4
Database: MySQLclient Technologies that were used on the Front-end:
- NextJS extending
- ReactJS framework
- NodeJS (Javascript server to support server-side rendering)
- ReduxJS (State management system)
How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?
We had a team consisting of a team leader, a front-end developer, a back-end developer, QA specialist, and Project Manager devoted to this project.
Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?
The initial goal was the MVP release. For ongoing development now, there isn't a specific result yet. We’re developing new features.
Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.
It was a challenging project to develop in such a short time frame. To get the MVP launched, there were some moments where the team fell behind, and I had to rally them to catch up, but, in the end,, we met the goal.
What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?
They've integrated very well with my internal team, and they are also able to scale up and down to suit our needs.
Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?
I would say there were several minor issues there. And not all of them were Apptension's faults. One of them was the project escalation. I think Apptension could have handled the communication better. But, on the other hand, that has become learning for how we work together in the longer term. The issue on our end was in the clear communication of requirements. And lastly, the estimations were ambiguous. And I would say that was more on the Apptension’s side. We've had two front-end developer changes in the last six weeks, and there have been more bugs and costs spent as a result. Over time, we have developed a system for getting better estimates, making more thorough discoveries, mapping everything out with a lot more precision, and coming up with new processes to escalate issues. There's a reason we've continued to work with Apptension - it’s because we feel them as an extension of our team. Dedicated back-end developer really helps us think the problems through, and we just enjoy working with him. And Marta, the project manager, is really committed to the project. Partly because she cares about art and about what we're doing, but such an attitude makes a big difference in a way that they do feel like our partners. And that really helps.
the project
SaaS Management Tool for Cannabis Company
"They integrated very well with our internal project management processes and our teams had excellent synergy."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
I manage the software engineering team in a diversified cannabis company
For what projects/services did your company hire Apptension, and what were your goals?
Apptension has been selected from the large pool of vendors who participated in the official RFP process. Their proposal met all of our requirements and we have decided to assign our project to Apptension's frontend team of developers. The goal was to create a frontend for an internal business management tool. Following this, after a few months of mutual work, we came across an additional need for technical support in a different, unrelated, project - hence, Apptension was very important to our business, since its work had to be aligned with Canadian law and Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards.
How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?
Apptension took part in a RFP process and we decided to choose them among other companies. The main deciding factors were good references and price (matching our budget).
Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.
We had a kick-off meeting to discuss our goals. From there, the Apptension team did some research to find a solution that would bring our ideas to life, creating the whole frontend of the application. During the development phase, the team was suggesting improvements and spent a lot of time on Quality Assurance to ensure the project was in accordance with GMP standards. Furthermore, they added a few design tweaks in order to improve the user experience and application interface.
How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?
A project manager was our main point of contact throughout the process. There were also developers, QA specialists, and a designer working behind the scenes.
Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?
Overall, the business has very well received the designs. End users were engaged with the upcoming changes and excited to be part of the process. QA coverage was great and the demos provided by the team were very insightful. Moreover, the development team worked incredibly fast which was crucial for us.
Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.
Weekly catch-ups with the entire team. We used email, Slack, Jira, and GitHub to coordinate, and they worked well with our team.
What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?
They gave us clean code, great reusable design components. They worked proactively giving us a lot of improvement suggestions. They integrated very well with our internal project management processes and our teams had excellent synergy.
Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?
It is not Apptension’s fault, but the time zone difference can be both an advantage and disadvantage. It sometimes was a disadvantage as it made our communications more asynchronous, but this was compensated by the fact that our team was now able to run almost 24 hours a day.
the project
E-Commerce Development for Mobile Checkout Platform
"They are a true partner in the evolution of a product from concept to finished app out in the world."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
I'm CEO of blkbx. the simple mobile checkout platform for DTC brands, agencies and influencers.
For what projects/services did your company hire Apptension, and what were your goals?
blkbx. is a startup and we needed to create our MVP product. Given we were just getting going we didn't have our own development resources and needed to outsource. Our MVP had to be transactional, account based and provide performance analytics to the vendors who signed up.
We also needed to be able to take service fees and provide rudimentary integrations into our partners ecosystems. Our goal with the MVP was to get something to market that we could onboard vendors onto and begin making revenue, in order to test learn and iterate.
How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?
We interviewed a number of product development firms. Each had its pluses and minuses. We considered the team, size, skill set, location and most importantly comprehension and response to the brief. Apptension came out out ahead on every count and presented themselves as the best partner for the job.
They dedicated a team of skilled experts, proposed a tight timeline with rigorous project management and through their communication and response it was clear that they understood what we wanted to achieve with blkbx. There was also a sense of genuine enthusiasm for the project, which showed up in their responsiveness and overall attitude.
Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.
The initial scope was four 2-week sprints, which kicked off with a research and planning phase. We then got on with the development of the existing design system.
How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?
The core Apptension team was comprised of 2 project managers, lead front end and back end developers and QA. Other experts were brought in as needed.
Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?
They delivered the MVP to the specification required, at a very high standard that mirrored the overall design intent. Our design language is very precise and any deviations are very apparent.
Across both front end and back end the Apptension team exceed our expectations and managed to improve upon an already tight UX and UI, with a very performant and stable MVP.
Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.
Project management was crisp, confident and transparent. Meetings started on time, issues were raised in a pro-active and informed way and there was never any panic moments, even when we reframed the scope or asked for a change in development priority. It was one of the most professional PM teams I've ever worked with and we would not be where we are without them.
What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?
Apptension do a great job of internalising the development challenge to the point where they view the product from the clients' perspective. They are a true partner in the evolution of a product from concept to finished app out in the world. They all work very hard and yet they are humble, friendly and quick to smile.
There is also, a razor sharp confidence, based on world class skills and expertise that shines through in every interaction and outcome. They deliver. They are a joy to work with.
Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?
Nope.
the project
Mobile App Development for Marketing Consultants
“They have a very constructive approach to client feedback and were always willing to come up with new solutions.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m a strategic producer and new business development manager for pro(u)d Solutions, a consultancy company. I’m responsible for all the business coming from new areas, such as digital footprints, developments, new programming, and so on.
What challenge were you trying to address with Apptension?
I received a brief from a big multinational company in my home country. They needed to develop a new app based on insights they’d identified from the consumer.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Apptension developed a mobile app that will provide a solution for regular consumers. It comes under the scope of a fast-moving consumer good (FMCG). So far, we’ve done the discovery phase.
What is the team composition?
The team varied depending on the phase of the project. We were working with 3–4 people in the beginning, and there were 10 people involved in the workshop. I’ve worked with 10–15 people from Apptension at our peak, but the range was 3–10, depending on the phase of the project.
How did you come to work with Apptension?
I searched the market for a development partner, and Apptension came as a recommendation from a previous connection, who’d worked with them and was very satisfied. I briefed them and another three development studios, and they won the pitch.
How much have you invested with them?
For this project, we’ve spent roughly $50,000–$100,000, and the next phase will be $500,000 or more.
What is the status of this engagement?
We started working with Apptension in November 2019. The collaboration is ongoing for other projects.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
Apptension has provided a very good solution. Most importantly, they’ve been able to incorporate the client’s feedback, even if that meant doing a pivot on what we’d done or if it required extra hours. They have a very constructive approach to client feedback and were always willing to come up with new solutions.
I was so satisfied with the results that I’ve continued to use Apptension as my partner for both development and design.
How did Apptension perform from a project management standpoint?
They were on time and were able to provide me the feedback I needed in time for me to prepare for client meetings. They were also able to incorporate my change requests. I have only good things to say about them, not only about the project manager but also the creative and strategic teams. I’m really pleased to work with them.
In the past, I’ve worked with other companies who develop big egos when talking about big clients, but I never felt that here. They’re very good in terms of both IT outcomes and client management, which are both skills that aren’t found easily in development studios.
What did you find most impressive about them?
They’re really competitive in terms of price and output. They have fair deals, and they make us aware of what they’re delivering and for what amount. As an intermediary to the client, that also gives me a good perspective on what to sell or not to sell. Apptension is a good partner to have.
Are there any areas they could improve?
Some of their members need to improve their English.
Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?
I’d suggest being open with them, putting the challenge on the table, and being open to try new things. In some of the projects we’re working on now, I sometimes thought that their approach wasn’t what I briefed them for, but then I understood why they did it, and the outcome was even better than I would’ve thought. Trust the team and giving them a bit of space. If you’re not happy, say you’re not happy, and they’ll come back to their initial ideas.
the project
CMS Dev for Special Effects Co
"Their team communicated clearly and remained on top of their assignments."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m an interactive producer for The Mill in London. We’re a visual effects company specializing in visual effects within the advertising realm. Our department specifically focuses on interactive and digital projects.
What challenge were you trying to address with Apptension?
We needed assistance in building a CMS that catered to an app and website that we built for a major sporting event.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Apptension helped us create a CMS that serves our app and website. The CMS caters to a large gallery, localizations, and copy within the app, which is interactive for users. The product comprises eight challenges and rewards. There’s gameplay and then a filter, which is shareable. The platform also has a gallery and text that’s controlled by the CMS. Their team provided maintenance for a period of time too.
Our team developed a small, one-page website with limited interactivity that services the gallery and all localized text within the app. Both the app and the web are localized into six different languages.
What is the team composition?
We worked with five people from Apptension including a project manager.
How did you come to work with Apptension?
Our resource manager, who heard of Apptension from other companies, recommended them. Their team actually worked with our LA office on a previous project.
What is the status of this engagement?
The project began in November 2019 and completed in January 2020.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
The product doesn’t go live until the summer. All of the testing results are positive. There were no issues from a frontend point of view. All of the servers set up that they helped us with were good too.
How did Apptension perform from a project management standpoint?
Day to day, we communicated through a Slack channel that included both dev teams. Their project manager and I had daily stand-ups via Google Hangouts. Any initial documentation was done by email. It was really easy to communicate with them. All of their communication about what they required from us was clear. If there was anything that they weren’t sure about, their team also made sure to clarify. They were also quick to respond.
What did you find most impressive about them?
Their team communicated clearly and remained on top of their assignments. They even reminded us about events such as bug fixing sessions, which was helpful in managing such a large scale project on our end. They were also flexible when we needed them to be.
Are there any areas they could improve?
No, I don’t think so.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Be clear on what it is that you need. They were responsible and outlined their needs, so there wasn’t any ambiguity.
the project
Mobile App Dev Support for Design & Engineering Agency
“Their team was the expert for the backend development, so we trusted their judgment.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
We’re a design and engineering agency based in New York City. Our company works with clients to design, develop, and launch digital products and experiences. I’m a product lead on the product strategy team. I was the project lead on our work with Apptension.
What challenge were you trying to address with Apptension?
We were working with a luxury fitness studio to build and deliver an on-demand fitness app. Our in-house engineering team is relatively small, so we needed their help to build the backend services and capabilities needed to deliver a production level on demand.
What was the scope of their involvement?
The end product needed to support workout video playback, payments, and subscription capabilities. It was built for iOS and Android and offered separate apps for trainers and subscribers. Trainers could upload content for the subscribers to play on their end of the app. On both sides of the coin, there’s room for a lot of photo-sharing. We connected the app to social media platforms. This was particularly important because many of the trainers are also Instagram influencers.
Our team handled the upfront strategy, design, UX, and front-end development of both the iOS and Android platforms. Their team was brought on to augment the team for backend infrastructure work. They were tasked with server and database management responsibilities. On the backend, we used Prisma, PostgreSQL, AWS SQS for messaging, Cube, and Firebase. For the front-end, we used Swift, Kotlin, and various other technologies on our end.
What is the team composition?
At max capacity, we had a total of seven people from their team. That included a project manager and developers.
How did you come to work with Apptension?
Our head of engineering was connected with them prior to the engagement. Once we discussed the scope and our aggressive timeline, they were one of the only providers that were excited about that challenge and wanted to push themselves to meet our deadlines. We felt that they would be the most comfortable and competent in delivering this work.
How much have you invested with them?
We spent about $10,000–$20,000 on their work so far.
What is the status of this engagement?
We started the work in September 2019, and our collaboration is ongoing. There was a break in deployment for about a month, but we picked things back up in February 2020.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
We don’t have any hard metrics yet. They collaborated well with us, suggesting technologies to use and explaining how to implement them. Their team was the expert for the backend development, so we trusted their judgment. Our team was impressed with their consistency, despite a significant time zone difference. We got into a rhythm and cadence with our work that ended up benefitting us.
How did Apptension perform from a project management standpoint?
We landed on GitHub to discuss and identify problems while working. They recommended that we add another software on top of GitHub to further manage the project. That worked well. We also had constant communication through Slack. In addition, we had a weekly call with them to discuss progress. That later turned into a biweekly call because most of our communication could be handled over Slack or GitHub. It was nice to have someone on their end managing their outputs. That made the collaboration easier for us.
What did you find most impressive about them?
They’d never worked on an on-demand fitness app and neither had we. Even so, they took everything in stride along with us. Their ability to produce high-quality work with consistency while dealing with a new type of project was impressive.
Are there any areas they could improve?
There were some holes in documentation both in and outside of code.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Make sure that you’re communicating effectively because it’s easy for information to get lost in translation when working with an outsourced, remote partner. I’d recommend Slack for problem-solving, so all conversations are documented.
the project
Development Services for Global Production Company
“They’re good about working with our process and the current standards that our developers put into place.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the digital project manager at Unit9.
What challenge were you trying to address with Apptension?
We were looking for development work to be done.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Apptension initially helped us with a VR project for HyperCRC. Now, they’re developing an app with a 3D program for use in the construction industry. They’re using Unity for programming, Firebase, and cloud servers. The app pulls data from the server, and then we showcase the data in 3D and make sure the data is parsing back to the server correctly.
What is the team composition?
For the HyperCRC project, we worked with three developers and a project manager. For the app, we’re just working with Krzysztof (Backend Developer), a Unity developer. We have a lead dev in the UK, but Krzysztof is the main person working on the app’s backend and synchronization with the client-server. He makes sure that the 3D element works with the data to be pulled into the app.
How did you come to work with Apptension?
HyperCRC has worked with them before. We’re currently using one of the projects that they built for organizing and scheduling our own internal system, so we knew them from that. Our lead in-house developer recommended Apptension, and our project managers have worked with Apptension on various projects. We like their work, which is why we continue to partner with them on projects.
How much have you invested with them?
My company spent between $120,000–$300,000. The HyperCRC project cost around $80,000 for the year I was involved; the app we’re working on is £170,000 (approximately $209,000 USD).
What is the status of this engagement?
I started at Unit9 a year ago, but the relationship between Unit9 and Apptension began about four years ago. The HyperCRC project has been in motion for two years now. The project that we’re working on currently, which is due to finish this week, has been three months long. We have been doing research for the app since December 2019 and began development in January 2020.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
Their work on the HyperCRC project over the past year has been absolutely amazing. Our director has been very happy with their work. When the app goes live, we have a second iteration that will probably involve two of their developers rather than just one. We will definitely use Apptension in the coming months. There’s another project that involves the same company but in another country.
How did Apptension perform from a project management standpoint?
We had a senior project manager for the HyperCRC project, and he was amazing. I actually learned from him in terms of growing as a project manager. His side handled the project’s organization and financing. His translation of dev port to normal presentation was great. When I first started in VR, I didn’t understand it, since I have immense experience in web. The project manager helped me understand a lot.
For the app project, there was no need for another project manager. We only acquired a Unity web developer, and I’m the project manager. We have daily standups and communicate through email.
What did you find most impressive about them?
Having worked with offshore development teams in India, Australia, and Canada, what differentiates Apptension is that they’re available whenever we need them. Aleksandra (Head of Project Delivery) and Dominika (Head of Client Engagement) handle the admin part of our work together, and they’re amazing about getting back to me right away. For example, the app was meant to finish today, but I asked for Krzysztof to be extended until next week. I got an email back within five minutes that this was okay. The price is absolutely great for the quality we’re getting. They’re good about working with our process and the current standards that our developers put into place. They code the way we want them to. Also, their understanding of Unity is great, which is a reason we’ll use them again.
Are there any areas they could improve?
This isn’t really a fault on their end, but because they’re a company, they require at least two people on a project. If they do go into lending developers individually, without having to make hierarchy requests, that would be great, but that is only a preferred way from my side. They normally like to have two people minimum on a project. For this project, we didn’t need a project manager, so I had to negotiate with them not to have one on the project. That was just my preference, and they accepted it, so we didn’t have any issues.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Make sure you have an internal lead. They have different levels of developers, so to remain in sync, have something like a daily standup to ensure you have control over what has and hasn’t been completed.
the project
Development for E-Commerce Tool
"They’re very knowledgeable about cutting-edge technology."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the president of a company that invests in e-commerce startups and entrepreneurs in new e-commerce technologies.
What challenge were you trying to address with Apptension?
We wanted Apptension to build an e-commerce chatbot for a number of very specific applications. The chatbot was built for potential development and investment.
What was the scope of their involvement?
They are developing the chatbot. The chatbot has multi-purpose functionality; it could work on a website or an app. They use Svelte along with a Rollup.js configuration. AWS Lambda serves as the hosting platform. The backend is written in Python with a serverless framework.
Their team also did research around the AI technologies we could be using for the chatbot. Half the work was research and the other half was building the prototype.
What is the team composition?
There were 2–3 main developers I spoke with along with a main project manager.
How did you come to work with Apptension?
They worked with a company that I had previously invested in.
How much have you invested with them?
We’ve invested somewhere between $20,000–$40,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
The project began in July of 2019. The work is ongoing.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
The quality of their work has been excellent. They’ve done an incredible amount of work and exponentially broadened the scope of the project in a smart way. The ROI on the budget we’ve invested has been great. They’ve exceeded the initial set of expectations.
How did Apptension perform from a project management standpoint?
I’ve had conversations with developers on a weekly basis. The communication and tracking of the project have gone well. The project management is very conscientious; they are regularly in touch with me. Any changes have been communicated ahead of time.
What did you find most impressive about them?
They’re very knowledgeable about cutting-edge technology.
Are there any areas they could improve?
No, there’s nothing that could be improved.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
I think other people might have a much more specific product to build, whereas I went in a bit unsure of what I wanted to develop.
the project
Custom Visual Software Dev for Design Firm
"We valued their professional work ethic and their personable approach."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the operations manager for Schema Design. We create data visualization products for our clients.
What challenge were you trying to address with Apptension?
We engaged Apptension to help us create visual installations for a third-party client’s conference.
What was the scope of their involvement?
We created seven video installations and an interactive touch screen that would run throughout the conference. Our side made the videos and the interactive map for the touch screen; Apptension built the software to run both.
The video installations were run off of custom pillars with multiple screens on two sides. Meanwhile, the touchscreen installation was operated on Microsoft Surface Hub. Our teams weren’t familiar with these technologies, so Apptension learned their limitations on the fly. Their team figured out how to run each video on multiple screens and how to sync the video on both sides of the installation.
The development last three months. An Apptension team member then flew with us to the conference to provide live support.
What is the team composition?
Apptension dedicated a full-time developer to the project. We also worked with a project manager, a QA person, and a few part-time developers.
How did you come to work with Apptension?
Our founder met their team at South By Southwest (SXSW), and we started collaborating on other products. When this opportunity came along, we felt that they would be the perfect team to pair up with.
How much have you invested with them?
We spent between $50,000 and $70,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
We worked together from August–November 2018.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
The software performed well with minimal bugs and issues. Apptension made tweaks on-site to ensure that the event ran smoothly. Our client was pleased with the end product, and so were we.
How did Apptension perform from a project management standpoint?
Aleksandra (Head of Product Delivery, Apptension) led a highly organized and talented team. She kept us in the loop on progress updates and warned us of any potential delays. We met twice a week and communicated through Slack and Jira.
What did you find most impressive about them?
We valued their professional work ethic and their personable approach. Despite our time zone differences, the Apptension team adapted to our work schedule and was highly approachable throughout the collaboration. We could never have completed the project without them.
Are there any areas they could improve?
No, I can’t think of anything.
Any advice for potential customers?
We found it helpful to have frequent meetings. Apptension provided valuable insights and progress updates. They also organized each meeting carefully to use our time as efficiently as possible.
the project
Facial Recognition Tech & VR Dev for Creative Studio
"Apptension exhibited a strong capacity to understand our needs and respond accordingly."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
I am the senior digital producer at Bonsaininja Studio, an independent creative studio that designs and delivers complex communication and digital projects.
For what projects/services did your company hire Apptension?
One of our top clients asked us to design and deliver a large interactive exhibit that would showcase two of their brands at an international technology conference. The display was to convey the public vision of the brands and illustrate how a futuristic kitchen might operate.
Our primary challenge was to provide a gamified experience through VR technology that would lean on facial and emotional recognition. Our team designed that element with a group of psychologists, but we hired Apptension to develop technical solutions to ensure an enjoyable experience for all users.
What were your goals for this project?
The main goal was to showcase a technology that will become mainstream in the years to come in an engaging and fun way.
How did you select this vendor?
I contacted several Italy-based vendors we’ve worked with in the past, along with a firm I knew from when I worked in Northern Ireland. We also received a number of other references. After we presented the project, challenges, and budget to the development teams, we narrowed our list to three companies. We selected Apptension from the group because we felt they were the most reliable team and the most enthusiastic about the project.
Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.
Apptension provided technical direction and frontend and backend development of IoT devices and other featured software. The technology was built to react to various visual stimuli, deduce the users’ specific customer profile, and recommend a particular product. The technology gently harvests user data and provides group analytics. Apptension conducted QA testing and thorough maintenance. They coordinated training sessions and worked to ensure functionality in a live environment.
What was the team composition?
We had access to a single, full-time POC. The project team consisted of a technical leader, front- and backend developers, a DevOps designer, and a QA specialist.
Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?
We consider this specific activation a great success. Our client collected a great deal of data during four days at the conference. The overall footfall was higher than past editions, and we imagine that the facial recognition activity contributed to that success. The results exceeded our initial goals, and our client was enthusiastic about the project’s outcome.
How was project management arranged and how effective was it?
All assets, services, and products were delivered on time and within budget. We used Jira, Slack, Google Slides, and Basecamp for project management purposes. Although much of the development happened remotely, we didn’t experience any troubles because of the time differences.
What did you find most impressive about this company?
Apptension exhibited a strong capacity to understand our needs and respond accordingly.
Are there any areas for improvement?
We would have needed more testing to ensure that the application accurately recognized more diverse faces.
This review was updated on October 9th, 2019, by the client. The original star ratings were: Overall - 4.5, Quality - 4.5, Schedule - 5, Cost - 4.5, NPS - 4.5. New content is below:
OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE
For what projects/services did your company hire Apptension?
One of our most important clients, has asked to renew, redesign and deliver a new digital activation for the 2019 edition of the IFA, the world’s most important technology exhibition which will be held in Berlin, Germany, from the 6th until 11th of September 2019.
What were your goals for this project?
The refurbish of the previous version of Facial Recognition should have been done taking in consideration of different constraint: timing, budget and smooth functionality on booth.
SOLUTION
How did you select this vendor?
We selected Apptension since our previous experience was very good.
Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.
- Deployment to Berlin IFA 2019 and on-site assistance for 3 working days
- Event hardware and software configuration
- Code updates due to breaking changes to any third party API or third party data
- Warranty / bug fixes
- Professional Errors and Omissions Liability Insurance
What was the team composition?
Tobiasz Jankowski Business Development Specialist Jakub Matuszczak. Project Manager Michał Przyszczypkowski Frontend Developer Patryk Poleszczuk: Developer
RESULTS & FEEDBACK
Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?
It was very important that the development of this installation could have the same impact we obtain in the version of IFA 2018. Our client was satisfied with the result, and this was pretty fundamental for us.
How was project management arranged and how effective was it?
The management was excellent, they were very punctual and dedicated even when remote. Budgeting was very clear and precise.
What did you find most impressive about this company?
Apptension is a trusted parter capable to understand and to adapt to our time constrains. Apptension team has been fully dedicated, kind and they and leaning to be a valuable problem solver.
Are there any areas for improvement?
On site we encountered some little bug/problem, that maybe could be solved more rapidly if the same developer of 2018 was available or reachable.
Apptension met the initial goal for the MVP release. However, there were minor issues with communication. Despite this, Apptension’s dedication to the project and ability to manage expectations made them a reliable partner. They were able to add value throughout the engagement.