The 5 Best Custom Software Development Companies in Seattle for Innovation

With the roots of technology-based titans such as Microsoft, Amazon, Google, Facebook and Boeing firmly embedded in Seattle, the city has become internationally recognized as a premier hub for custom software development companies. There is fierce competition among these companies to attract top global development talent, pioneer innovation, and break out of traditional software delivery models to drive an edge with new customers. 

We have been developing our business for several years now here in Seattle and we’ve come to admire several of our local competitors for the unique, creative, and innovative ways that they are changing our industry. Some of them have been around for years, while others are just getting their start. What makes them unique is, by definition, different for each of them.

We’d be pleased to be compared these 5 best custom software development companies that we think stand out among the rest.

AccelOne

While we admire on competition, we’re also seeking to out-deliver them in specific ways that will make clients more successful. We have quickly risen in the ranks by making our Argentina-based teams an effective technology partner for major household names like Cartoon Network, Nike and HSBC.

Our secret sauce is our development of innovative project management tools for clients, such as the Client Dashboard and Candidate Viewer that provide unmatched transparency in hiring developers and in communication with our clients throughout the recruitment and development processes.

Surge

It is not easy to land a spot on the Inc. 5000 list. And yet Surge has managed to do it for the past five consecutive years. This is in addition to 700 percent sales growth and a client list worthy of envy by competitors.

How does Surge manage to consistently break their own sales records? By ensuring that their talent is of the absolute highest quality. More than half of Surge team members were referred by other team members. Talent recognizes talent, it would seem. But even with a referral, these software development rockstars are subjected to a rigorous evaluation that involves live coding in front of an architect. Only once they pass these trials does Surge extend them an offer. 

Vectorform

With a tagline of “Invent with Us”, it is almost impossible not to include this company on our list. They have an “invention manifesto” published on their website which demonstrates their company’s clear commitment and alignment to innovation. They are also active participants in the local technology community, attending hackathons at venues such as T-Mobile and hosting Alograves, which is a new type of subculture nightlife scene which features music created from live coding, not DJs. 

Dev9

Their media coverage says it all: Dev9 likes to eliminate waste. Particularly wasted time. In an effort to stay ahead of the competition, Dev9 builds software solutions on the Continuous Delivery model, the Lean based philosophy that states that if the customer doesn't need it, it's taking up unnecessary space. With this zero-wasted effort goal in mind, Dev9 has utilized artificial intelligence and automation to aid in their own practices, offering solutions to their customers with just the right amount of everything. 

Level11

Unique among companies based in Seattle, Level11 has risen above the rest by creating their own design and development methodologies to create the best possible outcomes for their clients. They created the Experience Design Engineering (XDE?) methodology, with the purpose of fundamentally changing the way that consumers engage, experience, and interact with brands. They have also created custom development frameworks, lok8 for locations services and korl8 for custom experience management, which harness the power of IoT, wearables and real-world experience into customers’ brand impact.

Seattle's vibrant software community is bubbling with innovation, the legendary local gatherings that shaped Silicon Valley at the turn of the millennium happening in the Northwest now. AccelOne, along with the rest of the software industry in Seattle, looks forward to more growth and innovation as the Northwest rises.