About 8th Light

8th Light is a software development company that is enthusiastic about making fruitful long-term partnerships with clients. They believe that they will have full clarity and control projects in real-time conversations. Their team of skilled app developers tries to serve their customers by direct, collaborative, and sustainable campaigns that produce beneficial results.

Services

Mobile App Development Web Development UI-UX Design Custom Software Development Web Design

Industries Served

Government & Public Sector Food & Beverage

8th Light Reviews

Write a Review

Polished iOS and Android delivery that hit every milestone without drama

Femke Hoekstra / Head of IT - Delta Logistics BV
Verified
Aug 22, 2022

Project summary: Inter-agency data sharing had become a bottleneck and we needed a secure, auditable integration platform that met government security classification requirements.

Our industry has specific compliance requirements that many generalist agencies struggle with. This team came with working knowledge of the relevant frameworks, asked pointed questions about our obligations, and built controls into the architecture rather than bolting them on at the end. Our compliance team reviewed the delivered system and had only minor observations, which is genuinely unusual for a first-pass review. That domain awareness saved us significant remediation cost.

PROS

Domain knowledge that went beyond generic expertise into our specific industry, willingness to push back constructively, automated test coverage that gave us deployment confidence

CONS

Honestly nothing worth documenting — we went in with high expectations and they were met on every measure

5.0
Overall
5.0
Quality
5.0
Schedule
5.0
Cost
5.0
Communication
Project TypeMobile App Development
IndustryGovernment & Public Sector
Project Cost$150,000 to $499,999
DurationOct 2025 – Feb 2026

Questions & Answers

Please describe your company, your role, and the industry you operate in.
I lead technology at Delta Logistics BV, a mid-sized organisation in the Government & Public Sector sector headquartered in Rotterdam, Netherlands. My remit as Head of IT covers everything from infrastructure to product development. We had reached a point where our internal engineering capacity was not sufficient to execute our roadmap without an experienced external partner.
What specific problem or business challenge led you to hire this company?
We had a product concept validated by market research but no clear path to build it within our budget and timeline constraints. Our Government & Public Sector competitors were moving quickly and we could not afford to spend eighteen months finding out a generalist agency could not execute the Mobile App Development work our product required.
What services did the company provide for your project?
The core engagement was Mobile App Development but expanded to include technical consultancy during the discovery phase, which helped us refine the requirements significantly before development began. They also took responsibility for coordinating with our third-party data providers, which removed a significant coordination burden from our internal team.
Why did you choose this company over other providers you considered?
Honestly, the quality of the questions they asked during the briefing process set them apart. Most vendors listen to the brief and come back with a solution to exactly what you described. This team came back with a solution to what we actually needed, which turned out to be somewhat different. That kind of consultative instinct is what we were looking for.
How clearly did the company understand your requirements and business goals?
Thorough and precise. They translated our business language into technical requirements without losing the intent, which is a skill that sounds straightforward but frequently goes wrong. Every user story they wrote was reviewed against the original business objective before it entered the sprint and the acceptance criteria were specific enough to remove subjectivity from QA.
How was your overall experience with their communication and project management?
Professional and efficient. We used a shared project management tool that gave our stakeholders visibility without requiring them to attend every meeting. The project manager had a clear escalation path and used it appropriately. The only time I needed to intervene directly was when I chose to, not because something had been missed.
Did the company deliver the project on time and within your expected budget?
Yes. I will note that the original timeline was aggressive and I had privately expected a slip. They managed to hold it by making smart sequencing decisions early on that I only fully understood in retrospect. The budget discipline was equally good — we received a single change request for scope we had introduced ourselves and it was priced fairly.
What tangible results or business impact have you seen since the project was completed?
Hard to isolate precisely because several factors changed simultaneously, but the data we can attribute directly to the new Mobile App Development platform shows a meaningful improvement in the metrics that matter to our Government & Public Sector business. Our account managers report that the new capability is coming up positively in client conversations, which was one of the strategic objectives we started with.
What did you like most about working with this company?
Their ability to hold the business objective in mind alongside the technical task. I have worked with technically excellent agencies who lost the thread of what we were actually trying to achieve. This team never did. Every architectural decision, every trade-off conversation, every prioritisation discussion was anchored to the outcome we had agreed at the start.
Would you recommend this company to others, and would you work with them again?
Yes, without qualification. I have already made two direct referrals to peers in the Government & Public Sector sector who were facing similar Mobile App Development challenges. In both cases I gave the recommendation specifically because I was confident the experience would match what I described — which is a level of confidence I do not extend lightly.

Multiplayer backend that held up under launch-day load without a single crash

Stephanie Coleman / SVP of Digital Strategy - Horizon Financial Group
Verified
Aug 11, 2022

Project summary: The project had both a hard delivery date tied to a board commitment and a scope that our previous agency had told us was not achievable. We needed someone to prove otherwise.

Our industry has specific compliance requirements that many generalist agencies struggle with. This team came with working knowledge of the relevant frameworks, asked pointed questions about our obligations, and built controls into the architecture rather than bolting them on at the end. Our compliance team reviewed the delivered system and had only minor observations, which is genuinely unusual for a first-pass review. That domain awareness saved us significant remediation cost.

PROS

Domain knowledge that went beyond generic expertise into our specific industry, willingness to push back constructively, automated test coverage that gave us deployment confidence

CONS

The volume of quality documentation they produced was genuinely impressive but also meant our team needed dedicated time to review it properly — a minor process point, not a complaint

5.0
Overall
5.0
Quality
5.0
Schedule
5.0
Cost
5.0
Communication
Project TypeGame Development
IndustryFood & Beverage
Project Cost$150,000 to $499,999
DurationJan 2025 – Oct 2025

Questions & Answers

Please describe your company, your role, and the industry you operate in.
Horizon Financial Group operates across the Food & Beverage sector with offices in Boston, USA. In my capacity as SVP of Digital Strategy I oversee both the strategic and operational technology agenda. We are a growth-stage business that needed a development partner capable of scaling with us rather than constraining us.
What specific problem or business challenge led you to hire this company?
We had a product concept validated by market research but no clear path to build it within our budget and timeline constraints. Our Food & Beverage competitors were moving quickly and we could not afford to spend eighteen months finding out a generalist agency could not execute the Game Development work our product required.
What services did the company provide for your project?
The full Game Development lifecycle from discovery through to production deployment and hypercare support. This included requirements workshops, solution architecture, sprint-based development, QA and automated testing, deployment to our cloud environment, and a structured handover with documentation. They also provided a brief post-launch period of dedicated support which was genuinely useful.
Why did you choose this company over other providers you considered?
Honestly, the quality of the questions they asked during the briefing process set them apart. Most vendors listen to the brief and come back with a solution to exactly what you described. This team came back with a solution to what we actually needed, which turned out to be somewhat different. That kind of consultative instinct is what we were looking for.
How clearly did the company understand your requirements and business goals?
Thorough and precise. They translated our business language into technical requirements without losing the intent, which is a skill that sounds straightforward but frequently goes wrong. Every user story they wrote was reviewed against the original business objective before it entered the sprint and the acceptance criteria were specific enough to remove subjectivity from QA.
How was your overall experience with their communication and project management?
Outstanding. I have worked with agencies that communicate beautifully during the sales process and go quiet during delivery. This was the opposite — structured, consistent, and genuinely informative throughout. Problems were surfaced early with proposed solutions rather than just problem statements, which made the inevitable mid-project decisions much easier to make.
Did the company deliver the project on time and within your expected budget?
On time and within the agreed budget. They had given us a range estimate at the start, which I had been sceptical of, and they landed within the lower half of that range. Their estimation accuracy came from having broken the work down in genuine detail during discovery rather than giving a rough number and hoping. It showed in every sprint.
What tangible results or business impact have you seen since the project was completed?
Hard to isolate precisely because several factors changed simultaneously, but the data we can attribute directly to the new Game Development platform shows a meaningful improvement in the metrics that matter to our Food & Beverage business. Our account managers report that the new capability is coming up positively in client conversations, which was one of the strategic objectives we started with.
What did you like most about working with this company?
Their ability to hold the business objective in mind alongside the technical task. I have worked with technically excellent agencies who lost the thread of what we were actually trying to achieve. This team never did. Every architectural decision, every trade-off conversation, every prioritisation discussion was anchored to the outcome we had agreed at the start.
Would you recommend this company to others, and would you work with them again?
I recommend them to anyone who asks and occasionally to people who do not. The combination of Game Development expertise, Food & Beverage domain knowledge, and delivery discipline is genuinely difficult to find. We found it here and we intend to keep it.

FAQs

What services does 8th Light offer?
8th Light provides software development services that may include mobile app development, web development, custom software development, UI/UX design, cloud solutions, AI development, and enterprise application development. Its core focus areas include Custom Software Development, Mobile App Development, UI-UX Design, Web Design and Web Development.
How much does it cost to hire 8th Light?
The cost of hiring 8th Light depends on factors such as project complexity, development hours, required technologies, team size, and engagement model. Based on available data, 8th Light's typical hourly rate is around $150 - $199, with an average project cost of $10000+.
Is 8th Light suitable for startups?
Yes. Many startups choose companies like 8th Light because they offer MVP development, product consulting, scalable architecture, and dedicated development teams that help launch products quickly while managing development costs. For context, it has experience across industries such as Manufacturing, Food & Beverage, Government & Public Sector, Telecommunications, Education and Travel & Hospitality, and its typical hourly rate is around $150 - $199.
What technologies does 8th Light specialize in?
Depending on the project requirements, 8th Light may work with technologies such as React, Angular, Vue.js, Node.js, Python, .NET, Java, PHP, Flutter, React Native, iOS, Android, AWS, Azure, AI, and cloud platforms. For context, it has experience across industries such as Manufacturing, Food & Beverage, Government & Public Sector, Telecommunications, Education and Travel & Hospitality, and its listed capabilities span Custom Software Development, Mobile App Development, UI-UX Design, Web Design and Web Development.
Does 8th Light provide post-launch support and maintenance?
Many software development companies, including 8th Light, offer ongoing maintenance, bug fixes, performance optimization, security updates, feature enhancements, and technical support after project deployment. For context, it has served clients in USA, and its listed capabilities span Custom Software Development, Mobile App Development, UI-UX Design, Web Design and Web Development.
Is 8th Light an offshore software development company?
8th Light may operate as an offshore, onshore, or hybrid software development company depending on its location and the markets it serves. For context, its listed capabilities span Custom Software Development, Mobile App Development, UI-UX Design, Web Design and Web Development, and it has been operating since 2006.
Does 8th Light offer dedicated developers?
Yes, many companies like 8th Light provide a dedicated developer hiring model, allowing businesses to scale their in-house team with experienced professionals who work exclusively on their project. For context, it has served clients in USA, and its listed capabilities span Custom Software Development, Mobile App Development, UI-UX Design, Web Design and Web Development.
What engagement models does 8th Light provide?
8th Light may offer multiple engagement models such as fixed-price contracts, dedicated team hiring, and time-and-material billing, allowing businesses to choose the option that best fits their budget and project scope. For context, it has served clients in USA, and it reports a team size of 50 - 249 professionals.
What is 8th Light's software development process?
8th Light typically follows a structured software development process that may include requirement analysis, UI/UX design, agile development sprints, quality assurance testing, deployment, and post-launch support. For context, it has served clients in USA, and its typical hourly rate is around $150 - $199.

Company Info

Founded 2006
Employees 50 - 249
Hourly Rate $150 - $199
Avg. Project Cost $50,000+
Client Rating 4.5/5 (12 reviews)

Rating Breakdown

Quality
4.3
Schedule
4.3
Cost
4.4
Communication
4.5