Founder-led software studio, Metro Manila, Philippines
Websites, mobile apps, and custom systems, built in the Philippines and shipped on time.
Karakoa is a software development company in the Philippines. We design and build websites, mobile apps, and custom systems for businesses, startups, and students with a capstone or thesis to defend.
One senior engineer.
Start to finish.
Christian Josef Aquino · Founder and lead engineer
- years building and running production systems
- 7+
- uptime on platforms we operate
- 99.95%
- users served by platforms we have run
- 3.6M+
- agencies in 5 US states on one platform we built
- 12
Figures from production systems the founder has built and operated.
Tools we ship with
- AWS
- Google Cloud
- Azure
- Kubernetes
- Terraform
- Docker
- TypeScript
- React
- Next.js
- React Native
- Expo
- Node.js
- Python
- Django
- PostgreSQL
- Supabase
- Firebase
- GraphQL
- Redux
- Tailwind CSS
- Shopify API
- Claude AI
- Gemini AI
- Vercel AI SDK
- MCP
The name
What a karakoa is, and why we named the studio after it
The karakoa was the great outrigger warship of the precolonial Visayans and Kapampangans. Spanish chroniclers in the 1600s recorded ships that reached 12 to 15 knots, carried a hundred or more rowers and warriors, and could be built by local shipwrights without a single nail. It is the boat on our mascot, and it is the standard we hold the work to.
Planks were joined with wooden dowels and fiber lashings, never nails, so the hull flexed and absorbed collisions that would shatter a rigid one.
For us: We build systems the same way: clear parts, well joined, able to take change without breaking.
Its sleek crescent hull and double outriggers made it faster than any other balangay, with estimated speeds of 12 to 15 knots.
For us: Speed comes from the design. Our sites and apps are fast because they are built lean, not because corners were cut.
Bow and stern were identical, so the crew could reverse direction by turning around in their seats.
For us: We keep decisions reversible: small milestones, version control, and infrastructure you can roll back.
Rowers kept rhythm to chants below while the warriors stood on the raised burulan platform above, each crew with a clear job.
For us: One founder steers every project, and design, QA, and documentation specialists join only when the brief calls for them.
Sources: Francisco Ignacio Alcina, Historia de las islas e indios de Bisayas (1668); Wikipedia, Karakoa.
Why Karakoa
Founder-led, built to ship
One senior engineer owns your project from the first call to launch, with design, QA, and documentation help brought in when the brief needs it. Scope is written down first, progress is reported in plain language, and every build ships with deployment, monitoring, and a clean handover.
One owner, start to finish
Architecture, product judgment, and implementation stay with the same person instead of being split across layers.
Taste in the details
Design quality matters as much as the code underneath it, especially for anything your customers or your panel will see.
Built to hold up
Every build ships with deployment, monitoring, and clean handover, so it keeps working after launch and someone else can maintain it.
Students welcome
Capstone and thesis systems get the same engineering standard, plus help with the documentation and the defense.
Services
What we build
Everything from a one-page site to a full system. Each service below lists what is included so you know what you are getting before the first call.
Website design and development
Fast, responsive, modern websites that look right on every screen and are ready for search engines from day one.
What is included
- Responsive design
- SEO and performance
- Content and forms
- Hosting and launch
Astro · Next.js · Tailwind CSS · TypeScript · Cloudflare
More about this serviceMobile app development
iOS and Android apps from one codebase, with the backend, push notifications, and store submission handled.
What is included
- iOS and Android
- Push notifications
- Payments and sign-in
- App Store and Play Store submission
React Native · Expo · TypeScript · Supabase · Firebase
More about this serviceCapstone and thesis systems with consultation
A working system for your capstone or thesis, built with you, plus the documentation support and defense prep to get it approved.
What is included
- Proposal and system design help
- Full system build with source code
- Documentation and diagram support
- Defense prep and revisions after panel feedback
PHP and MySQL · Java · Python · Node.js · React · Flutter
More about this serviceCustom software and web applications
Internal tools, portals, dashboards, and SaaS products shaped to how your business actually works.
What is included
- Custom architecture
- Admin dashboards and portals
- APIs and integrations
- SaaS and multi-tenant setups
React · Next.js · Node.js · Django · PostgreSQL · AWS
More about this serviceE-commerce and marketplace apps
Online stores and marketplaces with payments, inventory, and the vendor and customer roles that keep them running.
What is included
- Storefront and catalog
- Payments and checkout
- Inventory and orders
- Vendor and multi-user roles
Next.js · React Native · Shopify API · Stripe or PayMongo · PostgreSQL
More about this serviceAI and automation
Chatbots, assistants, and workflow automation that take repetitive work off your team, built on current AI models.
What is included
- Chatbots and assistants
- Agent workflows with tool use
- Document and data processing
- Business process automation
Claude · OpenAI · Gemini · Amazon Bedrock · Python · TypeScript
More about this serviceCloud, DevOps and hosting
Deployment, pipelines, monitoring, and cost control for the systems we build and the ones you already run.
What is included
- Cloud setup on AWS, GCP, or Azure
- CI/CD pipelines
- Monitoring and alerting
- Security hardening and cost control
AWS · Google Cloud · Azure · Kubernetes · Terraform · OpenTofu · GitLab CI · GitHub Actions
More about this serviceConsultation and technical review
A second pair of senior eyes before a costly decision: architecture reviews, code audits, and roadmap advice.
What is included
- Architecture and code review
- Roadmap and trade-off advice
- Thesis and capstone consultation
- Short advisory sprints
Written report · Call or chat · Hourly or per sprint
More about this service
Selected work
Systems we have built and run
Described by what they do, not who they were for. Every figure is a real result from production.
Healthcare, United States
Operations platform for home care agencies
- Challenge
- Agencies across several states needed one system for clients, caregivers, and signed paperwork, with patient data protected throughout.
- What we did
- A Python API and React portal on AWS, all infrastructure as code, pipelines with security scans, nightly automated tests, and monitoring that scrubs patient data.
- 12 agencies
- 5 US states
- 3 cloud accounts
Remote staffing
Live workforce monitoring app
- Challenge
- Managers of remote staff needed to see who was working right now and how productive each shift was, without guessing.
- What we did
- A React and TypeScript app with a Node.js API: live screen viewing, idle detection, and AI productivity reports that classify shift screenshots. Every admin view is audit-logged.
- 340+ automated tests
- live in production
Internal tooling
Executive uptime and delivery dashboard
- Challenge
- Leadership had no single view of whether every site was up or how each project was moving.
- What we did
- A scheduled serverless job checks every site and pulls project progress from the ticket tracker, and a static page shows uptime and delivery on one screen.
- 27 endpoints checked
- 5-minute refresh
Finance operations
Cloud and software spend dashboard
- Challenge
- Spend was spread across three cloud accounts and fourteen software vendors, with no view of what each product cost against budget.
- What we did
- A daily job reads cloud billing and budgets, splits cost per product by tag, and a protected static page adds budget meters and subscription costs.
- 3 cloud accounts
- 14 vendors
- daily refresh
IT services
Self-service cloud platform for application teams
- Challenge
- Onboarding new projects and provisioning cloud resources was slow, and deployments differed from one environment to the next.
- What we did
- An internal developer platform for self-service provisioning, backed by reusable infrastructure modules for ten-plus cloud services.
- onboarding -60%
- provisioning -65%
Enterprise platforms
GitOps delivery with observability built in
- Challenge
- Workloads on two clouds needed faster, safer releases and an alert-driven view of production health.
- What we did
- Infrastructure as code, Kubernetes with autoscaling and GitOps delivery, and a metrics and alerting setup with on-call escalation.
- 40% faster deploys
- 99.99% availability
Process
How a project runs
Understand the problem, shape the system, build deliberately, test thoroughly, and launch with support in place.
Step 1: Discovery and planning
We start with your goals, your users, the constraints, and what you have already tried, so the scope is grounded in real requirements.
You receive: Scope and timeline
Step 2: Design and architecture
Screens and system structure are shaped together so the product feels coherent and the build has no surprises.
You receive: Design and system plan
Step 3: Build
The product is built in milestones with modern tooling and plain-language progress updates you can act on.
You receive: Working milestones
Step 4: Testing and QA
Every release is checked for correctness, resilience, and polish before it gets near real users or a panel.
You receive: Tested release
Step 5: Launch and support
Launch is part of the job: deployment, monitoring, handover, and a support window so it holds up after release.
You receive: Live system and support
Packages
Ways to work with us
Pick the shape that matches your project. Scope and price are confirmed after a short call.
Website build
For a business site, landing page, or portfolio that needs to look right and load fast.
2 to 4 weeks30 days support
- Responsive design on every screen
- Content, forms, and SEO basics
- Hosting setup and launch
Most requested
App or system build
For a mobile app, web application, or custom system with ownership from concept to release.
4 to 10 weeks30 days support
- Clear scope and milestones
- Design-sensitive implementation
- Deployment and monitoring included
Capstone and thesis package
For students who need a working system, documentation that matches it, and a confident defense.
Fits your school calendarRevisions until panel approval
- System build with full source code
- Documentation and diagram support
- Defense prep and panel revisions
Support and advisory
For teams that need senior capacity, a review before a big decision, or ongoing maintenance.
Monthly or hourlyReport included
- Architecture and code review
- Maintenance and new features
- Direct access, fast feedback
Pricing is quoted after a short call, based on scope. Projects run on a deposit, milestone payments, and a final payment on handover.
Who you work with
One senior engineer, start to finish
Christian Josef Aquino
Founder and lead engineer
Senior DevOps engineer with 7+ years building and running production systems on AWS, Google Cloud, and Azure for healthcare, enterprise, and telecom platforms. Christian leads every Karakoa project and stays hands-on in the code.
Projects stay founder-led, with design, QA, and documentation specialists brought in only when the brief calls for it.
Works with
- AWS
- Google Cloud
- Azure
- Kubernetes
- Terraform
- React
- Node.js
- Python
- Django
- TypeScript
- React Native
- Claude
FAQ
Before you decide
General
What do you build?
Websites, mobile apps, web applications, e-commerce stores, AI and automation tools, and the cloud setup underneath them. We also build capstone and thesis systems for students, with consultation included.
How long does a project take?
A website usually takes 2 to 4 weeks, an app or system 4 to 10 weeks, and a larger platform longer. Timelines are confirmed after the first call so they match the real scope.
Do you provide support after launch?
Yes. Every build includes a support window for bug fixes. After that you can keep us on monthly for maintenance, performance work, and new features.
Students
Do you help with the documentation and the defense?
Yes. We help with the system design chapters, diagrams, and screenshots so the paper matches the system, and we walk you through the system before your defense so you can present it with confidence.
Do we get the source code?
Yes. You receive the full source code, the database, and setup instructions on handover. It is your system.
What if the panel asks for changes?
Revisions from panel feedback are part of the capstone package. Tell us what the panel asked for and we work through the changes with you.
When should we reach out?
As early as you can, ideally at the proposal stage. Starting early keeps the timeline comfortable and gives us room for panel revisions before your deadline.
Process and payment
How do you scope and price a project?
We talk first, agree on the scope, then send a fixed quote with milestones. Pricing depends on what is being built, not on a rate card, so it is quoted after the call.
How does payment work?
A deposit to start, milestone payments as parts are delivered, and a final payment on handover. Terms are written down before any work begins.
Can you work with our existing team?
Yes. We can plug into your sprints, your repo, and your review process, or take a scoped piece of work end to end.
Technical
What technologies do you use?
Typically React, Next.js, Astro, React Native with Expo, Node.js, Django, PostgreSQL, and AWS or Cloudflare for hosting. For student systems we work with whatever your course requires, including PHP and MySQL.
Do you handle app store submission?
Yes. App Store and Play Store submission, screenshots, and listing copy can be part of a mobile app build.
How do you keep the code quality high?
Code review, automated tests, deployment pipelines, and documentation on every build, so the system still feels solid long after launch and another developer can pick it up.
Start a project
Tell us what you are building
Share the product, the deadline, and what is blocking you. You get a reply within one working day with a recommended way to start.
Sent
Inquiry sent
Thanks for reaching out. We reply to the email address you gave within one working day.
Or reach us directly
Replies and calls: Mon to Fri, 2:00 PM to 9:00 PM, Philippine time (GMT+8).