Looking back at 10 years of Cheesecake Labs!

There are 10 birthday candles on our cake this year as we celebrate 10 incredible years in business at Cheesecake Labs!

In 2013, we started on our journey to help clients solve real-world problems with technology. Our values of collaboration, ownership, and embracing and celebrating different experiences and perspectives have allowed us to deliver a WOW service for our clients continually. We’re proud to have built over 300 digital products using our “value-driven development” approach and grown to 100+ Cakers on the team!

Before we get started on the next 10 years, let’s take a look back at some of the most important moments from the last 10.

Cheesecake Labs 10th Anniversary

A slice of the past, a taste of the future: from value-driven development to real-world impact

2013 – Getting the right ingredients together

• We began with a goal to develop mobile apps for fast-growing startups in Silicon Valley based on our founders’ experience with Uber and other products. 
• In those early days in Florianopolis, Brazil we started a team ritual — relaxing and getting creative while enjoying our favorite treat, cheesecake! So, Cheesecake Labs was born!
• Cheesecake Labs was born agile, using the best practices of SCRUM and Kanban to build great solutions in collaboration with our clients.
• We were one of the first and only companies in Brazil using Python, Java for Android, and Objective-C for iOS.

Company milestones:

• In our first year, pretty much everything was a milestone! We had a blast working hard to get everything up and running.
• We welcomed our first clients! We helped Sproutkin build an iPad app for their children’s book subscription service and worked with Bolo HQ on a web app for news categorization

2014 – Writing our award-winning recipe for software success

• We kept growing by signing three new clients in the US during our second year.
• First IoT app: We worked with Camio, a startup founded by an ex-VP at Google, to deliver an innovative AI video surveillance mobile solution.

Company milestones:

• The first Cakers (our first employees) joined the family! This was an important step and we were thrilled to welcome the first Cakers of many more to come.
• We (finally) moved to a new office to accommodate the team’s growth.

Recognition:

• We were pumped to see Camio featured in TechCrunch, Wired, and VentureBeat! 

2015 – Serving up fresh new apps

• We worked with VSporto, on an audio-streaming app that hit an amazing 1 million monthly users! 
• We started working with Singularity University to create their global digital community-driven platforms. This important project was an exciting dive into how technology can improve the education experience.
• We helped Lockitron (later acquired by Chamberlain Group) develop a leading smart lock app.
• We introduced UI/UX design as a service to help our clients create good-looking, user-friendly projects. 

Company milestones:

• Lots of firsts!
  • VSporto was our first React Web app delivered to production.
  • Lockitron was our first mobile and wearable app.
• We hit 10 employees! The more Cakers, the merrier!

Recognition:

• Our work with Singularity University was celebrated by Wired, The Guardian, and more!
• The Wall Street Journal and The Verge were talking all about Lockitron.

2016 – Now we’re really cooking

• We started working with Skyroam (now Solis WIFI) to modernize its digital e-commerce experience and reach a global scale.
• We were working hard in 2016, and were excited when our 30th project hit the market!

Recognition:

• Clutch ranked us #3 for Mobile App Development in Latin America​​.

2017 – Scaling up with big cheese clients

• We worked with Portobello Digital to redesign their retail experience and created a new channel for customers to interact with their brand.
• We launched Intelbras Guardian, an app that enhanced the video surveillance and CCTV experience for over 1 million users.
• We launched Moria, a decentralized investment platform for precious metal extraction.
• Our first React Native app launched!

Company milestones:

• We delivered our 50th project, what an exciting moment!
• Portobello Digital was our first Brazilian enterprise client, and Intelbras Guardian was our first IoT app for a Brazilian client — Let’s go Brazil!
• We dipped our toes into the world of blockchain with Moria — the first of many exciting blockchain projects. 
• We launched our Cupcaker program! The Cupcaker program is our version of internships that aims to educate (and eventually hire) young people who are interested in software development. Cupcakers are valued members of the Cheesecake Labs team and many have had great success in the company!
• And we started our social program, “Mão na Massa.” Translating to “Hands-on Initiative,” this program grew out of our aspiration to empower young individuals from disadvantaged communities — a value ingrained in our culture since our inception. The project works to teach young people technical skills that will open up new opportunities. Mão na Massa is a truly hands-on approach to inspiring and empowering the next generation of young talent. 

Recognition:

• First time ranking on the Great Place to Work list at #16!
• We grabbed the #2 spot on Clutch’s Top Mobile App Development Companies in Latin America for the second year.

2018 – Leading the way for value-driven apps

• In 2018, we began a long-term partnership with Tapcart, a fast-growing startup, to scale their e-commerce mobile app on Android to leading U.S. brands.
• We designed and built Faced, the first payment solution using facial recognition.
• We worked with AES to implement an innovative Virtual Power Plant platform for energy price and asset flexibility optimization.
• We were excited to expand our client base to enterprise and mid-sized companies. This allowed us to deliver innovation and agility to larger organizations while still building great apps for startups.

Company milestones:

• We made it to the big leagues — AES was our first Fortune 500 client!
• We implemented Cheesecake Labs’ next major strategies under the leadership of our newly appointed executive directors.
• Changed our internal structure to squads, which helped us deliver more integrated, end-to-end solutions to clients.
• We officially reached 50 Cakers on the team — that’s 5x growth in just 2 years!
• Cheesecake Labs held our First Female Week! This now-annual event celebrates, highlights, and empowers female Cakers and women in our wider community.

Recognition:

• TechCrunch showcased our project with Tapcart.
• Our second year in a row ranking as a Great Place to Work!
• Our third year in a row at #2 on Clutch’s list of Top Mobile App Development Companies in Latin America.

2019 – Taking our 100th project out of the oven

• We launched Boma, a global leadership community platform led by TEDx founder Lara Stein.
• FindHeli (the first helicopter booking platform in Europe) landed on the scene during WebSummit in Portugal. 
• Our team helped Cresol modernize financial products for their customers across several different channels.
• We worked with Move to help lead innovation for EV charging stations.

Company milestones:

• We officially transitioned mobile technology to cross-platform for all clients.
• We delivered our 100th project to the market — a huge milestone for everyone at Cheesecake Labs!
• We held our first annual Pride Week to promote important discussions that support the LGBTQIA+ movement — inside and outside the company.

Recognition:

• We claimed the #8 spot on the Great Place to Work’s Best Workplaces in Brazil list!
• Break out the celebratory cheesecake! Clutch named us #1 for Mobile App Development in Latin America, and we hit #18 on their list of Best Worldwide Mobile App Development Companies!

2020 – Embracing our remote-first Caker culture

• We helped Agriness keep driving agribusiness innovation to improve and accelerate productivity in livestock production.
• We worked on our first voice-based project and prototyped a new Alexa Skill to help Mercado Libre explore innovative ways for people to search for products using just their voice.
• 2020 marked our company-wide use of Flutter with ReactNative as our two main tech stacks — this shift helped us deliver delightful cross-platform apps to our clients.

Company milestones:

• The pandemic hit the world, and Cheesecake Labs became remote-first, embracing Cakers from all over the country. It was a challenge at first, but we’re proud of the thriving remote culture we’ve built together!
• We expanded our services and started offering Product Definition to help companies craft the right digital experiences with product strategy and technology consultancy. 

Recognition:

• We were named Best Workplace for the fourth year in a row by Great Place to Work.
• Our 5th year as Clutch’s Top Mobile App Development Company in Latin America!
• We were honored to be recognized for a second year on Clutch’s Top Mobile App Development Companies Worldwide list.

2021 – Building innovation on the blockchain

• In 2021 we become a Stellar Integration Partner specializing in delivering customer-facing solutions and infrastructures integrated into the Stellar blockchain network.
  • We also helped the Stellar Development Foundation launch a CBDC pilot in Ukraine.
• Helped Mercado Libre innovate its logistics to deliver fresh products from supermarkets. This project included our first applications on Golang!
  • This was the beginning of a beautiful partnership with Mercado Libre, the largest digital marketplace in Latin America.
• We worked with Mutual of Omaha, a Fortune 500 insurance & mortgage company, to design an app that streamlines the user experience by simplifying the mortgage process and integrating a customized rewards program.

Company milestones:

• Mutual of Omaha was our first US enterprise client to use our Product Definition and Product Design services.
• Our work with Stellar on Ukraine’s CBDC drew great attention from the press and was featured on Coindesk!

Recognition:

• 5 whole years as Clutch’s Top Mobile App Development Company in Latin America! 🥳
• We reached #10 on Clutch’s Top Mobile App Development Companies Worldwide list!
• We were even ranked #5 in Clutch’s React Native Development Company Worldwide list.

2022 – A landmark year in our history

• We helped ACG brands expand their consumer products with an IoT mobile experience for Thaw insoles — no more cold toes!
• Our dedicated team of experts helped FINN expand its car subscription services to the US.
• We continued to evolve our Stellar expertise, including helping deliver Stellar Aid (used by UNHCR), stablecoin for Mercado Bitcoin, and participating in the Central Bank of Brazil’s LIFT Challenge.
• We expanded our services to include Support and Maintenance. This lets us help our clients enhance their products after they launch and as they gain traction and grow.

Company milestones: 

• 100% growth over the previous year — there’s no stopping us!
• We reached 100 Cakers, a historic milestone in the company’s journey!
• We delivered our 200th project to the market, an amazing achievement.
• We had a blast presenting about asset issuance on Stellar at Meridian 2022!

Recognition:

• Our 6th year as Clutch’s Top Mobile App Development in Latin America!
• Ranked Top Mobile App Development Worldwide Fourth Year in a Row by Clutch
• Ranked Top React Native Development Company Worldwide Second Year in a Row by Clutch
• Our work with FINN zoomed onto TechCrunch. 🚗
• The Cointelegraph covered our work with Mercado Bitcoin and Stellar to launch an MVP for a Brazilian CBDC.
• Ranked as Best Workplaces in the Regional (#6), National (#12), and IT National (#23) lists by Great Place to Work!

2023 – Rounding out our first decade of Cheesecake

• We expanded our tech capabilities when we delivered a mobile web AR app that launched at CES in Las Vegas!
• CRU was our first client to use all of our current services: Product Definition, Product Design, and Product Development.
• We continued to evolve our Stellar expertise with some amazing projects:
  • An enhanced version of the asset tokenization platform (The Stellar Asset Sandbox) 
  • Exploring new use cases with Stellar’s smart contracts platform (Soroban)
  • An evolving mobile digital wallet (Vibrant)
  • And a blockchain disbursement platform (SDP)
• We worked with Moneygram to build a non-custodial wallet that launched at Meridian and will go to market in Q1 2024!

Company milestones:

• We launched our new internal structure of Guilds and Bakeries (our spin on chapters.) This new structure lets us group Cakers into Bakeries based on what they do within the company to bring together people from different departments. Our Guilds are focused on specific initiatives like Respect and Inclusion or Internal Process Innovation — letting Cakers work together on the projects they feel most passionate about!
• Our work with Moneygram was our first mobile digital wallet project for a US enterprise client!
• And we got a mention with Moneygram in the Cointelegraph’s coverage of the project!
• Our Principal Blockchain Engineer, Fabricius Zatti, took on Emcee duties at Meridian 2023, while our CEO, Marcelo Gracietti, presented the new and improved Stellar Asset Sandbox — a super impactful event! 

Recognition:

• We were ranked the Top Mobile App Development Company in Latin America for the 7th year in a row by Clutch!
• Clutched ranked us as a Top Mobile App Development Worldwide for the 4th year in a row!
• Clutch ranked us as a Top React Native Development Company Worldwide for the 3rd year in a row.
• We were incredibly proud to be named the #1 Mobile App Development Company in Brazil by The Manifest.
• We were also #95 on Clutch’s list of the Top 100 Fastest-Growing Companies for 2023.
• Named a Clutch Global and Champion winner. ​​Proudly secured a top-tier position, ranking within the top 10% of companies in Clutch’s esteemed 2023 fall evaluations.

Here’s to another decade of growth and innovation

What a wonderful, wild ride the last 10 years have been! We’re so proud of how far we’ve come, from a few people with big dreams working away in a hot apartment to a dedicated team of 100+ Cakers helping shape the future of tech. We couldn’t have done any of it without our amazing clients, and we are so grateful for their trust and support. 

As we move into the next decade of growth at Cheesecake Labs, we’re more excited than ever to keep finding ways to help solve real-world problems with technology and can’t wait to see what the future holds!

A Message from our CEO

As we reflect on a decade at Cheesecake Labs,  I’m filled with a deep sense of gratitude.

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To our clients, thank you for trusting us with your vision. The diverse and complex challenges you brought to us have not only fueled our growth but also sparked our ability for innovation.  The impact we’ve managed to create in your businesses is a testament to our collaborative success.

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To our incredible Cakers, you are the secret ingredients of Cheesecake Labs. Every project we deliver, each innovative solution, and every line of code mirrors your passion and dedication. You are the architects of our legacy of excellence and innovation.

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Looking ahead, I’m excited about the journey that still lies before us. As technology evolves, so do the challenges – and they are more thrilling than ever. Together, we have the chance to shape the future of tech, armed with the same passion and drive that brought us here.

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There are more real-world problems out there, waiting for our innovative solutions. I’m confident that with our talented team and our valuable partners, we’ll continue to write an even more remarkable story for Cheesecake Labs. Let’s move forward together, embracing new challenges and reaching greater heights.

Marcelo Gracietti – CEO at Cheesecake Labs