Building Software That Actually Works

We started SynapFlux in 2018 because we kept seeing the same problem. Businesses across Australia would hire development teams, spend months on a project, and end up with software that barely functioned or missed the mark completely.

Our founders—Tamsin Kellaway and Elara Virtunen—met while troubleshooting a failed e-commerce platform for a retail client in Sydney. The previous team had disappeared halfway through. That experience taught us something important: good code matters, but understanding what clients actually need matters more.

We're not the biggest development shop in Wollongong, and that's deliberate. Every project gets attention from senior developers who've spent years working on real systems that handle real traffic.

Development workspace with collaborative planning and technical architecture

Common Problems We Actually Solve

These are situations we encounter regularly. Not theoretical examples—actual challenges our clients face when they reach out to us.

Legacy System Migration

Your current system runs on outdated technology that nobody wants to touch. Finding developers who understand it is nearly impossible, and you're worried about security vulnerabilities.

We assess what's worth keeping and what needs replacement. Then we build a migration path that keeps your business running while we modernize the foundation. One of our manufacturing clients moved off a 15-year-old Access database without losing a single day of operations.

API Integration Nightmares

You need your accounting software to talk to your inventory system, and your CRM to connect with your email platform. Every vendor promises easy integration, but nothing actually works together.

We build middleware that translates between systems and handles the inevitable version updates and API changes. We've connected everything from vintage SOAP services to modern GraphQL endpoints—often in the same project.

Performance Bottlenecks

Your application worked fine with 100 users. Now you have 2,000, and everything's grinding to a halt during peak hours. Your current team keeps adding servers but the problems persist.

We profile the actual bottlenecks—usually it's inefficient database queries or memory leaks, not server capacity. A logistics client was spending $8,000 monthly on cloud hosting until we optimized their queries. Now they're at $1,200.

Abandoned Projects

Your previous development team stopped responding, left incomplete documentation, and the codebase is a mystery. You've already invested significantly and need to salvage what you can.

We reverse-engineer what exists, document the architecture, and either complete the project or rebuild the parts that don't make sense. This happens more often than you'd think—we take on three or four rescue projects every year.

Technical implementation and code review session

Who Builds Your Software

We're a small team. Everyone writes code. Nobody here is purely managerial—if you work at SynapFlux, you're hands-on with actual projects.

Our developers have backgrounds in everything from embedded systems to enterprise SaaS platforms. Tamsin spent six years at a fintech company building payment processing systems. Elara came from the scientific computing world where milliseconds actually matter.

When you hire us, you're working directly with people who've debugged production systems at 2am and know what happens when theory meets reality.

Tamsin Kellaway

Lead Developer

Specializes in payment systems and financial integrations. Previously built fraud detection algorithms for a major Australian bank.

Elara Virtunen

Backend Architect

Focuses on data pipeline optimization and distributed systems. Background in scientific computing and high-performance applications.

What Guides Our Work

These aren't aspirational values we put on the wall. They're the actual principles that inform how we make decisions when projects get complicated—which they always do.

Honest Timelines

We'd rather lose a project than promise unrealistic delivery dates. If something takes eight weeks, we say eight weeks—not six weeks with a plan to work weekends and hope nothing goes wrong.

No Vendor Lock-In

Your code is yours. We document everything, use standard technologies, and build systems that other developers can maintain. We want you to stay because we do good work, not because leaving would be too painful.

Testing Matters

Every feature gets tested before it reaches production. Automated tests catch regressions. Load tests verify performance under realistic conditions. This takes time upfront but prevents disasters later.

Clear Communication

We explain technical decisions in plain language. When something goes wrong, we tell you immediately and present options for fixing it. No hiding behind jargon or vague status updates.

Security First

We follow OWASP guidelines, keep dependencies updated, and think about attack vectors before they become problems. Your data is your responsibility—we take that seriously.

Long-Term Thinking

Quick fixes create technical debt that comes due with interest. We build systems designed to evolve with your business over years, not months. Sometimes that means slower initial progress for better stability.

Systematic development process and quality assurance workflow

How Projects Actually Work

Discovery Phase

We spend time understanding your current systems, pain points, and business constraints. This usually takes one to two weeks and involves talking to the people who'll actually use the software daily.

Architecture Planning

We propose a technical approach with clear tradeoffs. Every architecture decision has pros and cons—we explain them so you can make informed choices about where to invest and where to compromise.

Iterative Development

We build in two-week sprints with working software at the end of each cycle. You see progress regularly and can adjust priorities based on what you learn from using early versions.

Deployment and Support

Launch isn't the end—it's when we learn how the system performs under real conditions. We monitor closely for the first month and remain available for adjustments as your team adapts to the new workflow.

Start a Conversation