Invite-only · Application required

Software that
fits the work.

Bespoke web applications: dashboards, internal tools, SaaS MVPs. Discovery first. Then a fixed quote. Then real, working software — built and maintained, not handed off.

ملاحظة مهمة: الخدمة دي حاليّاً بدعوة فقط (invite-only). بنقبل عدد محدود من المشاريع كل ربع سنة عشان نضمن جودة الـ engineering والصيانة. لو الـ fit مناسب، ابعت تطلبًا للنظر فيه من أي زرار في الصفحة، وهنرد خلال 48 ساعة بقرار قبول أو إضافة لقايمة الانتظار.
FOCUS
Web apps · internal tools · MVPs
STACK
Next.js · Postgres · TypeScript
PROOF
Sigma ERP · 45 modules
MODEL
Build + retainer
THE PROBLEM WE SOLVE

Off-the-shelf software
almost fits. Almost.

You bought a SaaS subscription that gets you 70% of the way there. The remaining 30% is the part that actually matters to your business — and you can't change it. So you build workarounds in Excel and your team stops using the system you paid for.

01

Generic where it should be specific

The SaaS works for "any business". Yours isn't any business. The fields, workflows, and reports don't match how you actually work.

02

Excel is the real system

Everyone exports to Excel and operates from there. The "system" is just an inbox.

03

Per-seat pricing kills

Monthly fees scale with team size. As you grow, the cost compounds and the tool becomes the largest expense after payroll.

04

You don't own anything

The data is theirs. The roadmap is theirs. If they raise prices or shut down, you're stranded.

05

Integration limbo

It doesn't talk to your accounting system. Or your WhatsApp. Or your supplier portal. So nothing flows.

STEP 0 · MANDATORY

Discovery phase.
Always first.

Custom software is too expensive to estimate by guessing. We do a paid discovery phase first — 5-10 hours of deep dive into your requirements. The output is a technical spec document and a fixed quote. Both yours to keep, even if you don't proceed with the build.

DISCOVERY

5-10 hour deep dive

FOUNDING / STANDARD
6,500 / 10,000 EGP
  • Stakeholder interviews (you + key team members)
  • Workflow mapping (current → desired state)
  • Technical architecture design
  • Integration plan (existing systems)
  • Data model + schema sketch
  • Security + access model
  • Phased rollout plan
  • Fixed price quote for the build
  • 1 week. Cost credited to build if you proceed.
BUILD TIERS

After discovery,
you choose scale.

Three rough tiers. Final price comes from discovery — but here's where most projects land.

TIER 01 · MVP SHIP FAST

MVP Build

Single-user app. Real, but lean.

Single-user app, 5-10 screens, basic CRUD operations. The smallest version that can actually be used by you or your team.

Price80,000 – 150,000 EGP
Mandatory retainer5,000 EGP / month
  • 5-10 screens / pages
  • Single-user authentication
  • Basic CRUD on your data
  • Simple dashboard / reports
  • Mobile responsive
  • Deploy to your hosting OR ours
  • Documentation + 1 training session
  • 6 – 8 weeks from discovery
Apply for consideration →
TIER 03 · CUSTOM FULL ERP-SCALE

Custom Build

Multiple modules, deep business logic.

Complex business logic, multiple integrated modules. Same scale as the Sigma ERP — full operating system for the company.

Price400,000+ EGP
Mandatory retainer25,000+ EGP / month
  • 5+ integrated modules
  • Custom business logic per workflow
  • Multi-tenant capable (if needed)
  • Advanced reporting + BI
  • Phased rollout (module by module)
  • API for future integrations
  • 3 training sessions + handover docs
  • 90 days post-launch active support
  • 4 – 6 months from discovery
Apply for consideration →
"Software builds aren't fire-and-forget. Every Tenebra software project requires an ongoing maintenance retainer — bug fixes, security patches, occasional features. We don't sell systems we know will rot." — TENEBRA STUDIO POLICY
WHY TENEBRA

Built like Sigma ERP.
That's the proof.

Our founding case study is a 45-module ERP we built for our own elevator company in Alexandria. Production for over a year, used daily by 24 people. Not a portfolio prop — a daily-driver system.

01

Bilingual + RTL native

Arabic-first interfaces, not Google Translate. Our team uses both languages every day — your team will too.

02

You own the code

Source code in your GitHub. Database under your control. No vendor lock-in. Walk away whenever you want.

03

One-team accountability

Same person on the discovery call writes the architecture, reviews the code, and answers the bug report. No hand-offs.

04

Honest about timelines

If we say 8 weeks, we mean 8 weeks. We pad estimates honestly and renegotiate openly when scope changes. No surprises.

FOUNDING CASE STUDY · SIGMA ERP

45 modules.
One company. One year.

Sigma ERP replaced an aging legacy accounting system with a custom operating layer. Bilingual, multi-user, mandatory SKUs, mandatory analytical accounts. Same playbook is now sold to other Egyptian SMBs at the Tier 3 scale.

45
Production modules

From CRM to accounting to maintenance scheduling

24
Daily active users

Sigma's full team, every working day

100%
Bilingual coverage

Arabic + English, RTL native

0
P0 incidents in 90 days

Zero data-loss or downtime events

View Sigma ERP case →
THE PROCESS

From idea to live system.
Six phases.

01

Discovery brief

You fill the software brief. We see if there's a real fit.

02

Discovery phase

5-10 hour deep dive. Output: spec doc + fixed build quote.

03

Build kickoff

50% upfront. Architecture review. Sprint plan published.

04

Build phase

Weekly demos. You see progress every Friday. Course-correct early.

05

UAT + train

You and your team test. Bugs fixed. Training sessions held.

06

Launch + retainer

System goes live. Monthly retainer kicks in for ongoing care.

Next.js 16 TypeScript Postgres Prisma tRPC Supabase Tailwind shadcn/ui Vercel
QUESTIONS WE GET

Honest answers.
No marketing fog.

Do I really need a discovery phase?
Yes. Without it, every quote is a guess and every guess is wrong. The discovery is paid because it produces a real artifact — a spec document — that's yours to keep even if you don't continue with us. It's also credited toward the build if you do proceed.
Why is the retainer mandatory?
Custom software has bugs. Has security patches. Needs occasional small features as your business changes. Without a retainer, the system rots — and we don't sell systems we know will rot.
What if I want to switch developers later?
Code is in your GitHub from day one. Database is yours. We hand off cleanly with documentation. We'd rather lose a client to honest succession than to bitter dependency.
Can you replace my existing SaaS subscription?
Often, yes — and often the math works out: a one-time build + small retainer often costs less over 3 years than per-seat SaaS as your team grows. Discovery phase will tell you with real numbers.
What about hosting and infrastructure costs?
Discussed in discovery. For most builds, monthly infrastructure is 500-3,000 EGP (Vercel + Postgres + minimal services). Passed through at cost, no markup.
Do you do mobile apps?
We build Progressive Web Apps (mobile-friendly web apps that install on phones). Native iOS / Android apps as a standalone service we don't offer — would refer to specialists.
START HERE · INVITE-ONLY

Apply for consideration.

WhatsApp first to qualify the fit (48-hour reply with accept-or-waitlist decision). If invited, you'll fill the software brief — 15 minutes — and we come back with a discovery phase proposal.

Apply via WhatsApp → Open brief (after qualification)