Software and app development in Dunedin.
Voidforge is a Dunedin studio that builds apps, SaaS platforms and the systems behind them, for founders and New Zealand businesses. You work with the senior people writing the code, from the first sketch until paying customers are using it.
We are at Petridish, 8 Stafford Street. Clients across New Zealand and overseas work with us over calls, and drop in when they are in town.
What we build.
App and platform development
iOS, Android and web, with the APIs and data underneath. We take the engineering lead, hold the scope to what will ship, and take it through to release. Directly for you, or under an agency's name.
Fractional CTO and technical direction
Senior technical leadership for early-stage companies: architecture, delivery plan, trade-offs, partner selection, and a straight answer on what is possible, what it costs and how long it takes. The same people then build it.
Taking over an existing system
Software someone else built, or that you built years ago and outgrew. We read it, stabilise it, and hand back something a team can work in with confidence. We rewrite when the numbers say so, and not before.
Prototypes and proof of concept
Something real people can hold within weeks, hardware or software, so you can decide with evidence. Then a straight answer on what it would take to build properly.
AI for New Zealand businesses
A free readiness assessment, then a plan for what AI should and should not do in your business. We build what the plan finds and keep it running. AI services
Recent work.
Peppr
Better workflows for every kind of thinker. Founding engineering and product team, with a stake in the company. Slack, Teams, Google Calendar, Outlook. Pilot ready · 2026. Case study
Lume
A new digital format for albums. Fractional CTO and the engineering team, build to launch. iOS, Android, web. Shipped · Jul 2026. Case study
Bakspace
Write it all without losing the plot. Our own product. macOS, with Windows and Linux to follow. Shipped · Oct 2026. Case study
Kindware
Software, funded like a sausage sizzle. Active community contributors. Web, free for everyone. First vote open · 2026. Case study
Who builds it.
Drian Naude leads every build. He has spent about twenty years building software in energy, finance, SaaS and consumer products, including time inside Partly, Glorious, Flicket and Bitlab.
Being local means you can sit across the table from the person building your product, and you get a straight answer on what it costs before anything starts.
Questions people ask.
Do you only work with Dunedin businesses?
No. We are based in Dunedin and work with clients across New Zealand and overseas. If you are local, you can meet us at Petridish, 8 Stafford Street.
Can you build a SaaS product from scratch?
Yes, that is most of what we do: the app people use, the APIs and data underneath, and getting it in front of customers. Peppr is a recent example, where we are the founding engineering and product team.
Do you build iOS and Android apps?
Yes, along with web apps. Lume launched on iOS, Android and the web in July 2026, with us leading the engineering from first build to launch.
Someone else built our app and it is struggling. Can you help?
Yes. We read what is there, make it stable, and hand back something a team can work in with confidence. We recommend a rewrite only when the numbers say so.
How much does it cost to build an app?
It depends on what you need. We scope the work and agree the price before we start. As a guide, under NZ$10,000 usually buys a prototype, and a full product costs more.
How do we start?
Book 30 minutes or send a short brief. If we are the wrong fit, we will say so and point you somewhere better.