PostgreSQL, for data that has to be right.
PostgreSQL is our default relational database — the one we reach for unless there's a specific reason not to. Genuinely ACID-compliant, extensible enough to handle JSON and vector data without leaving the database, and mature enough that we're rarely the first team to hit a given problem.
Where PostgreSQL earns its place in the stack.
Transactional systems of record
Where correctness genuinely matters — orders, payments, accounts — PostgreSQL's ACID guarantees mean a write either fully happens or it doesn't.
Complex relational data & reporting
Joins, constraints and a real query planner make PostgreSQL the natural home for data with real relationships, not just flat records.
JSON and relational, in one database
JSONB columns handle semi-structured data natively, so a product doesn't need a second database just for the parts that don't fit neat rows.
Extended for the job at hand
PostGIS for geospatial data, pg_vector for embeddings and AI search — PostgreSQL extends into specialist territory without leaving the database.
Correct by default, flexible when it counts.
PostgreSQL is our default relational database because it rarely forces a trade-off. It's as strict as a transactional system needs, and as flexible as a product with evolving requirements needs, often at the same time.
We don't reach for it out of inertia either. Between JSONB, PostGIS and pg_vector, PostgreSQL now covers a lot of ground that used to mean standing up a second, specialist database — one less moving part to operate and keep in sync.
ACID guarantees you can actually trust
When a transaction commits, it happened — fully, and correctly. That matters far more than it sounds once real money or real data is on the line.
Extensible without leaving the database
JSONB for flexible data, PostGIS for location, pg_vector for embeddings — PostgreSQL keeps growing into new problems instead of us reaching for a second database.
A mature ecosystem, a huge community
Whatever unusual problem comes up, there's a strong chance someone else has already hit it, written it up, and shipped a fix or an extension for it.
Scales further than most people expect
With the right indexing and query design, PostgreSQL comfortably handles far more scale than the point where teams assume they need something else.
Not sure PostgreSQL's the right fit? Ask the engineer who'd build it.
Book a 30-minute working session with a senior engineer — a real conversation about your data, not a sales call.
Where PostgreSQL held the data.
AI HSE reporting, from a single photo.
Our own product: an AI-powered progressive web app that turns a single photo into a complete observation, incident or hazard report — with a desktop command centre for tracking, investigation and approvals. Works offline and syncs on reconnect.
A 12-tab spreadsheet, rebuilt as a risk platform
Offshore cable burial risk assessment taken out of a straining Excel workbook and rebuilt as a Python engine and React application on Microsoft Azure — a hundred thousand rows of AIS vessel data, Carbon Trust anchor-strike methodology, and depth-of-lowering curves for every soil zone on a route.
Real-time carbon & compliance reporting for cold chain.
A data management platform built to manage ESG data and deliver ESG insights, analytics and reports to the business and its stakeholders.
Time-critical incident reporting, built for the field.
A realtime incident reporting application built to collect, escalate and report on incident data across the cold chain and construction business.
An EPC risk calculator that quotes in minutes.
Our own product for commercial EPCs: an online EPC Risk Calculator that checks a building against the national register, shows its MEES risk instantly, and turns it into a fixed quote for a Level 3 or 4 assessment in under two hours.
A single source of truth for prospect intelligence.
A centralised platform to manage the acquisition, cleansing, matching and enrichment of prospect data at scale — replacing fragmented sources and manual scoring with one unified system.
What a PostgreSQL build usually includes.
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Pragmatic, mostly boring, and chosen because it works in production — not because it's on the front page of Hacker News.
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