Most AI projects fail because the team picked an approach before diagnosing the problem. We scope the right approach first, then build across the full stack from data pipelines to production deployment.
Generative AI, RAG, AI agents, ML, NLP, computer vision, and voice AI
Model-agnostic: GPT-4o, Claude, Gemini, Llama, and open-source models
Production-grade: monitoring, evaluation, cost management, and failure handling
From proof of concept to full production deployment
RaftLabs builds AI systems across the full stack: generative AI applications, RAG pipelines for knowledge retrieval, AI agent systems for multi-step task automation, machine learning models for prediction and classification, NLP for text understanding, computer vision for image analysis, and voice AI for conversational interfaces. We are model-agnostic: we select from GPT-4o, Claude, Gemini, and open-source models based on your use case. A proof of concept runs $8,000 to $20,000 in 2 to 4 weeks. Production AI applications run $25,000 to $150,000 depending on scope.
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The gap between AI demo and AI product
Every impressive AI demo has three things behind it: a well-scoped problem, the right approach for that problem, and engineering discipline to make it work reliably. Most failed AI projects got at least one of those wrong.
We start every engagement by getting all three right.
Capabilities
What we build
Generative AI applications
Production applications powered by large language models: AI assistants grounded in your knowledge base, document analysis and extraction, content generation at scale, and conversational interfaces for your specific use case. We handle prompt engineering, RAG pipeline development, output validation, and the full application layer. Model-agnostic: GPT-4o, Claude, Gemini, or Llama depending on what your use case requires. See Generative AI Development and Generative AI Integration.
RAG pipelines and knowledge retrieval
Retrieval-augmented generation systems that ground AI responses in your documents, data, and knowledge. Document ingestion pipelines parse PDF, DOCX, HTML, and plain text, split content into semantically coherent chunks (512-1024 tokens with 10-15% overlap), and generate embeddings using OpenAI text-embedding-3-large or Cohere embed-v3 depending on retrieval quality benchmarks on your dataset. Vector storage in Pinecone, Weaviate, Qdrant, or pgvector (PostgreSQL extension) -- database selection driven by your existing infrastructure, query volume, and metadata filtering requirements. Hybrid search combines dense vector search with BM25 keyword scoring (Weaviate's built-in hybrid, or Elasticsearch for high-volume deployments) to recover precision lost when queries use exact terminology that embeddings generalise over. Re-ranking via Cohere Rerank or a cross-encoder model scores retrieved chunks against the query before context assembly, reducing irrelevant context injected into the LLM prompt. Retrieval evaluation using RAGAS: context precision, context recall, answer faithfulness, and answer relevance measured against a golden dataset before production deployment, with regression testing on each prompt or embedding model change. Metadata filtering on vector queries (document type, date, department, access tier) ensures retrieval respects your access control model. See RAG Pipeline Development and Vector Database Development.
AI agents and multi-step automation
AI agents that plan and execute multi-step tasks using tools: querying databases, calling APIs, processing documents, and making decisions based on intermediate results. LangGraph orchestration for stateful workflows. Human-in-the-loop checkpoints for high-stakes decisions. Production failure handling and monitoring. See AI Agent Development, Multi-Agent Systems, and AI Orchestration.
Machine learning and predictive analytics
Custom ML models for prediction, classification, and anomaly detection: customer churn prediction, demand forecasting, fraud detection, pricing optimisation, and recommendation systems. Data audit, feature engineering, model training, evaluation, and production deployment with monitoring. See Machine Learning Development and Predictive Analytics.
NLP and computer vision
Natural language processing for text classification, entity extraction, sentiment analysis, and document understanding. Computer vision for object detection, image classification, document OCR, and visual inspection. Both traditional ML-based and LLM-based approaches depending on your data and accuracy requirements. See NLP Development and Computer Vision Development.
Voice AI and conversational interfaces
Voice AI systems for inbound call handling, phone interviews, customer support, and conversational automation. Speech-to-text, intent recognition, dialogue management, and text-to-speech integration. Real-time latency optimisation for natural conversation feel. See Voice AI Development and AI Chatbot Development.
How it works
From first call to shipped product: how every build runs.
We follow the same four-step process on every engagement — whether it's a 6-week voice AI deployment or a 16-week enterprise platform build.
01Week 1
Diagnose
We spend the first week understanding the problem, not presenting a solution. Discovery session, stakeholder interviews, workflow mapping, and a technical audit of what you already have. You leave knowing exactly what's broken and why previous attempts didn't fix it.
02Weeks 2–3
Design
Low-fidelity wireframes before any code is written. You see the product before we build it. Scope, timeline, and fixed price locked at this stage. No surprises after work starts.
03Weeks 4–12
Build
Bi-weekly agile sprints. Weekly progress calls. Direct access to the team and project management tools. Working software at the end of every sprint. Not a big-bang delivery at the finish line.
04Week 12–16
Ship
Production deployment, QA sign-off, load testing, and team handover. You own the full codebase from day one. We stay on for post-launch iteration and support. Nothing gets thrown over the wall.
Related services
Custom AI Development -- End-to-end AI systems from model selection to production deployment
AI Agent Development -- Autonomous agents that take action inside your workflows
Tell us the problem, your data, and what good output looks like. We'll tell you which approach we'd recommend and what a proof of concept would involve.
The right approach depends on what your AI system needs to do, what data you have, and what constraints you're operating under. RAG (retrieval-augmented generation): if you need to answer questions from your existing documents, knowledge base, or data, without training a model. AI agents: if you need to automate multi-step workflows where the AI needs to use tools, make decisions, and adapt to intermediate results. Fine-tuning: if you have a specific, narrow task and a labelled dataset, and a general model's accuracy isn't sufficient. Custom ML: if you have a prediction or classification problem, labelled historical data, and need a model trained on your specific data. We diagnose the right approach in a scoping session before recommending a build.
No. We use OpenAI (GPT-4o, GPT-4o mini), Anthropic (Claude 3.5 Sonnet, Claude 3.7), Google (Gemini 1.5 Pro, Gemini 2.0), Meta (Llama 3), and open-source models depending on what's right for the use case. Model selection is driven by performance on your task, cost at your volume, data residency requirements, and latency constraints. We have production experience with all the major frontier models and will tell you the trade-offs honestly, including when a cheaper or open-source model is a better fit than the most capable frontier model.
An AI proof of concept (POC) is a time-boxed build that answers a specific technical question: does this approach work on our data, with acceptable quality, at feasible cost? POCs make sense when: the task is novel enough that there's genuine uncertainty about whether AI can do it well; the data quality or availability is unknown; or there are compliance, latency, or cost requirements that need to be validated before a full build. We run focused 2-4 week POCs with a defined success criterion. If the POC succeeds, we scope the production build. If it doesn't, you've spent a fraction of what a failed production build would cost.
Quality in production requires evaluation infrastructure, not just good prompts. We build: evaluation datasets representing real query distribution, automated quality scoring using LLM-as-judge for qualitative outputs, regression testing to catch quality degradation when prompts or models change, production monitoring for output quality metrics over time, and human review queues for flagged outputs. Quality evaluation is not optional for production AI systems: it's the only way to know if the system is working.
Costs range significantly by scope. An AI proof of concept runs $8,000 to $20,000 for a 2-4 week focused investigation. A production AI feature integrated into an existing product runs $25,000 to $75,000. A standalone AI application with RAG, evaluation, and monitoring runs $50,000 to $150,000. A complex multi-agent system or custom ML pipeline runs $100,000 to $300,000+. We provide fixed-cost proposals after a scoping session, not hourly estimates that shift as scope changes.
Work with us
Tell us what you need. We'll tell you what it would take.
We scope AI Development Services in 30 minutes. You walk away with a clear cost, timeline, and approach. No commitment required.
Scope and cost agreed before work starts. No surprises. No obligation.
Working prototype within 3 weeks of kickoff.
Pay by milestone. You see progress before each invoice.
60-day post-launch warranty. Bug fixes, UI tweaks, and deployment support. No retainer.
All conversations are NDA-protected.
AI by industry
Industry-specific AI pages covering the use cases most common in each vertical