Startup Software Development

Startups don't fail because the idea is bad. They fail because they run out of money before they find product-market fit, or because they spent too long building the wrong thing.
We build startup software with that constraint in mind. Fast enough to validate before the runway runs out. Solid enough that you don't have to rebuild it at Series A. Scoped for what you need now, not what you might need in three years.

  • Launch a validated v1 in 8 to 16 weeks at a fixed cost, then grow it

  • Web apps, mobile apps, and AI products for seed through Series A startups

  • Shipping software for founders since 2015. We know what breaks startups.

  • Full source code ownership, no lock-in, no dependency on us to run your product

Recent work

AI product · Customer research SaaS

12 weeks to launch

Shipped a conversational AI interview platform from concept to launch for a Canadian founder.

Voice AI · Group decision platform

300+ concurrent users

Built an anonymous voice platform for real-time group decisions, live in 14 weeks.

Consumer app · Music learning

45 paying users in 60 days

Launched a music-practice app that turned early signups into paying learners.

4.9
on Clutch
See our work

The problem

Sound familiar?

  • Spent months and significant money on a development agency and still don't have a working product?

  • Worried about choosing the wrong tech stack that will need rebuilding as you scale?

Short answer

RaftLabs builds startup software for seed through Series A founders across the US, UK, Europe, Canada, the UAE, and Southeast Asia. Shipping production software since 2015 across fintech, SaaS, and mobile, we launch a validated MVP in 8 to 16 weeks at a fixed cost, with full source code ownership.

Key takeaways

  • RaftLabs has shipped production software for founders since 2015 across fintech, SaaS, mobile, and AI.
  • An MVP with 2 to 3 core user flows launches in 8 to 12 weeks at a fixed cost, then grows from real user signal.
  • MVP cost typically runs $15,000-$40,000 for a web or mobile app with 2-3 user flows.
  • Clients receive full source code ownership with no lock-in and no dependency on RaftLabs to run the product.
  • Gula, a food ordering product RaftLabs co-built, ran with 0% order errors and was acquired by Runchise.
  • UrShipper, a shipping platform we built for a solo founder, processed 2,000+ shipments across 70+ countries in year one.

Trusted by

Vodafone logo
Aldi logo
Nike logo
Microsoft logo
Heineken logo
Cisco logo
Calorgas logo
Energia Rewards logo
GE logo
Bank of America logo
T-Mobile logo
Valero logo
Techstars logo
East Ventures logo
TuneClub logo

MVP development, by the numbers

shipping production software for founders and teams
Since 2015
to launch a validated MVP, then iterate
8–16 weeks
client rating on Clutch
4.9/5
average client relationship
3+ yrs

What to build first, and what to leave for later

Most startups take on too much too early. Features for users they don't have yet. Architecture for load they will not hit for years. Every extra week of scope is another week before you learn whether the product solves the problem.

CB Insights, which studies startup post-mortems, found the top reason companies fail is no market need: 35% build something customers never wanted (CB Insights). Startup Genome, after analyzing 3,200 startups, found 70% scale prematurely, spending on growth before the product is validated (Startup Genome). Getting real signal from real users before you commit to more is the difference between a product that grows and one that quietly burns through its runway.

So we build the minimum product that earns you that signal. Not the complete vision, the core that tests the assumption.

Already built something in Lovable, Replit, or Bolt? Bring it. We keep what your prototype proved, rebuild what won't survive real users, and take it to production, so you reach your next raise on working software instead of a demo held together with tape.

Capabilities

What we build

  • 01
    MVP development

    The smallest working system that puts real functionality in front of real users, not a clickable prototype. Typically 2-3 user flows that test the core value proposition, so you validate whether the problem is real before spending more on features for assumptions you haven't tested.

    Timeline
    8–12 weeks
  • 02
    Web application development

    Full-stack web applications, from SaaS dashboards to marketplace platforms to internal operations tools. Built so adding a feature in month 6 doesn't force a refactor of what was built in month 1. Language and framework are chosen for your requirements, not default preferences.

    Built with
    Next.js · Node.js · Python · PostgreSQL · Redis · AWS
  • 03
    Mobile app development

    iOS and Android apps: cross-platform when feature parity matters, native when the use case needs deep platform integration like HealthKit or ARKit. We've built food delivery apps with real-time tracking, booking platforms, IoT dashboards, and on-device AI tools, with App Store and Play Store launch included.

    Built with
    Flutter · Swift/SwiftUI · Kotlin · Jetpack Compose
  • 04
    AI product development

    AI-native products built with production engineering, not just API wrappers: LLM integrations with streaming and tool use, RAG systems grounded in your data, and agent workflows for multi-step automation. Evaluation pipelines run alongside so you can measure quality before launch and catch regressions after. These ship as production systems, not demos.

    Built with
    OpenAI · Anthropic · Pinecone · pgvector · LangGraph
  • 05
    SaaS platform development

    Multi-tenant SaaS platforms built around the architecture decisions that set your trajectory: tenant isolation, subscription billing, feature flags, and admin tooling your team can run without engineering. B2B and B2C models are handled differently, with RBAC, SSO, and audit logging where the enterprise buyer needs them.

    Built with
    Stripe Billing · LaunchDarkly · GraphQL · SAML
  • 06
    Marketplace and on-demand platforms

    Two-sided marketplace platforms where the core product is matching supply and demand: onboarding with verification, search and ranking, booking with availability management, payment routing, and dispute workflows. On-demand platforms add real-time dispatch and live location tracking. We've built food delivery platforms, booking systems, and B2B marketplaces.

    Built with
    Stripe Connect · WebSocket

How we work

From idea to shipped product

Shipping software for founders since 2015. This is the process that gets a startup idea into production without wasted weeks or surprise invoices.

  1. Week 1
    01

    Discovery and scope

    We map the problem space: what specific friction does this product address, and for which user? We identify the core user journey and surface technical risks early. You leave week 1 with a written scope document and a fixed-price quote. No development starts without your sign-off.

  2. Weeks 2-3
    02

    Design and wireframes

    Low-fidelity wireframes in Figma before a line of production code is written. High-fidelity UI produced from your brand guidelines. The design file becomes the specification developers implement from, with no interpretation required.

  3. Weeks 4-12
    03

    Build, QA, and iterate

    Development in two-week sprints. Working software at a staging URL by the end of sprint one. Bi-weekly demos. QA runs in parallel with every sprint. Direct Slack access to the team throughout.

  4. Weeks 12-20
    04

    Launch and post-launch support

    Production deployment with monitoring activated. For mobile apps, we handle App Store and Google Play submission. 8 weeks of post-launch support included: bug fixes, performance tuning, and minor UX adjustments as real users reveal what needs to change.

We know what breaks startups. We've been shipping their software since 2015.

Fixed cost. A validated v1 in 8 to 16 weeks. Full source code ownership. No dependency on us to run your product.

Process

How we work with startups

  • 01
    Scope before we build

    We don't start writing code until the scope is clear: a discovery session, wireframes to validate the flows, and a defined scope document before the fixed cost is set. Feature prioritization uses MoSCoW to separate the core value proposition from the nice-to-haves, because scope creep kills startup timelines faster than any technical problem. Wireframes covering the critical user journeys are reviewed with you before the engineering estimate, so UI decisions are approved before implementation, not made mid-sprint.

    Built with
    Figma
  • 02
    Fixed cost, defined delivery

    We quote a fixed cost based on defined scope. The cost doesn't change unless the scope changes, and any mid-project change comes with its cost impact stated up front. No hourly billing, no surprises at invoice time. The standard seed-stage stack is battle-tested, well-documented, and hireable, so your future engineering team will already know it.

    Built with
    Next.js or React · Node.js or Python · PostgreSQL · Vercel · Stripe · Sentry
  • 03
    Working software at every milestone

    We build in sprints with deployed builds at the end of each. You see working software every two weeks, not a completed product at the end, so problems get caught while changes are cheap. Every sprint closes with a live walkthrough in a staging environment you can test yourself, and performance monitoring runs from the first deployment. For AI-first products, evaluation runs validate prompt and retrieval changes against a quality baseline each sprint.

  • 04
    Full source code ownership

    You own the repository, the infrastructure, and the code from day one. The repo sits under your organization from the first commit, infrastructure runs in your own cloud account, and all third-party credentials are registered to you. The codebase ships documented, with Architecture Decision Records explaining the choices your future engineers will ask about, so your first hire can be productive without a week of knowledge transfer from us.

    Built with
    GitHub or GitLab · AWS, GCP, or Vercel

The right product for your current stage, not your future hopes

We scope what you actually need to get to your next milestone. Then we build it.

Why us

Why startup founders choose RaftLabs

  • 01
    Senior engineers build what they scope

    The engineers who assess your problem also build the solution. No bait-and-switch, no offshore handoff after the contract is signed. The team you meet in week 1 ships in week 12.

  • 02
    Fixed price before development starts

    We scope the work, calculate the cost, and lock it in writing before any development starts. A scope change is a change request: priced, agreed, or dropped. It never absorbs into the project and appears on the final invoice.

  • 03
    Ten years of shipped products

    We've taken startup ideas to launch, from Perceptional's AI research platform to UrShipper's shipping software, and co-built our own products like Gula (acquired by Runchise). We've also shipped for enterprises including Vodafone, Aldi, Cisco, and Lockheed Martin. What you hire is the pattern recognition across AI, SaaS, mobile, and marketplace builds.

  • 04
    Compliance built in from the start

    GDPR, HIPAA, SOC 2: compliance requirements are scoped in week 1, not retrofitted before launch. We have shipped HIPAA-compliant systems for US healthcare clients and GDPR-compliant products for European markets.

What clients say

What startup founders say

Three-year average engagement. Founders and operators describing the work in their own words. No marketing varnish.

Amer Abu Khajil
Amer Abu Khajil
Canada flagCanada
Founder, Peak Studios & Perceptional

I found RaftLabs to be the perfect partner for Perceptional, with their expertise in helping startup founders build MVPs, a free consultation, a prototype that matched my vision, and their unwavering support.

01 / 03

Stay on topic

More on MVP development

Frequently asked questions

An MVP with clearly scoped core features, typically 2-3 user flows, takes 8-12 weeks. A more complete first product with additional features, mobile apps, and third-party integrations takes 12-20 weeks. Timeline depends on scope, not optimism. We scope the product before committing to a timeline, if the scope is too large for your budget and timeline, we work with you to cut to the essential core.

We choose the stack based on your product requirements, not a house standard. For web apps with complex UIs, React or Next.js frontend with Node.js or Python backend. For mobile, Flutter for cross-platform or native Swift/Kotlin for platform-specific requirements. For AI products, OpenAI or Anthropic APIs with RAG pipelines where needed. For databases, PostgreSQL for most applications. We explain the tradeoffs and recommend based on your specific product, not our comfort zone.

You own the code completely, it's clean, documented, and built with standard frameworks your future team will recognize. We write code as if we're handing it to another engineering team from the start, because we usually are. Most clients continue working with us after launch while they hire internally, we can work alongside your new engineers during the transition. Nothing is proprietary and nothing is obfuscated.

An MVP, 2-3 core user flows, web app or mobile app, typically runs $15,000-$40,000. A full first product with multiple features, API integrations, and both web and mobile typically runs $40,000-$100,000. AI-first products with LLM integration and RAG systems run from $25,000 upward depending on complexity. Pricing is fixed cost based on scoped features, you know the cost before development starts, not after.

Yes. We sign an NDA before any detailed discovery conversation. Your idea, code, architecture decisions, and business data remain yours. All IP transfers to you on the final payment. Nothing is retained by RaftLabs and nothing is reused in another client's product.

We have shipped products across fintech, healthtech, marketplace, SaaS, logistics, edtech, and on-demand verticals. The common thread is not the industry but the stage. We work with seed through Series A companies that need a working product fast, not a consultancy that will run a 12-week discovery engagement before writing code.

Work with us

Tell us what you need. We'll tell you what it would take.

We scope Startup Software Development 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.