How long does it take to build a startup MVP?

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.

What tech stack do you use for startups?

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.

What happens when we need to hire our own engineers after launch?

You own the code completely -- it's clean, documented, and built with standard frameworks your future team will recognise. 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.

What does startup software development cost?

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.

How long does it take to build a startup MVP?

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.

What tech stack do you use for startups?

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.

What happens when we need to hire our own engineers after launch?

You own the code completely -- it's clean, documented, and built with standard frameworks your future team will recognise. 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.

What does startup software development cost?

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.

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?

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.

MVP to production-ready product in 8--16 weeks at a fixed cost
Web apps, mobile apps, and AI products for seed through Series A startups
100+ products shipped since 2019. We know what breaks startups.
Full source code ownership -- no lock-in, no dependency on us to run your product

RaftLabs builds startup software -- MVPs, web applications, mobile apps, and AI products for seed through Series A founders. We've shipped 100+ products since 2019 across fintech, healthtech, marketplace, SaaS, and on-demand verticals. Startup builds typically deliver in 8--16 weeks at a fixed cost, with full source code ownership. We focus on getting the core product to real users fast, not building for hypothetical future requirements.

Build what you need to get to your next milestone, then build the next thing

Most startups build too much too early. Features for users they don't have yet. Architecture for scale they haven't reached. Every week of additional scope is a week before you know if the product actually solves the problem.

We build the minimum product that gives you real signal from real users. Not the complete vision -- the core that tests the assumption.

What we build

MVP development

The smallest product that puts real functionality in front of real users and gives you real signal. 2--3 core user flows, the essential data model, and the infrastructure to support early users -- deployed and accessible in 8--12 weeks. Not a demo. A product people can actually use and you can actually learn from.

Web application development

Full-stack web applications built with React or Next.js frontend and Node.js, Python, or other backend -- scalable, maintainable, and deployable on AWS or Vercel. From SaaS dashboards to marketplace platforms to internal tools, built with the architecture to add features without rebuilding the foundation.

Mobile app development

iOS and Android apps built with Flutter for cross-platform deployment from a single codebase -- or native Swift/Kotlin when platform depth requires it. We've built food delivery apps, booking platforms, IoT dashboards, and AI-powered mobile tools for startups at every stage.

AI product development

AI-first products built with LLM APIs (OpenAI, Anthropic), RAG systems for document and knowledge retrieval, and AI agents for workflow automation. We've shipped AI products for healthcare, legal, finance, and operational teams. 20+ AI systems built in production.

SaaS platform development

Multi-tenant SaaS products with user and account management, subscription billing (Stripe), feature flags, admin tooling, and the API infrastructure your product needs. Built for the B2B or B2C model your business runs on.

Marketplace and on-demand platforms

Two-sided marketplace platforms with buyer and seller flows, listing management, real-time dispatch, payment routing, and commission handling. We've built food delivery platforms, booking systems, and B2B marketplaces -- the platform types where matching supply and demand is the core product.

100+ products shipped since 2019. We know what breaks startups.

Fixed cost. 8--16 week delivery. Full source code ownership. No dependency on us to run your product.

How we work with startups

Scope before we build

We don't start writing code until the scope is clear. Discovery session to understand the user problems, wireframes to validate the flows, and a defined scope document before the fixed cost is set. What's in scope and what's not in scope is documented before development starts.

Fixed cost, defined delivery

We quote a fixed cost based on defined scope. The cost doesn't change unless the scope changes -- and if you want to change scope mid-project, we tell you the cost impact before proceeding. No hourly billing, no surprises at invoice time.

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. If something isn't right, we catch it early when changes are cheap, not at launch when they're expensive.

Full source code ownership

You own the repository, the infrastructure, and the code from day one. We deploy to your accounts -- AWS, Vercel, or wherever -- and you have full access throughout. When the project ends, nothing leaves with us.

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.

MVP Development -- fastest path to first working product
Custom Software Development -- bespoke software beyond the MVP stage
AI Product Engineering -- AI-first product development
Product Engineering -- ongoing product development for funded startups
SaaS Application Development -- multi-tenant SaaS platform development

Let's talk about your project

Tell us what you're building, what stage you're at, and what milestone the product needs to get you to. We'll scope the build and give you a fixed cost.

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 recognise. 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.