Startup MVP & Prototype

Real, working code in 1–2 weeks. Not a mockup.

We've taken companies from concept to investor-ready prototype in two weeks, and to funded, live SaaS products in 4.5 months.

Founder-led from the UK, delivered by our team in the Philippines.

Concept to funded product
Week 0Scoping session: what to prove, what to leave out
Wk 1–2Working, investor-ready prototype in real code
ThenSame team carries it into the full build
~4.5moFunded, live SaaS product
2 weeks
Concept to investor-ready prototype in real working code, not a clickable mockup
4.5 months
From first prototype to a funded, live SaaS product with the same team
3× ROI
Year 1 return for Contained Technologies, from a two-week prototype
Why start here

Prove it before you spend the runway.

A prototype is the cheapest way to find out whether an idea holds up with investors, with users, with reality. We build one that answers the question fast, without burning months or budget on features nobody has asked for yet.

Investor-ready prototype in as little as 2 weeks

Something you can put in front of investors or real users and get a straight answer. Working code that does the core thing, not a slide deck or a clickable dummy.

Same team carries through to the full build

If the prototype proves the idea, the team that built it keeps going. No handover, no re-learning your codebase, no rework losing what you've validated.

Fixed-price, fixed-scope first phase

You know the cost and the plan before we start. A defined first phase with a clear price, not an open-ended engagement that grows on you.

No wasted runway on features nobody needs yet

We help you decide what actually needs proving first, and build only that. Every week of runway goes toward the thing that answers your biggest open question.

What's included

What the prototype phase actually covers.

One scoped phase, one clear price. Here's what you get for it.

1

A scoping session first

We work out what the prototype needs to prove, the one question worth answering now, and agree the scope and price before any code is written.

2

Working code, not a mockup

Real, functioning software that does the core thing end to end. Built to demo to investors or put in front of early users, not just to look right in a screenshot.

3

An honest read on what's next

At the end you get a clear view of what worked, what didn't, and what a full build would take. That includes telling you if this idea isn't worth building yet.

Named proof

A two-week prototype that became a 3× ROI product.

Contained Technologies

From concept to investor-ready in two weeks.

Contained came to us with an idea for an AI-powered logistics platform. We built a working prototype in two weeks. Real code they could show investors and test against reality. The same team carried it through to a live product that returned three times its investment in the first year.

2 wks
Concept to investor-ready working prototype
ROI in Year 1 from the finished product
Same
Team from prototype through to full build
5.0★
Verified Clutch rating, named on record
"
We were impressed with their strong understanding of our product and their quick turnaround time.
Alex Szymborski · Director, Contained Technologies

Named client outcomes

Real engagements with real names on record. Not anonymised claims or invented numbers.

5.0★ verified on Clutch

Verified reviews across every category, with clients named and on record.

Founder-led from the UK

UK accountability, delivered by our team in the Philippines. You talk to the people building it.

After the prototype

What happens once it's built.

The prototype isn't the end of the relationship or a dead end. There are three honest ways it can go, and we'll tell you which one we think fits.

It proves out, and we build it

If the prototype validates the idea, the same team carries it into the full build. Everything you've learned and everything we've built comes with it. No rework, no lost context.

It needs another turn

Sometimes the prototype answers one question and raises another. We scope a focused next step rather than pushing you into a full build before the idea is ready for it.

It tells you to stop, and that's a win too

If the prototype shows the idea doesn't hold up, you've found out in two weeks instead of two years. That's the cheapest expensive lesson you'll ever buy.

You own it either way

Full code access from day one. Whatever you decide next, the work is yours. You're never dependent on us to keep moving.

Honest fit

Right for some ideas. Not for others.

This is for you if

  • You have an idea you need to prove fast, to investors or real users
  • You'd rather spend two weeks finding out than two years guessing
  • You want a team that can carry a proven idea through to a real product

Probably not the right fit if

  • You already have a working prototype and need it made production-ready
  • You want the full product built now, with the idea already validated
  • You're looking for the cheapest possible build over the right one

Already have a working prototype? Our prototype-to-product page is the better place to start. If you're not sure which applies, book the session and we'll point you the right way, even if that's not us.

Questions

The things founders actually ask us.

It starts with a scoping session to agree what the prototype needs to prove and what to leave out, at a fixed price you know upfront. From there we build working code that does the core thing end to end, something you can demo to investors or test with real users. You finish with the prototype itself, full code access, and an honest read on what a full build would take.

Three honest outcomes. If it proves the idea, the same team carries it into the full build with no rework or lost context. If it raises a new question, we scope a focused next step rather than rush you into a full build. And if it shows the idea doesn't hold up, you've learned that in two weeks instead of two years. Whichever way it goes, the code is yours.

The scoping session takes about 20 minutes and is free. From there, a prototype phase can typically begin within a couple of weeks. Book a session, tell us what you're trying to prove, and we'll give you a straight answer on scope, timing, and price.

Prove it before you build it.

Book a free 20-minute scoping session. Tell us what you're trying to prove. We'll tell you the smallest, fastest way to find out, including if we're not the right fit.

Book a Free Prototype Scoping Session