We build, protect, and scale startup products. so one bad technical decision doesn’t cost you a round or a year.
Whether your code was written by AI tools, offshore developers, a founding engineer who left, or your co-founder learning as they go. the problem is the same: you’re shipping fast, but nobody is asking whether you’re shipping right.
The mistakes that kill startups aren’t bugs. They’re decisions: the wrong architecture, the wrong database, the wrong framework, the shortcut that saves a week now and costs six months later.
That’s where we come in, not just to build, but to make sure what gets built can actually survive what comes next.
Three engagement lanes depending on where you are. all anchored in technical judgment.
Most teams build what you ask. We build what you actually need. and push back on the rest.
For founders who want a team that thinks like owners, not order-takers.
Your codebase is a liability you can’t see. We audit the decisions that will cost you later and give you a clear plan.
For teams shipping fast who need a second set of eyes before it’s too late.
You’ve got momentum. Now you need a technical partner who can grow with you and tell you what not to build.
For companies with mid-market revenue scale who want ongoing leadership without a full-time CTO.
Pre-seed to Series A startups don't need perfect code. They need apps that move fast and pass investor scrutiny.
We've built apps at every stage. We know exactly what you need when.
We'll tell you exactly what you need for your stage.
| Traditional Agency | Vermillion |
|---|---|
| Build what you ask for without questions | Tell you what you actually need |
| Bill hourly forever with no end date | Fixed scope and timeline you can budget |
| Use junior developers to keep costs low | Only senior engineers (10+ years) |
| Disappear after launch | Train your team and walk away |
| Optimize for their profit | Optimize for your next funding round |
"Most agencies said yes to everything. Vermillion told us no to 60% of our ideas and explained why. They saved us 4 months."
- Seed founder
You have an idea and early capital to prove it. You need an MVP fast.
One core feature done extremely well, not ten features done poorly. We help you pick the right one.
Investment: scoped per proposal
Submit to YC or Techstars. Raise your first institutional round. Prove product-market fit.
You closed a seed round. Your MVP has 5K users and they love it. Now you need to scale without breaking.
Timeline: 12-16 weeks | Investment: scoped per proposal
Hire senior engineers. Scale to 100K users. Prepare for Series A.
Rebuild Your AppYou have 50K-200K users. You are raising a growth round. VCs will audit your code.
Timeline: 8-12 weeks | Investment: scoped per proposal
Pass technical due diligence first time. Close your Series A.
Prepare for Series AMost startup apps have business logic mixed with UI code. This fails due diligence and blocks hiring.
Your contractor put everything in React components. You can't test logic without running the app. Senior engineers look at your code and say no to your offer.
For due diligence: VCs see clean separation. Logic is testable. Architecture is documented.
For hiring: Senior engineers see clean code. They say yes to your offer.
For velocity: Logic is in one place. Tests are fast. Changes are safe.
We use React Native + Expo for 90% of startup apps. Here's why.
Critical bug at 11pm Friday? Push fix via Expo Updates in 20 minutes. Users get it automatically. No app store submission.
For everything else? React Native + Expo wins.
PicklePlay raised a seven-figure Seed with 10K users. Their app was broken. 30% crash rate. 2.8★ rating. Poor architecture. Series A investors saw the metrics and walked.
Complete rebuild in 12 weeks. Clean architecture with Zod validation. Zustand for state. Python backend. 82% test coverage. Sentry for errors. Expo Updates for instant fixes.
Crash rate:
30% → 0.8%
App rating:
2.8★ → 4.5★
Users:
10K → 200K
Exit:
Acquired by UTR
"Vermillion rebuilt our app in 12 weeks. We went from losing users daily to 200K active users. UTR acquired us shortly after."
- Blake Renaud, Founder, PicklePlay
Ready to scale like PicklePlay?
Get Your Success RoadmapInvestment: scoped per proposalTimeline: 8-12 weeks
Working app on both stores. Close an institutional round. Prove PMF.
Investment: scoped per proposalTimeline: 12-16 weeks
Scalable app, tested, documented. Scale to 100K users. Raise Series A.
Investment: scoped per proposalTimeline: 8-12 weeks
Documentation, tests, security audit. Pass DD. Close your growth round.
If you nodded at even one of these. let’s talk. The first call is free and there’s no pitch.
Free 15-minute strategy call. No pitch, just clarity.
Most dev shops are order-takers. We review the plan, challenge assumptions, and build with the full picture in mind. You’re not paying for code. You’re paying for judgment that saves expensive mistakes.
That’s fine. We do plenty of straight development work. with one difference: we’ll still flag risks and push back on bad decisions. That’s not an upsell. It’s how we work.
Yes. Start with a free 15-minute strategy call, then choose the lightest engagement that makes sense. Most clients start small and expand once we prove value.
MVP: 8-12 weeks. Full product: 12-16 weeks. Series A prep: 8-12 weeks.
MVP, seed rebuild, and Series A prep are each scoped in writing after we understand the codebase.
React Native for 90% of startups. Native only if you have 2x budget and time.
That's our specialty. We've helped clients pass DD and raise double-digit millions with founders we engineered alongside.
Yes. We explain everything in plain English. You make the decisions.
We train your team and hand off. Or you hire us for maintenance on a monthly scope.
Book a free 15-minute strategy call. We'll review your product goals, current tech, and what matters most next. You'll get honest guidance on the best path forward.
No pressure. No sales pitch. Straight talk from engineers who've worked with startup teams at every stage.
Book a 15-min Strategy Call →