# Leanware > Leanware is a boutique software development company for businesses and > startups. A senior team builds custom software and AI products, integrates AI > into existing systems, runs custom AI agents in production, and serves as > fractional CTOs through named tech leads, doing the work directly. AI is used in different forms: engineering augmentation, native AI > products, integrating it into existing applications, and integrating it into > business processes and workflows. Works on US business hours. Clutch rating > 5.0 across 26 verified reviews; named a Clutch Top AI Agents Company in 2026. ## What Leanware does Leanware designs, builds, and operates custom software and AI systems for businesses and startups. Senior engineers do the work directly. There are five service lines, and a free 30-minute consultation is the entry point to all of them. ## Service lines ### Software Product Development Product development shipped against reviewable milestones, AI-native or conventional, starting with a fixed-fee Sprint 0 that scopes the build in two to four weeks. URL: https://leanware.co/services/software-product-development #### Sprint 0 (Product Discovery Services) Leanware's product discovery service, run as a fixed-scope, fixed-fee sprint: $5,000 to $15,000 USD depending on complexity, two to four weeks. Deliverables: the overarching UI/UX design and design system, epics and user stories with acceptance criteria, a billable milestone plan with every milestone defined and priced, and the technical architecture with repository scaffolding wired together. The go-or-no-go decision sits between Sprint 0 and Sprint 1, and the deliverable is portable: the client keeps everything whether or not they build with Leanware. Sprint 0 is step one of every MVP build. URL: https://leanware.co/services/sprint-0 #### MVP Development MVP development services for startups: a fixed-scope MVP built in priced milestones by a senior team. Sprint 0 scopes the product first ($5,000 to $15,000 USD, two to four weeks), then the founder decides go or no-go with the full milestone plan and price in hand. The MVP build itself is priced at the close of Sprint 0, milestone by milestone, with no hourly billing. Web, mobile and AI-native products, on the architecture the full product keeps; the client owns the code, infrastructure and documentation from day one. URL: https://leanware.co/services/mvp-development #### Code Audit A fixed-fee code audit for apps built with AI tools (Lovable, Replit, Bolt, Cursor) or inherited from a previous team: $4,000 to $12,000 USD depending on codebase size, integrations and data sensitivity, done by one senior engineer in one to two weeks. Deliverables: a security review (auth, secrets, injection, dependencies), an architecture and data-model read, test coverage and code quality, operations readiness (deploy, rollback, monitoring, backups), a prioritized fix list, and a quote to certify the app and take over its maintenance on the Application Support and Maintenance retainer. The audit stands on its own; the takeover is optional. URL: https://leanware.co/services/code-audit #### Application Support and Maintenance A monthly support retainer for apps already in production: monitoring, incident response, security patches and dependency upgrades, bug fixes, and small enhancements (copy changes, a new field; new features are scoped as a separate build). From $1,682 USD a month for 42 hours of engineering time (about $40 an hour); extra hours bill at the same rate with the client's approval and unused hours do not roll over. Coverage is US business hours, with after-hours and on-call coverage available as a surcharge. First-response targets: critical (production down, data or security at risk) within 1 business hour, high within 4 business hours, normal the next business day. No minimum term; 30 days' notice to end. Apps Leanware did not build start with the Code Audit. URL: https://leanware.co/services/application-support-and-maintenance ### Custom AI Agents Leanware is an AI agent development company for US SMB and mid-market teams. We build a custom AI agent for a workflow the team runs by hand, connect it to the systems they already use, and run it in production as a managed service: one setup fee, one monthly fee, model APIs and hosting included. AI automation services and agentic AI development are the same engagement here. The workflows we build most: 3PL order intake, insurance MGA submission triage, manufacturing RFQ-to-quote, real estate lead routing, home services intake, financial services onboarding. URL: https://leanware.co/services/ai-agent-development-services ### Dedicated Software Development Teams A dedicated development team is a full-time group of engineers you retain month to month and direct against your own roadmap, inside your rituals. Leanware staffs one in 2 to 4 weeks, from about $6,000 USD a month for one full-time engineer. You interview every engineer before kickoff, AI fluency is standard, time off is not billed, and the Claude Team subscription each engineer uses on your work is covered. No setup fee; one monthly retainer per team composition. URL: https://leanware.co/services/dedicated-development-team #### Staff Augmentation IT staff augmentation services: senior engineers placed into your own team, under your management, on a monthly rate per engineer that starts at about $6,000 USD. Every engineer clears Leanware's own hiring bar first, you interview them before they start, AI fluency is standard, time off is not billed, and the Claude Team subscription the engineer uses is covered. The entry point to a dedicated team: when one seat becomes a team, the engagement moves onto dedicated-team terms. URL: https://leanware.co/services/staff-augmentation ### AI Integration and Consulting Putting AI into the systems and processes a business already runs: assess where AI pays off, plan the roadmap, integrate, implement. Engineer-led, with a fixed-fee entry point; integration and implementation work bills against milestones. AI strategy consulting is a section of this line: the roadmap engagement that follows the assessment (prioritized use cases, build-versus-buy calls, sequencing, budget shape), run by a senior engineer as fixed-fee blocks. URL: https://leanware.co/services/ai-integration AI strategy consulting: https://leanware.co/services/ai-integration#ai-strategy-consulting #### AI Readiness Assessment (ROI-first) A focused two-to-three-week AI readiness assessment, run by a senior engineer. Output: a ranked map of AI opportunities with ROI projections and an implementation roadmap. You keep the roadmap whether or not you continue with us. A fixed fee, scoped on the intro call. URL: https://leanware.co/services/ai-readiness-assessment ### Fractional CTO Fractional CTO services with a named senior tech lead from Leanware's team, on a monthly retainer: approximately $4,000 a month for one day a week or $10,000 a month for three days a week (the exact retainer depends on the project: team size, stage and compliance load). The tech lead owns the architecture and technical roadmap, delivery oversight and code standards, hiring and vendor decisions, security and compliance posture, board and investor technical reporting, and AI strategy inside the product. Clients meet the tech lead before anything is signed, can change tier or exit monthly, and keep the documentation and decisions. Not staff augmentation and not an advisor: the role owns the decisions. URL: https://leanware.co/services/fractional-cto ## Engagement model and pricing Product builds run on a milestone-based engagement model. Sprint 0 (fixed fee, $5,000 to $15,000 USD, two to four weeks) produces the scope and the milestone plan. The build then bills per delivered, accepted milestone, not per hour. Clients can exit at any milestone and keep everything delivered, including the code. Scope changes become new milestones with their own acceptance criteria and billing. Dedicated Software Development Teams run on a monthly retainer instead, because an evolving roadmap has no honest milestones to bill against; retainers start at about $6,000 USD a month for one full-time engineer, and Staff Augmentation is priced per engineer per month from the same starting rate. The Code Audit is a fixed fee ($4,000 to $12,000 USD, one to two weeks). The Fractional CTO is a monthly retainer with two published tiers (approximately $4,000 a month for one day a week, $10,000 a month for three days a week). Application Support and Maintenance is a monthly retainer from $1,682 USD for 42 hours, month to month with 30 days' notice. - Engagement models compared (every model, starting price, payment timing, commitment): https://leanware.co/resources/engagement-models - Pricing models guide (T&M vs fixed price vs milestone-based): https://leanware.co/resources/software-development-pricing-models ## Who Leanware works with - Startups shipping a software product, AI-native or conventional, or extending engineering capacity - Businesses putting AI into the systems and workflows they already run, or scoping an AI roadmap - Buyers are typically engineering managers, product managers, SMB owners, and startup founders ## Proof - Clutch: 5.0 out of 5 across 26 reviews (https://clutch.co/profile/leanware) - Clutch award: Top AI Agents Company 2026 - Case studies: https://leanware.co/case-studies (individual cases with outcomes listed in the Case studies section below) - Testimonials: https://leanware.co/testimonials ## Company - Founded in Bogotá, Colombia, in 2020. Senior team, working US business hours. - About Leanware: https://leanware.co/about - Tech blog: https://leanware.co/insights ## Contact - Website: https://leanware.co - Free 30-minute consultation: https://leanware.co/contact ## Sitemap https://leanware.co/sitemap-index.xml ## Case studies All published Leanware case studies, grouped by engagement line. Index: https://leanware.co/case-studies ### Custom AI Agents - [Custom AI Grading Software for Dental Schools](https://leanware.co/case-studies/ai-grader-for-crowns): Multi-provider AI evaluation backend in production across OpenRouter, OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic - [Human in the loop AI agents: a frontend rebuild](https://leanware.co/case-studies/ai-company): A dedicated AI engineer rebuilt an AI startup's frontend as a design system and hardened its human-in-the-loop AI agents to keep running past failed steps. - [Wellness & Fitness App Development: UnVape](https://leanware.co/case-studies/asana-rebel-unvape): MVP shipped within scope across iOS, Android, and web - [Generative AI for Product Managers: PRD Agent](https://leanware.co/case-studies/prd-agent): Leanware internal build. Github Repository - [Engineering Metrics Dashboard: Tracking Estimate Accuracy](https://leanware.co/case-studies/codiq): Leanware internal build. AI analysis of GitHub commit history paired with task estimates running in beta ### Software Product Development - [AI Fitness App Development in 4 Months: GloFlow](https://leanware.co/case-studies/gloflow): Concept to launch in approximately four months across iOS and Android - [Spreadsheet to web app for orthodontic clinics](https://leanware.co/case-studies/docbraces): A custom web app replaced Docbraces' error prone spreadsheet for building orthodontic treatment contracts, adding payment options and digital signatures across a network of clinics in Canada and the US, targeting up to 80% less time on contract-related procedures. - [Business Valuation Software Development: BizWorth Express](https://leanware.co/case-studies/business-valuation-software-development): Informational valuation production cut from about six business days to seconds - [Custom Trading Platform Development: 2Moon](https://leanware.co/case-studies/2moon-capital): Event-driven serverless trading platform in production, executing rules-based strategies - [Mental Health App Development: Leena](https://leanware.co/case-studies/leena): Therapist-side and client-side workflows shipped in a single platform - [Custom Document Management Software Development](https://leanware.co/case-studies/backuptyping): Custom document management software development replaced a UK transcription company's legacy tools with a role-based mobile and web platform built around typists, managers, and admins. - [Email Sequencing Inside a Recruiting MVP](https://leanware.co/case-studies/reachr-email-outreach-sequencing): Email sequencing inside a recruiting MVP: a two-person team added multi-step outreach automation to Reachr's existing platform without disrupting its architecture. - [SaaS MVP development for a wedding startup](https://leanware.co/case-studies/plannerd): MVP shipped with planner, client, and admin role workflows in production ### Dedicated Software Development Teams - [Software Project Rescue: Notary.io](https://leanware.co/case-studies/notary-io): Platform stabilized: session-drop defects eliminated, with notarization sessions running uninterrupted end to end - [Computer vision case study: 3 years embedded](https://leanware.co/case-studies/groundlight): Frontend launches every 2 to 3 weeks, up from a small fraction of that pre-engagement - [Field service knowledge management with RAG](https://leanware.co/case-studies/ayama): A RAG assistant that answers technicians' equipment questions from manufacturer manuals inside an offline field app. Field service knowledge management in production for a US solar O&M platform - [Refactor vs rewrite: a Flutter app rescue](https://leanware.co/case-studies/detroit-software-development-company): Unstable, non-production-ready app stabilized into a showcase-quality product - [AI Staff Augmentation: 12-Person Embedded Team](https://leanware.co/case-studies/software-consultancy): 12 embedded team members delivering feature content on time across multiple delivery teams - [RAG Development for a Government Traffic Platform: Connect Capable ](https://leanware.co/case-studies/connect-capable): Leanware's dedicated AI engineering team built the RAG pipeline behind ConnectCapable's government traffic platform, correlating incident reports on Azure AI Search and OpenAI at production scale. - [Industrial IoT Analytics for an Engineering Firm](https://leanware.co/case-studies/greyhound-engineering): Senior data engineering and tech-lead capacity embedded with the in-house team ### Software Engineering - [Serverless Development Services: How iPrivy Went From Concept to Production Without a Formal Spec ](https://leanware.co/case-studies/iprivy): iPrivy needed a secure file sharing platform built without months of upfront scoping. Leanware delivered serverless development services on Python, DynamoDB, and AWS Lambda, on time across both phases. - [E-Commerce Chat Library and Admin Tools](https://leanware.co/case-studies/e-commerce-company): A New York e-commerce platform faced a classic build vs buy call on chat: extend an existing React Native library that couldn't reach the web, or bring in an embedded engineer to build a custom one. - [Third Party API Integration Services: Connecting Twitch and FastSpring](https://leanware.co/case-studies/toleap-consulting): Third party API integration services connecting Twitch and FastSpring, so a purchase in one system triggers a notification processed in the other. Delivered to spec, later expanded into ongoing work. - [Custom CRM Development Cost: A Membership Sales Tool for Macanta](https://leanware.co/case-studies/macanta): What a custom CRM development cost buys, in this case: a membership sales and payment tool that plugs into Macanta's existing CRM platform, now essential to how one client runs its sales. - [Fixing Slow IoT Reports Without a Rebuild](https://leanware.co/case-studies/ibisa): IoT data management does not always need a rewrite. Ibisa fixed its slowest reporting queries in place, cutting logging tasks from five minutes to 20 seconds. - [Django Consulting for a Workforce Platform: When One Consultancy Hires Another](https://leanware.co/case-studies/enovis): ENOVIS, a software consultancy in Aruba, used Leanware's Django consulting as an embedded, white-label team to build a custom workforce-management platform for its janitorial-services client, giving real-time visibility into projects, staff, and costs. - [Custom Manufacturing Software Development for Omnicon](https://leanware.co/case-studies/omnicon-kairos): A custom manufacturing software development platform replaced the low-code tool Omnicon, a 250-engineer manufacturing consultancy, had outgrown, unifying project, team, and billing workflows. - [HubSpot custom integration for 50+ clinics](https://leanware.co/case-studies/canadian-orthodontic-partners): HubSpot custom integration connecting a website, CRM, and closed practice-management systems for 50+ orthodontic clinics, built behind a calculator already tied to just under $2M in patient revenue. - [Payroll Software Development for a Multi-Country Employer of Record: Aggie](https://leanware.co/case-studies/blueback-global-aggie): Custom payroll software development for Blueback Global, an international employer of record. The Aggie platform standardizes payroll, contracts, and HR across countries, built as a real engagement (team, timeline, investment), not a theoretical estimate. - [Cloud Cost Optimization: The GCP Audit That Paid for the Project](https://leanware.co/case-studies/elephantcpa): Cloud cost optimization services cut ElephantCPA's GCP infrastructure bill by 80%, an architecture overhaul, not a scope cut, that ran alongside 130+ shipped user stories and a tightened security posture for the accounting SaaS platform. The audit effectively paid for the rest of the project