Build your product
We scope, architect and ship end-to-end — most MVPs in 8–12 weeks, not quarters. Full-stack: backend, APIs and a React front-end. Built so your launch version grows with your roadmap, not against it.
For founders and teams who need software built to last
Senior backend engineering,
built to scale.
Malinora is a small, senior studio. We build, extend and harden software — backend, APIs and applied AI — for founders who need it to last. What you launch is what you scale, not what you rewrite. You work directly with the engineers building it. No juniors, no shortcuts.
Our stack
- Java / Spring
- Node.js
- PostgreSQL
- AWS
- React
- TypeScript
- LLMs / RAG
About us
No shortcuts.
Senior by default.
We started Malinora Studio because most software fails for boring reasons — rushed decisions, unclear ownership, and code nobody wanted to touch six months later.
So we built the opposite: a small, senior, distributed studio where every line of code is reviewed by someone who has shipped and maintained real products. You talk to the people building your software — not a sales layer.
10+years of experience per engineer
EUWarsaw-based, distributed & async-first
1:1direct line to your engineers
Built by senior engineers who've shipped production systems at
- UBS
- U.S. Bank
- UniCredit
- SIX Group
- Euroclear
- X5 Retail Group
- Kronos Workforce
- Houston Methodist
- Evolven
Services
What you get —
wherever you're starting from.
Scale, extend & integrate
Already shipped and growing? We add features, integrate LLMs and agents into your existing systems, and automate the manual work in Java/Spring and Node.js, so your product keeps up as the load grows.
Audit & harden
Inherited a codebase you're afraid to touch — including AI-generated, "vibe-coded" apps? We review the architecture and code, then refactor and harden it to production standard, so it's safe to ship from again. It's a standalone service, independent of any build.
Expertise
Our craft,
your advantage.
However we engage, this is the craft underneath. Deep, hands-on backend and product experience — a senior team that gets the hard decisions right early, before they get expensive.
-
The decisions that decide whether your product survives its first traffic spike. Domain modeling and the foundations we get right early, before they get expensive.
-
Idea to launched product, end-to-end — backend, APIs and a React front-end. Pragmatic scoping and delivery, without the technical debt you'll regret.
-
Java & Spring and Node.js. REST and event-driven services, clean domain models, and APIs that hold up as your usage scales.
-
LLM integration, RAG pipelines and agentic workflows — engineered into your systems and automating real work. Production-grade and reliable, not demos that break in front of customers.
-
AWS, Docker and CI/CD pipelines. Reproducible environments and automated delivery so shipping is routine, not an event.
-
PostgreSQL, caching and third-party integrations. Data modeled for correctness first, performance always.
-
Architecture and code review, refactoring and hardening. We make existing codebases safer to change and faster to ship.
Approach
How we work
Every engagement is tailored, but the rhythm is the same: clarity first, then steady, reviewed delivery.
Most MVPs ship in 8–12 weeks, from $30,000 — senior engineers only, fixed scope, weekly demos. Lite builds from ~6 weeks; complex or AI-heavy work, 12–20 weeks.
-
01
Discovery
We dig into the problem, constraints and goals before writing a line of code.
-
02
Architecture & plan
A clear technical plan and scope, so you know exactly what you're getting.
-
03
Build & feedback
Short iterations, reviewed code and demos — you see progress every step.
-
04
Ship & support
We launch, monitor and keep improving. Reliable software, looked after.
FAQ
Questions founders ask us
How much does it cost to build an MVP in 2026?
A well-scoped MVP with us starts from $30,000 — most land in the $45,000–$75,000 range, and complex or AI-heavy builds run $90,000 and up. Applied-AI features like RAG or agents typically add 15–30%. We agree a fixed range with you before any commitment.
How long does it take to build an MVP?
Most MVPs ship in 8–12 weeks. A lean build can start from about 6 weeks, and a larger multi-tenant or AI-heavy product runs 12–20 weeks. Because we're a 100% senior team, we cut discovery and rework instead of adding junior hours.
Can I hire a senior EU team to build my product backend end-to-end?
Yes. Malinora builds products and MVPs end-to-end with senior engineers — backend in Java/Spring or Node.js, a React front-end, and applied AI where it adds value. We're based in Warsaw (CET) with working-hours overlap for both US and EU founders.
Do you integrate LLMs, RAG and AI agents into an existing product?
Yes — applied AI is our second pillar. We integrate LLMs, build production RAG pipelines and AI agents, and automate workflows inside your existing product, engineered to the same reliability standard as the rest of your backend — not a demo that breaks in front of customers.
Can you audit and harden an existing or AI-generated codebase?
Yes. Our Audit & harden service reviews existing or AI-generated ("vibe-coded") code and brings it to production standard — fixing the security, scalability and technical-debt issues that surface once it meets real traffic.
Why hire a 100% senior team instead of a cheaper agency?
Cheaper agencies front-load junior hours, so you often pay twice — once to build and again to rewrite. Malinora is senior-only: what you launch is what you scale, not what you rewrite. Fewer people, fewer handoffs, production-grade architecture from day one.
What is RAG, and when should I use it instead of fine-tuning?
RAG (retrieval-augmented generation) feeds an LLM your own up-to-date data at query time, so answers stay current and grounded without retraining. Use RAG when your knowledge changes often or must be cited; fine-tuning fits a fixed style or format, not fresh facts.
Where are you based, and do you work with US startups from the EU?
We're a distributed EU studio based in Warsaw, Poland (CET), working routinely with US and EU founders and CTOs. We keep daily working-hours overlap with both regions and operate GDPR-aligned — English-only delivery and a .com are by design.
The team
The people building
your software.
No account managers, no sales layer — you work directly with the senior engineers who design, build and ship your product.
Say hello
Let's build something
built to last.
Tell us what you're working on. We reply within one business day.