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MVP Development for Startups Building in Regulated Markets
Move fast without creating compliance debt. Architecture designed for regulated buyers from the first line of code.
Regulated Markets Require More From Your First Version
Startups building in healthcare, legal, and fintech face a challenge that general startup advice doesn't address: your first paying customers will run security reviews before they sign a contract. Enterprise healthcare buyers require HIPAA compliance and BAA execution. Law firms require data isolation and confidentiality controls. Financial institutions require SOC 2 documentation and PCI DSS alignment.
Building an MVP without accounting for these requirements is the norm—and it creates technical debt that costs far more to fix than it would have cost to design correctly from the start. Access controls that need to be redesigned. Logging that needs to be added to a system not built to produce audit evidence. A data model that doesn't support the isolation your first enterprise customer requires.
We work with startups to build first versions that are also compliant versions. This doesn't mean building everything at once—it means making the architecture decisions early that avoid expensive rebuilds later.
What We Build for Startups
- Compliance-ready MVPs — First versions architected to satisfy the compliance requirements of your target market, not retrofitted after your first enterprise deal
- SaaS platforms for regulated buyers — Multi-tenant architecture with access controls, audit logging, and data isolation designed for healthcare, legal, and financial customers
- AI product features — Retrieval-augmented capabilities for regulated startup products, with the guardrails and attribution that regulated buyers require
- SOC 2 control environments — Technical control infrastructure implemented early so you can begin your observation period as soon as you have production customers
- Scalable cloud infrastructure — AWS and Azure architecture that starts right for compliance and scales without requiring a security redesign as you grow
- Developer documentation and handoff — Architecture documentation and knowledge transfer so your growing engineering team can maintain and extend what we build
Frequently Asked Questions
Less than you'd expect, when you design for it from the start. The expensive version of compliance is retrofitting—redesigning data models, rebuilding access control systems, adding logging to a system not built to produce audit evidence. When compliance constraints inform architecture decisions before implementation, the incremental cost is much lower.
We start with an architecture review—a short structured engagement to understand your product requirements, target market's compliance expectations, and technical constraints. From there we define the scope of a first version that satisfies both your product goals and the compliance requirements of your buyers. We work in phases with clear deliverables at each step.
Yes. Early-stage startups face many build vs. buy decisions that have compliance implications. Using a SaaS tool that processes customer data creates vendor management and BAA obligations. Building on a cloud platform requires selecting services within your compliance boundary. We help you understand the compliance implications of these decisions so you make them with full information.
We work with startups at various stages. Pre-revenue engagements are most valuable when you have a clear target market and are close to building—we can help you design an architecture that won't need to be rebuilt when you land your first enterprise customer. Reach out and describe where you are; we'll tell you honestly whether we can help.
Won't building for compliance slow us down?
How do you scope an MVP engagement?
Can you help us evaluate build vs. buy decisions?
Do you work with pre-revenue startups?
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