labs@atheron:~/industries/finance$ onboard --kyc --ledger --payouts

Software for fintech

Built to be examined by customers, auditors and regulators.

Your customers judge you on the first screen. Your auditors judge you on the last line of the log. We build the apps, agents and ledgers that hold up to both, with your compliance team in the room from the first sprint.

Start a project See the example projects

// what you are up against

The problems we hear most.

Onboarding that loses applicants

Identity checks, bank linking and document upload are where people give up, and every step you remove still has to pass a compliance review.

Support that grows with every sign-up

Most tickets ask what the help centre already answers, so the people who should be handling disputes spend the day on password resets.

Underwriting typed in by hand

Bank statements, pay stubs and notices of assessment arrive as PDFs and phone photos, and an analyst retypes them before anyone can decide.

Partners with their own numbers

Each partner keeps its own record of what was sent and what settled, so month end is two spreadsheets compared line by line and an argument about whose is right.

// example projects

Systems we could build for you.

Each one is hypothetical, labelled as such, and priced live from our rate card. Open any of them in the estimator and make it yours.

Example projectWeb appMobile app

Consumer loan app with ID checks

Hypothetical. Not a client, not a result.

// The problem

A lender takes applications through a web form and email, so identity checks, bank data and documents are chased by hand and many applicants never finish.

// What we would build

An iOS and Android app with a matching web portal that verifies identity, links the bank account, collects documents and shows the applicant where their file stands, with a back office for the credit team.

// What is in it

Identity verification and bank account linking inside the application flow
Document capture with the phone camera, checked for blur before upload
Application status, repayments and statements for the borrower
A back office for credit staff with an audit trail on every decision
English and French throughout, with notices sent by push and email

// Stack

Next.js
React Native
PostgreSQL
Flinks or Plaid for bank data
Identity verification API
AWS Canada

// estimate

Build: ≈ US$249,000 to US$381,000, delivered within 39 weeksCAD 354,400 to 542,000
Hosting: ≈ US$492 a monthCAD 700 a month
Support: ≈ US$5,010 a monthCAD 7,135 a month

Prices in your currency are estimates from today's Bank of Canada rate. All invoicing is in CAD or USD.

Timeline by milestone

Discovery: 2.9 to 3.4 weeks
Design approved: 10.9 to 18.4 weeks
Core features: 2.4 to 3.9 weeks
Full build: 1.4 to 2.4 weeks
First build on devices: 4.9 to 7.9 weeks
Testing and fixes: 0.4 to 0.9 weeks
Store submission: 0.4 to 0.9 weeks
Regulatory reports accepted: 0.9 weeks
Controls built and evidenced: 0.9 weeks
Readiness review: 0.9 weeks
Launch: 0.9 to 1.4 weeks
Audit support and remediation: 0.9 to 1.4 weeks
Observation window (auditor): 26 weeks
Auditor report (SOC 2 Type II): 4 to 8 weeks

Outside our hands, and added to the calendar

App store review: 1 week
Sandbox and API access from the vendor: 1 to 4 weeks
Booking a penetration tester and their report: 2 to 4 weeks

How it is paid

Deposit 20%: CAD 70,880 to 108,400
Discovery 5.9%: CAD 20,909.60 to 31,978.00
Design approved 5.9%: CAD 20,909.60 to 31,978.00
Core features 4.8%: CAD 17,011.20 to 26,016.00
Full build 3.2%: CAD 11,340.80 to 17,344.00
First build on devices 12.8%: CAD 45,363.20 to 69,376.00
Testing and fixes 1.6%: CAD 5,670.40 to 8,672.00
Store submission 4.2%: CAD 14,884.80 to 22,764.00
Regulatory reports accepted 6.3%: CAD 22,327.20 to 34,146.00
Controls built and evidenced 6.3%: CAD 22,327.20 to 34,146.00
Readiness review 6.3%: CAD 22,327.20 to 34,146.00
Launch 5.9%: CAD 20,909.60 to 31,978.00
Audit support and remediation 6.8%: CAD 24,099.20 to 36,856.00
Holdback, 30 days after launch (10%): CAD 35,440 to 54,200

Start from this example

Example projectWeb appAIFrontier model

Help centre support agent

Hypothetical. Not a client, not a result.

// The problem

Support volume rises with every marketing push, and most tickets ask questions the public help centre already answers.

// What we would build

A support agent on a frontier model that answers from the published help centre and hands anything about a specific account to a person, chosen because the source material is public and it is the fastest route to launch.

// What is in it

Answers grounded in the help centre, with a link to the article used
Hand-off to a person with the conversation attached, for anything account specific
No account data sent to the model provider
An evaluation set of real questions, run before every change
A dashboard of what people ask and where the help centre falls short

// Stack

Frontier model API
PostgreSQL with pgvector
Next.js
Zendesk or Intercom integration
DigitalOcean

// estimate

Build: ≈ US$88,600 to US$135,000, delivered within 21 weeksCAD 126,200 to 192,900
Hosting: ≈ US$558 a monthCAD 795 a month
Support: ≈ US$1,000 a monthCAD 1,425 a month

Prices in your currency are estimates from today's Bank of Canada rate. All invoicing is in CAD or USD.

AI route: Frontier model
Model running cost: ≈ US$383 a monthCAD 545 a month

Timeline by milestone

Discovery: 2.9 to 3.4 weeks
Specification and evaluation plan: 0.4 weeks
Design approved: 2.4 to 3.4 weeks
Core features: 1.4 to 1.9 weeks
Full build: 0.9 to 1.4 weeks
Working pilot: 3.9 to 6.4 weeks
Testing and fixes: 0.9 to 1.9 weeks
Launch: 0.9 to 1.4 weeks
Production: 0.9 to 1.4 weeks

Outside our hands, and added to the calendar

Readiness review with your auditor: 6 to 12 weeks

How it is paid

Deposit 20%: CAD 25,240 to 38,580
Discovery 2%: CAD 2,524 to 3,858
Specification and evaluation plan 10.2%: CAD 12,872.40 to 19,675.80
Design approved 2%: CAD 2,524 to 3,858
Core features 6.2%: CAD 7,824.40 to 11,959.80
Full build 4.1%: CAD 5,174.20 to 7,908.90
Working pilot 30.7%: CAD 38,743.40 to 59,220.30
Testing and fixes 2%: CAD 2,524 to 3,858
Launch 2%: CAD 2,524 to 3,858
Production 10.8%: CAD 13,629.60 to 20,833.20
Holdback, 30 days after launch (10%): CAD 12,620 to 19,290

Start from this example

Example projectWeb appAIOpen-source model

Underwriting document reader

Hypothetical. Not a client, not a result.

// The problem

Analysts retype income and expense figures from bank statements and pay stubs, which is slow and puts typing errors into credit decisions.

// What we would build

An agent on an open-source model, served in your own AWS account in Canada so financial documents never reach a third party, that reads each document, extracts the figures and shows the analyst every value beside the line it came from.

// What is in it

Bank statements, pay stubs and notices of assessment read into structured fields
Each figure shown beside the part of the page it was read from
The analyst confirms or corrects, and corrections are kept for the next evaluation
Flags for mismatched names, dates and totals across documents
An open-source model on GPUs in your own cloud account

// Stack

Qwen or Llama (open-source)
vLLM
Python
PostgreSQL
Next.js
AWS Canada

// estimate

Build: ≈ US$129,000 to US$198,000, delivered within 22 weeksCAD 184,300 to 281,700
Hosting: ≈ US$7,020 a monthCAD 10,000 a month
Support: ≈ US$2,500 a monthCAD 3,565 a month

Prices in your currency are estimates from today's Bank of Canada rate. All invoicing is in CAD or USD.

AI route: Open-source model
Model running cost: ≈ US$6,530 a monthCAD 9,300 a month

Timeline by milestone

Discovery: 2.9 to 3.4 weeks
Specification and evaluation plan: 0.4 weeks
Design approved: 2.4 to 4.4 weeks
Core features: 1.4 to 1.9 weeks
Full build: 0.9 to 1.4 weeks
Working pilot: 3.9 to 6.9 weeks
Testing and fixes: 0.9 to 1.9 weeks
Launch: 0.9 to 1.4 weeks
Production: 0.9 to 1.4 weeks

Outside our hands, and added to the calendar

Sandbox and API access from the vendor: 1 to 4 weeks

How it is paid

Deposit 20%: CAD 36,800 to 56,280
Discovery 1.9%: CAD 3,496.00 to 5,346.60
Specification and evaluation plan 10.5%: CAD 19,320 to 29,547
Design approved 1.9%: CAD 3,496.00 to 5,346.60
Core features 5.7%: CAD 10,488.00 to 16,039.80
Full build 3.8%: CAD 6,992.00 to 10,693.20
Working pilot 31.6%: CAD 58,144.00 to 88,922.40
Testing and fixes 1.9%: CAD 3,496.00 to 5,346.60
Launch 1.9%: CAD 3,496.00 to 5,346.60
Production 10.8%: CAD 19,872.00 to 30,391.20
Holdback, 30 days after launch (10%): CAD 18,400 to 28,140
GPU time for training and testing, at cost: CAD 300. Billed up front, at cost, outside the milestones

Start from this example

Example projectWeb appBlockchain

Partner settlement ledger

Hypothetical. Not a client, not a result.

// The problem

A payments company and its partner institutions each keep their own record of transfers and settlements, and month end is a dispute over whose record is right.

// What we would build

A private permissioned ledger where each party runs a node and every transfer and settlement is written once and read by all, with a web console for operations staff. If one party is trusted to keep the record, a shared database is cheaper and we will say so.

// What is in it

Settled amounts posted to the books in QuickBooks Online, built on the QuickBooks Online API
A node for the company and for each partner institution
Transfers and settlements recorded once, with each party's signature
Breaks flagged the day they happen, not at month end
A console for operations to investigate and resolve a break
Exports for auditors and each partner's own systems

// Stack

Hyperledger Besu (private, permissioned)
Next.js
PostgreSQL
Kafka
AWS

// estimate

Build: ≈ US$164,000 to US$251,000, delivered within 44 weeksCAD 233,300 to 356,800
Hosting: ≈ US$492 a monthCAD 700 a month
Support: ≈ US$2,500 a monthCAD 3,565 a month

Prices in your currency are estimates from today's Bank of Canada rate. All invoicing is in CAD or USD.

Timeline by milestone

Discovery: 2.9 to 3.4 weeks
Architecture: 0.4 weeks
Data mapping and sandbox connection: 0.4 weeks
Design approved: 2.9 to 4.9 weeks
Core features: 1.9 to 3.4 weeks
Full build: 1.4 to 2.4 weeks
Devnet: 4.4 to 7.4 weeks
Sync built and reconciled in sandbox: 1.4 to 2.4 weeks
Testing and fixes: 0.4 weeks
Testnet: 2.9 to 3.4 weeks
Regulatory reports accepted: 2.9 to 3.4 weeks
Controls built and evidenced: 2.9 to 3.4 weeks
Readiness review: 2.9 to 3.4 weeks
Launch: 0.9 to 1.4 weeks
Mainnet: 0.9 to 1.4 weeks
Live cutover: 0.9 to 1.4 weeks
Hypercare: 0.9 to 1.4 weeks
Observation window (auditor): 26 weeks
Auditor report (SOC 2 Type II): 4 to 8 weeks

Outside our hands, and added to the calendar

Sandbox and API access from the vendor: 1 to 4 weeks
Readiness review with your auditor: 6 to 12 weeks
Booking a penetration tester and their report: 2 to 4 weeks

How it is paid

Deposit 20%: CAD 46,660 to 71,360
Discovery 1.5%: CAD 3,499.50 to 5,352.00
Architecture 4%: CAD 9,332 to 14,272
Data mapping and sandbox connection 1.1%: CAD 2,566.30 to 3,924.80
Design approved 1.5%: CAD 3,499.50 to 5,352.00
Core features 4.5%: CAD 10,498.50 to 16,056.00
Full build 3%: CAD 6,999 to 10,704
Devnet 12.2%: CAD 28,462.60 to 43,529.60
Sync built and reconciled in sandbox 3.3%: CAD 7,698.90 to 11,774.40
Testing and fixes 1.5%: CAD 3,499.50 to 5,352.00
Testnet 8.1%: CAD 18,897.30 to 28,900.80
Regulatory reports accepted 7%: CAD 16,331 to 24,976
Controls built and evidenced 7%: CAD 16,331 to 24,976
Readiness review 7%: CAD 16,331 to 24,976
Launch 1.5%: CAD 3,499.50 to 5,352.00
Mainnet 4%: CAD 9,332 to 14,272
Live cutover 1.1%: CAD 2,566.30 to 3,924.80
Hypercare 1.7%: CAD 3,966.10 to 6,065.60
Holdback, 30 days after launch (10%): CAD 23,330 to 35,680

Start from this example

Example projectAPI

Partner API for advisors

Hypothetical. Not a client, not a result.

// The problem

Advisory firms and partner apps want account and portfolio data, and today they get it as nightly files or by scraping screens.

// What we would build

A partner API with OAuth 2.0 consent, so each client chooses what an app may see, and mutual TLS between your servers and each firm's. It is built to a 99.95% uptime target, and its versions retire on a timetable you publish.

// What is in it

Accounts, holdings, transactions and statements as REST resources
OAuth 2.0 consent: each client chooses what an app may read
Mutual TLS between your servers and each partner's
Webhooks for new statements and large transactions
Versions that retire on a published timetable
Monitoring and alerts against a 99.95% uptime target

// Stack

OpenAPI 3.1
OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect
TypeScript on Node.js
PostgreSQL
AWS in Canada

// estimate

Build: ≈ US$61,200 to US$93,500, delivered within 14 weeksCAD 87,100 to 133,200
Hosting: ≈ US$492 a monthCAD 700 a month
Support: ≈ US$5,010 a monthCAD 7,135 a month

Prices in your currency are estimates from today's Bank of Canada rate. All invoicing is in CAD or USD.

Timeline by milestone

API contract agreed: 2.9 to 3.9 weeks
Core resources built: 2.4 to 3.9 weeks
Security, gateway and connections: 1.4 to 2.9 weeks
Docs, SDKs and load tests: 1.4 to 1.9 weeks
Launch and first callers: 0.9 to 1.4 weeks

Outside our hands, and added to the calendar

Sandbox and API access from the vendor: 1 to 4 weeks

How it is paid

Deposit 20%: CAD 17,420 to 26,640
API contract agreed 8.7%: CAD 7,577.70 to 11,588.40
Core resources built 26.2%: CAD 22,820.20 to 34,898.40
Security, gateway and connections 17.5%: CAD 15,242.50 to 23,310.00
Docs, SDKs and load tests 8.7%: CAD 7,577.70 to 11,588.40
Launch and first callers 8.9%: CAD 7,751.90 to 11,854.80
Holdback, 30 days after launch (10%): CAD 8,710 to 13,320

Start from this example

Example projectWeb app

Lending platform on managed cloud

Hypothetical. Not a client, not a result.

// The problem

A lender's platform runs on servers set up by hand years ago, deploys happen late at night with fingers crossed, and its partners' security questionnaires get harder to answer every year.

// What we would build

A move to managed cloud in Canadian regions, set up as code, with encrypted storage, tested backups, staged deploys, access logs your auditors can read, and a monthly plan in which we run it, patch it and report on it.

// What is in it

Infrastructure as code, reviewed like any other code
Encryption, access logs and tested backups
Staged deploys you can roll back in minutes
Monthly patching and a written operations report

// Stack

Terraform
AWS Canada
PostgreSQL
Grafana
GitHub Actions

// estimate

Build: ≈ US$70,700 to US$108,000, delivered within 16 weeksCAD 100,700 to 154,100
Hosting: ≈ US$1,360 a monthCAD 1,940 a month
Support: ≈ US$5,010 a monthCAD 7,135 a month

Prices in your currency are estimates from today's Bank of Canada rate. All invoicing is in CAD or USD.

Timeline by milestone

Discovery: 2.9 to 3.4 weeks
Design approved: 2.4 to 3.4 weeks
Core features: 2.4 to 3.9 weeks
Full build: 1.4 to 2.9 weeks
Testing and fixes: 0.9 weeks
Regulatory reports accepted: 0.9 weeks
Launch: 0.9 to 1.4 weeks

Outside our hands, and added to the calendar

Sandbox and API access from the vendor: 1 to 4 weeks

How it is paid

Deposit 20%: CAD 20,140 to 30,820
Discovery 6.8%: CAD 6,847.60 to 10,478.80
Design approved 6.8%: CAD 6,847.60 to 10,478.80
Core features 20.4%: CAD 20,542.80 to 31,436.40
Full build 13.6%: CAD 13,695.20 to 20,957.60
Testing and fixes 6.8%: CAD 6,847.60 to 10,478.80
Regulatory reports accepted 8.7%: CAD 8,760.90 to 13,406.70
Launch 6.9%: CAD 6,948.30 to 10,632.90
Holdback, 30 days after launch (10%): CAD 10,070 to 15,410

Start from this example

// by service

Go deeper on one kind of work.

Pages for the services we have the most to say about in this industry.

~/apps

Fintech apps

iOS, Android and web apps for fintechs: onboarding with identity checks and bank linking, borrower self-service, and a back office with an audit trail on every decision.

~/ai

AI for fintech

Support agents over your help centre on a frontier model and underwriting document readers on open-source models in your own cloud, each measured before launch.

~/chains

Fintech settlement

A private permissioned ledger shared between a payments company and its partner institutions, so transfers and settlements are recorded once and breaks surface the same day.

~/compliance

Fintech compliance

Fintech products built to the controls of SOC 2 and PCI DSS, with audit support. Certification and attestation reports are issued by independent auditors.

// questions

What buyers in this industry ask us.

Can you build to the rules our fintech works under?

Yes. We build to the requirements your compliance team sets out, whether that is PIPEDA, FINTRAC reporting, PCI DSS for card data or your regulator's guidelines. We do not give legal advice, and we do not hold certifications on your behalf.

Do you work with fintechs outside Canada?

Yes. We are in British Columbia and work with clients anywhere; prices are in Canadian dollars.

How do payments work?

A deposit to start, then payments at agreed milestones, with 10% held until 30 days after launch. The deposit is a smaller share on larger projects.

Who owns the code and the models?

You do, once the work is paid for, including any model tuned or evaluated on your data.

// other industries

Nearby industries.

~/banking

Banking

Commercial loan portals, AML alert triage, shared KYC records between credit unions and procedures assistants for your branch staff.

See the examples

~/insurance

Insurance

Claims apps with adjuster portals, damage photo models, wording assistants for brokers and shared subrogation records.

See the examples

~/digital-assets

Crypto and digital assets

Compliance back offices for your exchange, investigation assistants, multisig treasuries, token vesting portals and community bots.

See the examples

All industries

// where we work

Find your market.

We work from Kelowna with clients across Canada, the United States and further afield. Each market page covers working hours, hosting, the privacy law that applies, and prices in your currency.

Every market

// next

Not quite your project?

Tell us what you have in mind. We will come back to you with a range and the questions that would narrow it. Or book a call and talk it through.

Start a project Book a call