NatWest APtimise
Web apps and interactive prototypes for a bank-backed fintech.
A series of websites, web applications and clickable prototypes delivered to the engineering team over several years.
Product, software & AI studio / Buckinghamshire
Software and AI that pays for itself.
Mint is a small, senior studio. We find the bottleneck in your business, build the smallest thing that fixes it, and measure the result before you spend another pound.
Trusted by
NatWest APtimiseBore St. BakeryEvolution AIKnewtonProductstashWindmill Cottage CakesThe Review PortDoble & SalisburyBeckbury Community Shop
What we do
Four things, done properly.
No sprawling menu of services. We do the work that moves a number in your business, and we do it with the person you spoke to on the phone.
01 / AI & AutomationAI & automation
Practical AI implementations that reduce admin, improve response times and make existing teams more effective.
02 / Custom SoftwareCustom software
Purpose-built tools and applications for workflows that off-the-shelf software cannot quite solve.
03 / Product & DesignProduct & design
Clear product direction and polished interfaces that make complicated systems feel simple and useful.
04 / AdvisoryAdvisory & implementation
Senior, pragmatic guidance for teams deciding what to build, where AI fits and how to get it into production.
Need a website rather than a system? See web design for small businesses.
Selected work
Built for banks, product teams and the bakery down the road.
The same care at every scale. Three projects that show the range.
The Review Port
A research portal and CMS for a subscription insights business.
Website, content management and a client portal so subscribers can read, search and download research in one place.
Bore St.Bakery
Bore St. Bakery
Brand, identity and website for an independent bakery.
A concept, logo and site that matched the brief the owners gave us, from first sketch to launch.
How it works
Prove the value before you overbuild.
Every engagement follows the same four steps. You know what happens each week, what you get at the end of it, and what it costs before it starts.
Read the full approach01
Find the bottleneck Weeks 1 to 2
We sit with the people doing the work, map the process end to end and find where time and money actually leak. If AI is on your mind, this is where we tell you honestly whether it belongs in the answer.
- A written map of the workflow and its cost
- A ranked list of opportunities
- A recommended first pilot with scope, price and success metric
02
Build the smallest useful thing Weeks 3 to 6
A fixed-scope pilot that solves one real problem for real users. Instrumented from day one, so the outcome is a number rather than an opinion.
- Working software in the hands of your team
- Weekly demos, direct access to the builder
- Measured against the metric we agreed
03
Integrate and scale When the number moves
If the pilot proves out, we harden it, connect it to the systems around it and roll it out properly. If it does not, you have spent weeks finding out rather than quarters.
- Production build with documentation
- Integrations with your existing tools
- Training and handover for your team
04
Measure and improve Ongoing, optional
We track real usage and only expand what is proving valuable. Retained support if you want it, a clean handover if you do not.
- Monthly review of the numbers
- Small improvements shipped continuously
- You own the code, designs and data throughout
Pricing, in the open
Fixed quotes. No day rates on faith.
Every phase has a defined scope and a fixed price agreed before it starts. Stopping after any phase is a cheap lesson, not a penalty.
Discovery
For businesses that know something is slow but not what to do about it.
Fixed quote1 to 2 weeks
- Workflow mapping with your team
- AI opportunity audit, honestly scored
- Costed pilot recommendation
- Yours to take elsewhere if you wish
Pilot
Most commonFor businesses with a clear problem, ready to see it fixed.
Fixed quote3 to 6 weeks
- One problem, solved end to end
- Working software, real users
- Success metric agreed up front
- Weekly demos with the builder
Build & partner
For businesses scaling a proven pilot or building a full product.
Fixed quotePer phase, then monthly
- Production build and integrations
- Documentation and handover
- Optional retained support
- Fractional product leadership
You own everything
Code, designs and data are yours from the first commit.
No account managers
You talk to the person doing the work. Every time.
Honest about AI
If a spreadsheet would do, we will say so.
Stop any time
Each phase stands alone. No lock-in, no surprise invoices.
In their words
What clients say when we are not in the room.
Reuben and the team have delivered a number of high-quality websites, web apps and interactive prototypes. Highly recommended.
The team have provided a super website, CMS and web portal allowing our clients to consume our research in a sophisticated manner
Reuben was absolutely spot on with the brief we gave him for the design and concept of our branding and website. Couldn’t be happier.
About the studio
Small by design. Senior by default.
Mint is an independent studio based in Buckinghamshire, working across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire since 2020. There is no account-management layer. The person you brief is the person who designs, builds and answers the phone.
50+projects, from pilots to platforms
2020founded, independent
3counties, visited in person
Straight answers
Questions people ask before they call.
If yours is not here, ask it on the call. We would rather answer plainly than make you guess.
How much does custom software or an AI project cost?
Every phase is a fixed quote agreed before it starts. Discovery is a short, fixed-price engagement of one to two weeks. A pilot is fixed in scope and price and usually runs three to six weeks. Full builds are quoted per phase. You will never receive an open-ended day-rate invoice.
Do we need to commit to a big project up front?
No. Each phase stands alone. Take the discovery roadmap and run with it yourself, stop after a pilot, or continue with us. Stopping after any phase is a cheap lesson, not a penalty.
Is AI actually right for our business?
Sometimes it is not, and we will say so. Discovery includes an honest AI opportunity audit. If a spreadsheet, a simpler integration or a process change would do the job, that is what we recommend.
Who does the work?
The senior person you speak to on the first call. Mint is small by design, with no account managers or offshore hand-offs. You get weekly demos and direct access to the person building your software.
Where do you work?
We are based in Buckinghamshire and work on site across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire for discovery and workshops. Most of the build happens remotely, so we also work with businesses further afield.
Tell us the problem.
A 20-minute call, no pitch deck. Bring the thing that is slow, expensive or annoying. We will tell you honestly whether we can help, and what it would cost to find out.