PowerSlave Developments

Startup incubator

Your idea, built by a senior team.

We take on a few carefully chosen startup projects where our team can make the difference. Two principals lead from first sketch to launch, with senior specialists in DevOps, QA, data analysis and engineering on call when the project needs them.

The right people at each stage

Each stage brings in the people it needs. Pick a stage to see who's working, and how it went for one of our own apps.

The team

Every person on the board is senior. The principals are on every stage; the specialists join where they're needed.

PrincipalArchitecture & productDominic
PrincipalAI, mobile & devicesAlex
EngineeringiOS, Android, web, backend
DevOpsInfrastructure, CI, releases
QATest plans, automation, devices
Data analysisMarkets, metrics, models
Worked example

PhotoWise

Idea

Shape the problem, test it against real users and decide what the first version must prove.

A camera that children aged 8 to 12 can teach. It had to work with no network code at all, so everything runs on the device.

  • Kids Category
  • On-device only
  • No data collected
Prototype

Something working in your hands within days, built to answer the riskiest question first.

The riskiest question first: can a phone learn a new object from a handful of photos, with no server? Vision feature prints on the device answered it.

  • Vision classifier
  • Feature prints
  • SwiftUI
Build

The full product, tested on real devices, with infrastructure that will hold up at launch.

Five activities: Spot it, Frame it, Colours, Mirror and Filters. Plus Show Off, My Photos and What I Know.

  • Core ML
  • CoreImage
  • Metal
  • iPhone + iPad
Launch

Store submissions, release pipelines and the metrics that tell you what to build next.

Released on the App Store in the Kids Category for ages 9 to 11, with a privacy label that reads "Data Not Collected".

  • App Store
  • Privacy policy
  • Ages 9–11
Stepping through automatically

What we look for

We say yes to a small number of projects so each one gets the whole team's attention.

From first email to first build

  1. Send the pitch A short email to [email protected] with the problem, the people who have it and what exists so far.
  2. We talk A call with both principals. We ask hard questions about the problem before we discuss the build.
  3. We decide together If it's a fit, we agree scope, team and terms. If it isn't, we tell you why.
  4. We build Working software from the first week, with specialists joining as each stage needs them.

We've done this for ourselves

Every one of our apps started as an idea of ours and went through the same stages we'd take yours through. TVApp went from a blank project to five platforms in seven days.

See the seven-day build →

Before you pitch

Do you take every project?

No. We take on a few at a time so each one gets the principals' full attention. If we pass, we'll tell you why.

I already have a developer. Can you work alongside them?

Yes. We can lead, pair, or take on the parts that need specialist experience, and leave your team stronger than we found it.

Do I need a finished business plan?

No. A clear problem and the people who have it matter more than a deck.

Pitch us your idea

Tell us what you're building.

Every pitch is read by both principals. You'll hear back either way.

  • The problem, in a sentence or two
  • Who has it, and how they deal with it today
  • What exists so far: a sketch, a prototype, users, or nothing yet
  • What you need from us: the whole build, or one stage of it