A mobile investment app, built and hosted for two years

The product

Fint set out to offer themed investment portfolios to retail customers through a mobile app. Customers pick a theme, such as climate, disruptive technology or esports, and a risk level, cautious, balanced or growth. Behind each of the nine combinations sits a model portfolio that has to be created, weighted and rebalanced through a regulated custody and trading platform.

What we built

Poiema built the iOS and Android app in React Native, the Node.js backend on AWS, and the integration with WealthKernel for accounts, orders and model portfolios. That included the operational side: setting up each model, submitting weighting changes and running the monthly rebalancing updates that keep every portfolio in line with its target.

What we ran

For the two years of the engagement, Poiema hosted and managed the production infrastructure. The build was a one-off. The hosting was a monthly relationship, and it is the part of the engagement that made the whole thing work for both sides.

What we learned

Fint shaped how we price work today. A fixed-price build on its own is a bet on estimating well. A build paired with a hosting plan is a relationship where both sides want the product to stay healthy. We now quote every build with hosting attached.