For founders and teams who need software built to last

Senior backend engineering,
built to scale.

Malinora is a small, senior studio. We build, extend and harden software — backend, APIs and applied AI — for founders who need it to last. What you launch is what you scale, not what you rewrite. You work directly with the engineers building it. No juniors, no shortcuts.

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Our stack
  • Java / Spring
  • Node.js
  • PostgreSQL
  • AWS
  • React
  • TypeScript
  • LLMs / RAG

About us

No shortcuts.
Senior by default.

We started Malinora Studio because most software fails for boring reasons — rushed decisions, unclear ownership, and code nobody wanted to touch six months later.

So we built the opposite: a small, senior, distributed studio where every line of code is reviewed by someone who has shipped and maintained real products. You talk to the people building your software — not a sales layer.

10+years of experience per engineer
EUWarsaw-based, distributed & async-first
1:1direct line to your engineers

Built by senior engineers who've shipped production systems at

  • UBS
  • U.S. Bank
  • UniCredit
  • SIX Group
  • Euroclear
  • X5 Retail Group
  • Kronos Workforce
  • Houston Methodist
  • Evolven

Services

What you get —
wherever you're starting from.

Build your product

We scope, architect and ship end-to-end — most MVPs in 8–12 weeks, not quarters. Full-stack: backend, APIs and a React front-end. Built so your launch version grows with your roadmap, not against it.

Scale, extend & integrate

Already shipped and growing? We add features, integrate LLMs and agents into your existing systems, and automate the manual work in Java/Spring and Node.js, so your product keeps up as the load grows.

Audit & harden

Inherited a codebase you're afraid to touch — including AI-generated, "vibe-coded" apps? We review the architecture and code, then refactor and harden it to production standard, so it's safe to ship from again. It's a standalone service, independent of any build.

Cloud, DevOps & cost

Shipping releases by hand, or watching your AWS bill climb? We set up CI/CD and reproducible environments, audit your cloud for security and scale, and cut your cloud costs. A standalone service, independent of any build — bring us your infra, not just your product.

Expertise

Our craft,
your advantage.

However we engage, this is the craft underneath. Deep, hands-on backend and product experience — a senior team that gets the hard decisions right early, before they get expensive.

Approach

How we work

Every engagement is tailored, but the rhythm is the same: clarity first, then steady, reviewed delivery.

We take on a small number of builds at a time — senior engineers only, fixed scope, weekly demos. Most ship in 8–12 weeks from $30,000; a lean build can start around 6 weeks, and a complex, multi-tenant or AI-heavy product runs 12–20 weeks and can reach six figures. We set your fixed price and timeline together in Discovery — never guessed up front.

  1. 01

    Discovery

    We dig into the problem, constraints and goals before writing a line of code.

  2. 02

    Architecture & plan

    A clear technical plan and scope — with one fixed price and timeline, set with you after Discovery, never guessed up front.

  3. 03

    Build & feedback

    Short iterations, reviewed code and demos — you see progress every step.

  4. 04

    Ship & support

    We launch, monitor and keep improving. Reliable software, looked after.

FAQ

Questions founders ask us

How much does it cost to build an MVP in 2026?

A well-scoped MVP with us starts from $30,000 — that's our minimum, not a price list, because every build is staffed with senior engineers only. Where yours lands depends on its shape: a lean MVP sits near that floor, a fuller product costs more, and a complex multi-tenant or AI-heavy platform can reach six figures. We don't guess a number up front — in Discovery we scope the work and set one fixed price and timeline together before you commit to the build.

How long does it take to build an MVP?

Most MVPs ship in 8–12 weeks. A lean build can start from about 6 weeks, and a larger multi-tenant or AI-heavy product runs 12–20 weeks. Because we're a 100% senior team, we cut discovery and rework instead of adding junior hours.

Can I hire a senior EU team to build my product backend end-to-end?

Yes. Malinora builds products and MVPs end-to-end with senior engineers — backend in Java/Spring or Node.js, a React front-end, and applied AI where it adds value. We're based in Warsaw (CET) with working-hours overlap for both US and EU founders.

Do you integrate LLMs, RAG and AI agents into an existing product?

Yes — applied AI is our second pillar. We integrate LLMs, build production RAG pipelines and AI agents, and automate workflows inside your existing product, engineered to the same reliability standard as the rest of your backend — not a demo that breaks in front of customers.

Can you audit and harden an existing or AI-generated codebase?

Yes. Our Audit & harden service reviews existing or AI-generated ("vibe-coded") code and brings it to production standard — fixing the security, scalability and technical-debt issues that surface once it meets real traffic.

Why hire a 100% senior team instead of a cheaper agency?

Cheaper agencies front-load junior hours, so you often pay twice — once to build and again to rewrite. Malinora is senior-only: what you launch is what you scale, not what you rewrite. Fewer people, fewer handoffs, production-grade architecture from day one.

What is RAG, and when should I use it instead of fine-tuning?

RAG (retrieval-augmented generation) feeds an LLM your own up-to-date data at query time, so answers stay current and grounded without retraining. Use RAG when your knowledge changes often or must be cited; fine-tuning fits a fixed style or format, not fresh facts.

Where are you based, and do you work with US startups from the EU?

We're a distributed EU studio based in Warsaw, Poland (CET), working routinely with US and EU founders and CTOs. We keep daily working-hours overlap with both regions and operate GDPR-aligned — English-only delivery and a .com are by design.

The team

The people building
your software.

No account managers, no sales layer — you work directly with the senior engineers who design, build and ship your product.

Say hello

Let's build something
built to last.

Tell us what you're working on. We reply within one business day.