Arugula Labs

AI-FIRST PRODUCT BUILDER

You don't need a big team.
You need the right people.

With a small, senior team, we design, build and launch AI-first apps in months, not years.

Build my product

WHO WE'RE FOR

Built for teams that don't have a tech department (yet).

Arugula Labs exists for small and mid-sized companies that are ready to build their first serious digital product:

  • You see the opportunity in AI, but you're not sure where to start.
  • You don't have a full in-house product team.
  • You can't afford a slow, oversized software factory.
  • You need something real in front of users in a few months.

If that's you, we're your product team on demand.

THE PROBLEM

Why it feels hard to start.

It's unclear what to build first.

  • Hiring a full product team is expensive and slow.
  • Software factories are heavy and not designed for small companies.
  • Most "AI solutions" look good in slides, but don't change daily work.

You need a simple path from idea to working product.

WHAT WE DO

We build focused, AI-first products.

Arugula Labs combines product, design and engineering around one goal: launch a useful AI product that fits your business.

We:

  • Clarify the problem and define the first version.
  • Design the user experience and flows.
  • Implement AI where it brings clear value.
  • Build and launch the product with a small team.

HOW WE WORK

A straightforward process.

Step 1

Understand your workflow

We map how things work today and where time and effort are being wasted.

Step 2

Define the MVP

We agree on a simple first version that solves a specific problem.

Step 3

Design & build

Our designer and engineer work together to deliver the product, with regular check-ins.

Step 4

Launch and refine

You put it in use. We adjust based on real feedback.

CASE STUDY

AI-powered payment reconciliation.

A company managing payments across banks and gateways reconciled everything manually in spreadsheets. The process was slow and prone to errors.

With one designer and one engineer, we built Settlewise, an AI-first reconciliation tool that:

  • Connects to different payment sources.
  • Suggests automatic matches between transactions.
  • Flags only the cases that need human review.
  • Shows a clear status of what is reconciled.

The result: less manual work, fewer errors, and a product the team can build on instead of spreadsheets.

Go to Settlewise

WHY WE'RE NOT A SOFTWARE FACTORY

Not a software factory.
On purpose.

Software factories are designed for large organizations, big teams and long projects.

Arugula Labs is designed for the opposite:

  • Small, senior teams instead of large squads.
  • Product decisions, not just task execution.
  • AI integrated from the start, not added later.
  • Timeframes that match smaller companies.

SOFTWARE FACTORY

VS

ARUGULA LABS

Team of 6-12 people

2-4 senior specialists

Focus on hours & scope

Product & outcomes

AI optional "add-on"

Core to the solution

9-12 months MVP

Months, not years

Rarely for small teams

Designed exactly for this

You manage them

We are your product team

WHAT

What we can help you build.

We focus on AI-first products where automation and intelligence change the way your business works:

  • Internal tools that replace manual, repetitive workflows.
  • SaaS products you can offer to your clients.
  • Decision-support tools powered by your own data.
  • Reconciliation, classification, routing, recommendations, summaries, and more.

If it involves turning messy data and processes into a smarter, simpler product, we'll be at home.

READY TO EXPLORE YOUR FIRST AI PRODUCT?

Your product doesn't need a big team, just the right start.

Send us a short brief and we'll reply with a possible MVP idea and timeline.

Tell us about your ideaBook a discovery call