Rapid AI Prototyping

From idea to working prototype in 2–3 weeks.

Is your software idea worth pursuing? We make its key functions tangible in a working application. Your employees or customers test real workflows. You gain a basis for your next investment decision. Our experienced software developers deliver the agreed scope at a fixed price. AI supports the development.
Your effort

Around 7 hours

A 4-hour workshop, two 1-hour feedback sessions and a final meeting. We take care of the rest.

Your result

Prototype in 2–3 weeks

A working application for early testing and a well-founded go/no-go decision.

Your advantage

Fixed price

No in-house IT resources needed. Your data stays in Switzerland.

What sets us apart

See early what works.

Experienced developers take responsibility.

AI supports the implementation. Our software developers review the results and are responsible for technical decisions.

Requirements become concrete and traceable.

We document the agreed workflows and refine them based on user feedback. Open questions and scope boundaries stay visible.

You test the key workflows early.

The prototype shows whether the planned functions help in day-to-day work and where adjustments are needed.

A first idea becomes concrete requirements.

Kickoff note

“We want to show solar power consumption per participant clearly and simplify billing. Today we combine the meter data in Excel. The allocation must comply with our regulations and be traceable. Still open: how we import the data and who may see which information.”

Excerpt from the agreed specification
REQ-014The application imports meter data from an agreed test data source and assigns it to the respective participants.
REQ-015The application displays solar power consumption per participant for a selectable period.
REQ-016The application calculates billing in accordance with the “Regulations on Electricity Allocation and Billing of ZEV Musterstrasse 12”, version 1.0 of 1 September 2026, and presents the basis of calculation transparently.
REQ-017The application restricts access according to the agreed roles: participants see their own data, property management sees the data of all participants. All access requires a successful login.
Our prototypes are built on our own development foundation, which our engineers continuously refine. AI Software Engineering →
Use cases

How it worked for us.

ZEV solar power dashboard

In a self-consumption community (ZEV), solar power is produced locally and shared among the participants. Consumption data from different meters used to be compiled manually in error-prone spreadsheets. Using Swisseldex data, Glue built a standalone, lean dashboard.

“I first built the dashboard for my own solar installation because I no longer wanted to do the billing in Excel. Only then did we realise: the method that took us from a personal need to a working tool in 3 weeks is exactly what our customers need.”
– Urs Nacht, Management Board, Glue AG
Read the use case →
Applications

Who is Rapid AI Prototyping for?

Public or private sector: when there is a concrete idea but it is not yet clear whether it is worth pursuing, a prototype helps you make a better-informed decision.

Public administration

Decide with confidence before tendering and investing.

Municipalities, cantons and federally affiliated organisations can test a concrete solution early as a working prototype while building a clean, vendor-neutral specification.

Private sector

Test ideas before investing a lot of time and money.

For SMEs, startups and established companies: an idea quickly becomes tangible and testable for customers, employees, management or investors.

Your benefits
Vendor-neutral
On-premise / Swiss cloud
Fast proof of concept
Early user feedback
Manageable budget
Less load on your IT team
Process & offer

A clear path with a free, no-obligation start.

Outline the idea, show the prototype, gather feedback and improve: in several rounds if needed, before the actual software is developed further. This lets us check early whether the solution fits and what still needs adjusting. We then build directly on the prototype – saving time and reducing overall costs.

Step 0

Initial assessment

30 min · free
You describe your idea, we tell you whether it is feasible.
Step 1

Workshop

4 hrs · free
We guide you through the process, you contribute your domain expertise. We then prepare the quote.
Step 2

Development

2–3 weeks · fixed price
We develop the prototype and adapt it based on your feedback.
Step 3

Handover

1 hr
We hand over the prototype and discuss the results with you.
Step 4

Decision

Go or no-go
If it’s a go, we expand the prototype with you step by step.

What you get

A working application with the 1–3 most important functions*
Initial assessment, workshop and quote
Two 1-hour feedback sessions
Final meeting with handover
2 months of hosting in the Glue environment on Swiss servers**

What the prototype costs

CHF 6,000–15,000

Fixed price, binding after the workshop.

What determines the price

To give you a first idea: simple input screens, such as a form that replaces an Excel list, are low-cost building blocks. Multi-step workflows, such as an application with approval, are in the mid-range. AI functions are often more complex building blocks, for example when documents are read automatically (text recognition) and imported. What matters is the mix. We make no promises before the workshop. Prices are for guidance only.

Then you decide

Go: We develop the prototype into a production version. Integration with your existing software (such as accounting or ERP), migration of your data, deployment to your IT environment and handover of the source code only happen at this stage.

No-go: You have gained clarity on a small budget. The detailed requirements (specification) belong to you.

* The application works with real inputs, but sensitive data is only processed in the production version. ** On request, we can run the prototype for longer, for additional testing or until you have decided how to proceed.

Is it a fit?

Who is this suitable for?

Ideal for you if…

you have a concrete idea, but its success is not yet certain
you need a fast, reliable basis for a decision before budget approval
you can set aside around 7 hours for the workshop, feedback sessions and final meeting

Not suitable if…

you are looking for ready-made, off-the-shelf software
FAQ

Frequently asked questions.

Do we need to put this out to public tender?

At CHF 6,000–15,000, the prototype is well below the thresholds for direct award. Whether a tender is required depends on your institution, the subject of the procurement and the applicable procurement law.

We don’t have our own IT team. Does it still work?

Yes. You only need a subject-matter contact for the workshop, the feedback sessions and the final meeting. Our senior engineers take care of the rest.

Can we run several prototype rounds before building the production version?

Yes. If the first round brings new insights, further prototype iterations can be agreed. While the requirements can still be sharpened, this is usually much more economical than building an expensive production version too early.

What happens to our data?

The prototype runs on Swiss servers in the Glue environment and does not process sensitive data. For the production version, you decide where your data is processed: in the cloud or fully on-premise / Swiss cloud. Sensitive development steps can run via local AI agents in your own infrastructure, without sending data to public AI interfaces.

Next step

Free initial assessment – 30 minutes, no obligation.

Book a short initial call directly. We will tell you honestly whether your idea can be built as a prototype.