AI prototype and app takeoverFrom an AI-built prototype to an application in production
You built an application with Lovable, Bolt, v0, Cursor, Claude or ChatGPT, or your provider no longer maintains your app. We review the code, the data and the access, keep what works and secure the rest before going live.
Projects delivered with CHUV, HUG, EPFL, HEIG-VD, Le Temps and others
Taking over AI-built prototypes and existing applications
Appik Studio, in Lausanne, takes over applications built with Lovable, Bolt, v0, Replit, Cursor, Claude or ChatGPT, as well as applications whose original developer no longer responds. We establish what can be kept, fix what exposes your data and prepare operations. The code, the accounts and the data stay in your name.
More and more domain experts now build a working application themselves: a physician to follow patients, a researcher to collect measurements, an SME owner to replace a spreadsheet. That prototype describes the need more precisely than a specification document. Our work is to keep what you have validated and rebuild what the prototype does not guarantee.
Who it is for
Domain experts and project owners
You built a first version with a generation tool and people already use it. You want to open it to more users without exposing their data.
Startups before a launch or a funding round
The prototype convinces, but nobody can yet explain its architecture to an investor or a future CTO. We prepare a foundation your team can take over.
SMEs whose application is no longer maintained
The original freelancer or agency no longer responds, and an iOS or Android update is coming. We recover access, stabilise the application and organise what comes next.
Teams inheriting a codebase
Your team takes over code produced with AI or by a former provider. We help it understand, test and document the code, then hand the work over.
What we check
Code and environments
An accessible Git repository, identified dependencies, a reproducible setup and separate test and production environments.
Data and access rules
Database security rules, for example row-level security in Supabase or Firebase rules. Personal or health data, tested backups and hosting location.
Identities, roles and secrets
Sign-up, account recovery, roles and permissions. API keys and secrets kept out of the browser and the mobile app.
Critical journeys
Payment, booking, data entry, synchronisation: the journeys that create value need reproducible tests.
Operations and publishing
Deployment, error tracking, alerts, restoration and responsibilities during an incident. For a mobile app, Apple and Google accounts, declared privacy practices and store requirements.
Four possible outcomes after the review
The review leads to one of these decisions, or to a combination across parts of the application:
- Publish. The architecture is readable and the risks are limited. We close the last gaps, document and prepare the launch.
- Consolidate. The foundation holds, but some points expose data or make changes risky. We fix them and add the missing tests.
- Rebuild one layer. One part, often the data, authentication or backend, cannot be secured as it is. We rebuild it while keeping the validated screens and rules.
- Start cleanly. The prototype then serves as the specification. Its journeys, screens and business rules define a new foundation.
We explain each recommendation, its risks and its cost, so that you decide with full knowledge.
What stays in your hands
You know the uses, the exceptions and the business rules; you remain the reference for validating them. The code repository, hosting accounts, store accounts, domain name and data are opened in your organisation's name. At the end of our work, documentation and a handover session let your team or another partner continue.
Our process
First conversation
The first conversation is free. You show us the application, the tools used and your next deadline.
Access and inventory
Together we list the code, hosting, database, API keys, domain and store accounts. Anything missing is requested or recreated in your name.
Written review
We examine the code, the data and the risks, then deliver a report with priorities and the recommended outcome. Its scope and budget are agreed separately.
Securing and stabilising
We first fix what exposes data or blocks production, then add the tests and operations the product needs.
Going live
We prepare deployment, error tracking and, for a mobile app, publication on the App Store and Google Play.
Further development or handover
We continue the development with you or hand the product over to your team, with documentation and a takeover session.
Further reading
- Your AI-built prototype works: how to take it to production
- Take over a vibe-coded app without starting over
- Your developer no longer responds: taking over an app without losing everything
- Inheriting a vibe-coded codebase: a guide for CTOs and developers
For a new application, see our mobile app development and web application development services.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does everything need to be rewritten?
Rarely. The review separates what can be published, consolidated or rebuilt. Even when a new foundation is needed, the screens, journeys and business rules validated in the prototype are carried over.
Which tools and which code do you take over?
Applications generated with Lovable, Bolt, v0, Replit, Cursor, Claude or ChatGPT, often in React or React Native with Supabase or Firebase, as well as web and mobile applications built by a former provider.
What do we need to provide?
Access to the code and accounts you hold, the list of business rules you have validated, the expected users and volumes, and your next deadline. We help you list any missing access.
How much does a takeover cost?
It depends on the state of the code, the data handled and the chosen outcome. The first conversation is free. The review is agreed separately, then we estimate the recommended work.
Where is the data hosted?
According to your constraints and the data handled. We can host data in Switzerland, and we check that access, backups and subcontractors match your data protection obligations.
Our provider no longer responds. Can you help?
Yes. We start with an inventory of accounts and access, then prepare the requests to send to the provider. Contractual questions are for your legal adviser.
Show us your application
A free first conversation lets us see your application, the tools used and your next deadline. The review is then agreed separately.
Got a project in mind? Let's talk.
Contact us via WhatsApp or by email about your project.
Tell us what you want to build, by when, and what your constraints are. An initial discussion helps us understand your workflows and identify questions to explore further.
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