Mobile App Development · San Francisco

Mobile App Development
in San Francisco

iOS and Android from one engineer, in your stores in weeks.

We build iOS and Android apps for founders in San Francisco — usually React Native, native when the use case requires it. One engineer owns the app, store accounts, and the first build in TestFlight inside three weeks.

Get a Mobile App Development quote San Francisco overview

Engagement shape

From

$10,000

Flat price, quoted after 30-min call

Timeline

3–6 weeks to TestFlight

First production deploy

Senior engineer, named

Day 1

Code in your GitHub

Retainer, equity, lock-in

How this works

One AI-native engineer.
The output of a team.

One senior engineer plus AI agents now ships mobile app development that used to need a four-person team. Same code quality, half the cost, three-week timelines instead of three months. Built for pre-seed to Series A founders in San Francisco who need to ship before the next round closes.

The local read

Why mobile app development is hard in San Francisco

SF founders compete with OpenAI, Anthropic, and every Series B sitting on $200M in dry powder. A senior engineer offer that actually wins here is $400K all-in, plus relocation, plus equity refreshers. At seed stage that's most of the round.

One named engineer with AI agents now does what a four-person team used to. Three-week timelines instead of three months. Flat-price quote in 24 hours after a discovery call. Pacific Time, overlap with your Sand Hill investors and your early customers in the same window. Code in your GitHub from commit one.

Hiring one senior engineer here is a ~$310K year-one outlay and a 60–90 day search. Our mobile app development engagement starts at $10,000 with a first deploy in 3–6 weeks to TestFlight.

Did you know · San Francisco

Y Combinator has funded over 5,000 startups since 2005. Combined valuation is north of $600B.

Time zone

--:--:--

Pacific Time. You can DM us at 9am and get a response at 9:01am.

Sectors in San Francisco

AI and ML infrastructureDeveloper toolsConsumer appsClimate techFintech

Stack we use

React Native (Expo)TypeScriptTamagui or NativeWindSupabase / FirebaseSentry

What you actually get

Concrete deliverables.
Live in 3–6 weeks to TestFlight.

No discovery phase that bills for itself. No Figma-only delivery. Every item below is something you can open, click, and ship to a user.

Single codebase for iOS + Android — Expo prebuild for native modules when needed

Authenticated user flow with push notifications and offline-first storage

TestFlight build before week three; App Store + Play Store submission included

OTA updates via Expo Updates so you ship fixes without a store review

App store listings (screenshots, copy, privacy nutrition labels) handled

Why us

Why founders in San Francisco pick us for this

Senior engineer who has shipped both stores — store submission isn't a learning experience here

We pick React Native vs native based on the actual feature list, not a default

Performance-aware: list virtualization, image caching, JS-thread budget — measured, not hoped

Push, analytics, crash reporting, deep links, OTA — wired correctly first time

Mobile App Development we've shipped

Founders we shipped mobile app development with

Real founders, real product, real testimonials. The kind of mobile app development work we'd do for you in San Francisco.

AI Tool · 2025

Irresistible Bot

The platform combines structured onboarding, intelligent prompts, and brand-specific logic to ensure every output is grounded in real context. The more details users provide, the better and more accurate the results become. This allows the AI to act as a true copy coach, not just a writing tool.

Visit the product

“I came to the team with a clear vision of what I wanted to build -- a coach bot that could truly reflect my voice, my methodology, and my years of experience in copywriting and coaching. Start Matter helped turn that vision into a real product, handling everything from the technical foundation to the branding elements like the logo and overall experience. What stood out most was how thoughtful and collaborative the process felt. The team asked the right questions, took the time to understand my brand, and helped structure the system in a way that makes the bot both powerful and easy for clients to use. It never felt generic -- it felt tailored to me and my audience. They also helped shape the onboarding and content flow, making sure the questions and prompts guide users to give meaningful input, so the results are genuinely useful and aligned with the message: "Let's Create Irresistible Copy Together." Start Matter didn't just build a tool -- they helped me bring my coaching approach into a scalable, digital format. I'm truly grateful for their care, clarity, and commitment, and I would absolutely recommend them to anyone building an AI-powered product rooted in real expertise.”

Vrinda Normand

CEO at Irresistible Online Marketing, Inc.

Health Platform · 2023

Brain.fm

Music platform designed to help focus, relax, and sleep better. AI-generated music optimized for cognitive performance and mental wellness.

Visit the product

“Working with Start Matter has been a fantastic experience. When we brought Start Matter into the Brain.fm project, we were looking for more than just developers — we needed a team that could think with us, help shape the product, and execute at a high level. Start Matter did exactly that and more. From early iterations to complex feature development, the team showed deep technical expertise, strong problem-solving skills, and a clear focus on delivering value. Communication was always open and honest, and they were great about adapting to changes and challenges without missing a beat. What really stood out was their ability to integrate seamlessly with our internal team and match our pace. They consistently delivered high-quality work and made sure we felt supported at every step. I'm very grateful for their professionalism, creativity, and commitment to excellence. I would highly recommend Start Matter to anyone who wants a reliable, skilled, and thoughtful development partner.”

Daniel Clark

Co-founder, Brain.fm

FinTech App · 2023

getquin

Investment portfolio tracking app with social features for modern investors. Real-time portfolio analytics, dividend tracking, and a community of 500K+ investors sharing insights.

Visit the product

“I had the pleasure of working with Start Matter while building Getquin from the very first idea stage. At the beginning, Getquin was just a concept. Start Matter helped us turn that concept into a real, scalable product. From product discovery and architecture to development and early iterations, the team was deeply involved and consistently proactive. They didn’t just execute tasks, they thought like product partners and helped us make the right technical and strategic decisions early on. What impressed me most was their ability to move fast without sacrificing quality. The foundation they built allowed us to validate the idea quickly, iterate confidently, and ultimately reach a stage where we successfully raised investment. Start Matter played a key role in transforming our idea into an investor-ready product. Their professionalism, technical expertise, and founder-level mindset made a real difference for Getquin's early success. I would strongly recommend Start Matter to founders who are looking to build a product from scratch and need a reliable, experienced team they can truly trust.”

Christian Rokitta

Co-founder, getquin

Deeper reads

Common questions about mobile app development
in San Francisco

How fast can you start?

Most builds begin within seven days of the first call. We don't sell discovery — we go from problem statement to first deploy on the same day-one timeline.

Is the price really flat?

Yes. After a 30-minute call we send a single number and a scope you can accept or reject. No hourly billing, no change-order games. If we underestimate, we eat it.

React Native or native (Swift/Kotlin)?

React Native by default — 90% of features are identical and you ship to both stores at once. Native if you have hard requirements (live activities, complex camera, low-level audio, watch app).

Do you handle App Store submission?

Yes — Apple Developer + Google Play account setup (or working in yours), screenshots, privacy declarations, review responses if rejected. Most apps clear review in 24–72 hours.

Who owns the code?

You do, from commit one. The repository is created in your GitHub org. Infrastructure is provisioned in your cloud account. We don't host your stack on ours and we don't lock you in.

More questions → /faq/tech · /faq/timeline · /faq/cost

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