Visit Website

Product & Software Development

4.8
3 reviews

Altar.io is a product and software agency dedicated to helping organisations build digital solutions with lasting impact.

 
$25,000+
 
$100 - $149 / hr
 
10 - 49
 Founded
2015
Show all +
Lisboa, Portugal
headquarters
other locations
  • 4-5 Bonhill St, Shoreditch,
    London, LND EC2A 4BX
    United Kingdom
    +44.780.268.5611

Portfolio

Key clients: 

Apiax, AlixPartners, QuartalFS, Audio Test Kitchen, McKinsey & Co., Legartis

Reviews

4.8
3 reviews
Sort by

MVP Frontend Dev for FinTech Tool

“They’re fantastic at what they do, they’re trustworthy, and they keep their promises.”

See More

5.0

Quality: 
5.0
Schedule: 
5.0
Cost: 
4.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
$10,000 to $49,999
 
Jan. - Aug. 2017
Project summary: 

Using AngularJS and IBM LoopBack, Altar.io worked on an MVP developing the frontend of a working application to integrate with an existing backend. They created the UX and frontend design.

The Reviewer
 
11-50 Employees
 
Zürich, Switzerland
Philip Schoch
CEO, Apiax
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

Altar.io successfully developed the MVP, which resulted in the award of a pilot project with a global financial institution. The MVP was also the source for seed funding for future development. The dependable team delivered the needed expertise to complete the project and proactive communication.

A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder and CEO of Apiax, a fintech company that provides regulation as a service for financial services companies. We have employees in Switzerland, Portugal, and London. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Altar.io?

The relationship with Altar.io started at the beginning of our journey when we needed help with product and frontend design. It wasn’t just a matter of building something but also getting help with the user journey. We had backend expertise in-house but not frontend. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Altar.io worked with us on the frontend of an MVP. The scope was to get not just clickable mock-ups but a working application that integrated with our backend. They developed the frontend using AngularJS and used IBM LoopBack on the backend.

What is the team composition?

One of their founders was our project manager. We had one point of contact. 

How did you come to work with Altar.io?

Altar.io reached us through their content marketing. They had published content on how to create an MVP within a budget. They seemed to have a lot of digital product know-how in terms of shaping the customer journey.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent €25,000–€50,000 (approximately $28,000–$56,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with Altar.io between January–August 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

With the MVP developed with Altar.io, we won a pilot project with a global financial institution. The other success story was that we were able to put together a seed round using the MVP. Our further development wouldn’t have been possible without it.

How did Altar.io perform from a project management standpoint?

Their process included multiple interviews and an iterative approach with design thinking. They were responsive and proactively warned us about delays. We had daily exchanges during the project phase. We built a relationship of trust quickly, so I never felt that they were charging us too much. Our simple contract, which didn’t go into much detail, was based on trust, and it worked out well. I’d work with them again anytime.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It all comes back to their people and founding team. They’re fantastic at what they do, they’re trustworthy, and they keep their promises, all traits that we highly value. They deliver on their promises and to start projects exceptionally quickly. They put together a delivery team in no time.

Altar.io also helped us establish relationships to form our frontend team in Portugal, which was generous of them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Everything they provide is good. I don’t think they’re doing more than they promise. 

5.0
Overall Score
  • 5.0 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
    They stick to the schedule.
  • 4.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
    There are probably less expensive solutions out there, but I doubt it would be the same quality.
  • 5.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
    We were happy, and we’re still working with them.
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer
    I do it all the time.

Design and Dev for Digital Audio Platform

“They have scaled their team to our needs throughout the project.”

See More

5.0

Quality: 
5.0
Schedule: 
4.5
Cost: 
5.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
$50,000 to $199,999
 
Apr. 2018 - Ongoing
Project summary: 

Altar.io is developing a first-of-its-kind audio platform. Services have included a product study, UX/UI refinement, and visual design. The project is ongoing.

The Reviewer
 
1-10 Employees
 
Los Angeles, California
Alex Oana
Co-Founder & CEO, Audio Test Kitchen
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

Their work has boosted pre-launch sales. Altar.io’s top-tier product developers create value by incorporating key objectives and following the project’s core vision. Communicative and flexible, Altar.io is a reliable and timely overseas vendor.  

The client submitted this review online.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the co-founder and CEO of Audio Test Kitchen, the world's first online, unbiased, audio product sound-comparison showroom.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Altar.io?

My team hired Altar.io to lead ground-up development of our virtual online platform.

What were your goals for this project?

We needed to scrutinize and stress-test our prototype and UX concepts, with the ultimate goal of building a great product.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We found Altar.io through an advertisement and spoke with Paolo (Co-Founder, Altar.io) and Daniel (Co-Founder, Altar.io). My team partnered with them because their positivity, skillset, and client-centric views represented great value to us.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

The project began with an in-depth product study, the goal of which was to ensure we would be building the right product. Altar.io improved the UX and UI beyond the prototype, then architected our website in parallel to ongoing UX/UI iterations. They provided clickable UI prototypes to help with iteration. The team deployed working versions and executed testing and bug fixes. Our partnership is ongoing.

What was the team composition?

We have worked with a project manager and other dedicated team members.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

Although our website has not yet launched, Altar.io’s product development and design have fostered successful pre-sales.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Altar.io’s team is composed of excellent leaders that take the initiative in communication and product development. Their team is personable and dedicated to our success. They have scaled their team to our needs throughout the project.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Altar.io has gone above and beyond to build a great product. They remain invested in our success. The team always puts our vision and business goals first.

Are there any areas for improvement?

The overseas partnership is not ideal; however, Altar.io has always overcome time and distance challenges with great scheduling and flexibility. 

5.0
Overall Score Altar.io is a huge business asset.
  • 4.5 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
    They are a busy vendor but remain flexible.
  • 5.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
    They create high value compared to cost.
  • 5.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
    I wish Altar.io could be a part of my company.
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer
    I highly recommend them.

Video Production for Existing Platform

"These guys are very into understanding the problem of their client. They had an initial meeting to understand what we really wanted and needed."

See More

4.5

Quality: 
4.5
Schedule: 
5.0
Cost: 
3.0
Willing to refer: 
4.0
The Project
 
$10,000 to $49,999
Project summary: 

Altar.io was hired to create a marketing plan for the client. Their main responsibilities were creating a video that explained the client's platform as well as running a Facebook campaign. 

The Reviewer
 
11-50 Employees
 
Lisbon Area, Portugal
Program Manager, Research Organization
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

The client was overall pleased with how Altar.io performed. They noted that their team made a concentrated effort to understand the wants and needs of their client, but was not the most cost-effective choice available. 

A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Our organization works with intelligence and innovation procedures. I am the Project Lead.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Altar.io?

We hired Altar.io under a consortium with another company for creating a communication plan and a marketing plan for an energy management platform for offices. They were responsible for creating a strategic plan to disseminate the final platform, which was a digital platform, to the maximum number of offices possible. Their main tasks were related to creating a video. They did an animation that would have a potential viral nature. They also were responsible for managing our Facebook campaign and generally give us advice on how to proceed relating to capturing users for our platform. We were trying to address head officers and Chief Executive Officers of small and medium companies.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The main task was to create an animation video that would describe how the platform would be used. You can actually see the result on our website that they were responsible for. It was an animation with some comedy and some teasing in order to make the users of these companies try our platform.

How did you come to work with Altar.io?

I found them through a network I belong to. It’s a network of people in Portugal that have been working abroad. I asked for companies that would do animation films with viral potential, and people gave me a bunch of options. I went through all the websites and asked for proposals, and Altar.io presented the most interesting one.

How much have you invested with Altar.io?

I was not the one dealing with the hiring, but I think it was about $30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project is still active. We are still in the last phase because the project included an award and an event throughout the year. We are concluding it in December, but the role of Altar.io in this part is now very small. They completed their tasks successfully.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

Feedback was very positive from everybody. Everybody had a very good response to the video and to the part of the work that they performed. I would say it was very satisfactory.

How did Altar.io perform from a project management standpoint?

They are pretty organized, and they are very serious with their deadlines. Maybe the only negative point was some inflexibility in the negotiation in relation to payment terms, but apart from that, they are pretty straightforward, clear, and have a very efficient method. I would say that they have a very good project management approach.

What did you find most impressive about Altar.io?

These guys are very into understanding the problem of their client. They had an initial meeting to understand what we really wanted and needed. That was their starting point, and not many companies do this. Many people want to sell their preconceived product, and they didn’t do that. That was very important for the success of this job with us.

Are there any areas Altr.io could improve?

Yes. I think some flexibility would be good because after the terms were set, we had some events in which they could have been a bit more flexible in giving us a hand, advice or changing what was arranged in the beginning. I can imagine that can be a problem for them, but still, we felt some inflexibility when the project was running.

4.5
Overall Score We are very pleased.
  • 5.0 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
  • 3.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
    We had cheaper. We took a chance with them, and we don’t regret it, but they were a bit on the more expensive side. These things you have to pay for, but we still felt it.
  • 4.5 Quality
    Service & deliverables
  • 4.0 NPS
    Willing to refer
    Definitely. There’s always better; there’s always worse.