Mobile App Development Company with a CTO Attached
Custom mobile app design and development for iOS, Android, and cross-platform, with the backend and integrations your app needs.
Hi, I’m Sam Halcrow. I lead every build personally as your Fractional CTO, backed by my team of 26 mobile app developers.
✓ I scope it with you myself. There are no account managers between us.
Book a discovery call
Complete the form and hit submit. I read every submission myself and reply on the same day.
Thanks — your message is on its way.
Sam will get back to you personally, usually within one business day. If it's urgent, call0431 197 004.
CLIENTS
253 companies have trusted me with mobile app and software development
16+ yrs
Leading technology initiatives
253
Organisations I’ve stepped into
1,000,000+
Engineering hours under my leadership
26
Engineers on my team today
WHY TEAMS CHOOSE US OVER A TYPICAL DEV SHOP
Most mobile app developers finish projects; few solve the problem you actually have
Most teams write the code you ask for and call it done. The result works, technically. But you end up with a system that solved the ticket instead of the business problem.
We scope, build, and stay accountable for business outcomes. If the thing we build doesn't move a number you care about, we haven't finished the job.
Book a discovery callWHAT I CAN LEAD & DELIVER WITH MY TEAM OR YOURS
Custom mobile app development services
Mobile apps
iOS, Android and cross-platform. Custom consumer and B2B apps designed around a measurable business outcome. We handle store submission, releases, and platform updates.
Backend, APIs & cloud
The part most app quotes leave out: authentication, data, integrations and infrastructure engineered so the app performs at real-world scale.
Internal operational & field apps
Tools for crews, sites and operations. Offline-capable, tested against rugged reality, built to make a workforce measurably faster.
App & web products
When the app is one surface of a bigger product: shared backend, web portal, and mobile app built as one system.
App modernisation & replatforming
The ageing app the business depends on, rebuilt or re-platformed without betting the company on a big-bang rewrite.
App rescue & take-over
Apps that launched and stalled, vendors that vanished, stores full of one-star updates. We assess honestly, stabilise, and take ownership.
CASE STUDIES & RESULTS
Here's a snapshot of some big wins I achieved
ACCIONA
I led the software team on the Western Harbour Tunnel project, capturing and storing 13km of precision engineering data
AGILYX
I helped the tech team mature product engineering processes for a product serving 41,000+ people
BOVARA
I led the technical build of purpose-built software powering a new EV parking network across NSW
TESTIMONIALS
Hear from the companies I've delivered apps and software to
Angela Bevitt-Parr
National Marketing Manager AWS Australia
Tim Buric
Chief Technology Officer Agilyx & MUNIvers
Kelvin Kenney
Chief Executive Officer Bow Wow Meow
"Sam and his team operate as a trusted partner at every stage of delivery. They're pivotal in bringing engineering maturity to coordinate and execute large, complex projects."
Arun Prasad, Founder AIWhispr“Sam took the time to understand our business and knew all the tech we needed. It was a pleasure to work with him and his team as they acted as an extension of our team.”
Luke Schwigtenberg, Head of R&D Banktech"From the concept design meeting, Sam exceeded our expectations. He understood what our needs were, and his engineers worked quickly from brief to going live."
Rouad El-Ayoubi, CEO Alliance Project Group”Sam and his team's expertise, Ways of Working framework, and mastery of their craft truly set them apart. This is the beauty of partnering with them. We extend our technical capabilities seamlessly without the overhead of hiring in-house.”
Angela Bevitt-Parr, CMO AWS Australia"With a deep understanding of our business needs, Sam leads an efficient process in delivering quality outputs.”
Kelvin Kenney, CEO Bow Wow Meow"Working with Sam has been a turning point for our business. In addition to bringing structure to the development work, we also benefitted from his insight into emerging trends and technologies, as well as efficient and effective solutions."
Adrian Black, Founder Ticked Off“In a short period of time, Sam demonstrated an exceptional ability to align the right technical expertise with our specific needs.”
Tim Buric, CTO Agilyx“Sam guided us through the design and development process in a way we wouldn't be able to do on our own. We’re very happy to partner with him.”
Thomas Roper, Engineer Lendlease"I've worked with Sam and his team for over 4 years over multiple projects. Phenomenal.”
Andrew Raso, Group-CEO Online Marketing Gurus"Sam and his team are great. They built really cool tools for us, and we look forward to doing more together as partners.”
Matthew Freebury, Director FMCG Analytics“We spotted a market gap, and Sam helped us seize it quickly. His team built a product that gave us real advantage.”
Michael Soukie, Founder Scafflinq"Sam introduced remarkable insights, and his passion for world-class quality delivered wonderful results for the business.”
George Betsis, Founder Stickytape“Sam has a keen understanding of our company and our clients’ needs. His technical knowledge enables him to deploy solutions that continue to further our growth.”
Michael Kalucy, Managing Director Workhouse“Sam is everything we want in a fractional CTO. He understands our needs, works as if he owns the product, and comes up with innovative solutions quickly.”
Malaz Majanni, CEO OnePath Network“Sam's competency, attention to detail, and technical skills were impressive. What he built with us has been adding value to our business for over 5 years.”
Anastasia Lobanova, SAP Analyst Agrana Fruit“Sam took a concept and together with his team, turned it into a product we’re genuinely proud of. Their passion makes them a joy to work with.”
Trent Carney, Founder MyCanaryWHAT WE DO, IN PLAIN TERMS
Mobile App Development Sydney
I'm Sam Halcrow. I'm a Sydney-based Fractional CTO running a mobile app development company with clients across Australia. My team and I have delivered over one million hours of engineering to 253 companies in 16 years.
Custom Mobile App Development Services
Consumer and B2B apps, internal and field tools, app modernisation, and the backend, APIs and cloud underneath them. Every build is scoped around a measurable business outcome instead of a feature list.
iOS and Android App Development
Native builds in Swift and Kotlin when performance and platform depth matter, or one cross-platform codebase when both stores can share it. We handle store submission, releases and the platform updates that follow.
Mobile App Design and Development
Design and engineering sit in the same team, so what gets drawn is what ships. You get interface design, prototyping, build and QA as one continuous process instead of a handover between vendors.
What Mobile App Development Costs
You can engage embedded engineers on competitive day rates, plus I embed as your Fractional CTO to guide the build.
Timelines and Tech Stack
We design your roadmap in a way that ships your working product as soon as possible. Typical stack: Swift, Kotlin, React Native or Flutter, with Node, Python or .NET on AWS or Azure.
Existing and Stalled Builds
If an app launched and stalled, or a vendor went quiet mid-project, we audit the codebase, tell you what is worth keeping, stabilise it, then take ownership of what comes next.
Why Choose Our Mobile App Developers
You get a Fractional CTO accountable to you instead of an account manager. The team in the pitch is the team that embeds in yours and works on the project. We can maintain the app after launch, or hand it over to you so you can own and extend it.
WHY NOW, NOT NEXT QUARTER
Without a technical leader accountable to you, you're risking project drift
Technology initiatives don’t fail suddenly. They drift. The same problems go unaddressed every quarter. By the time anyone notices, months of budget have gone with nothing to show for it.
It's a slow, quiet deterioration that looks like business as usual until it isn't.
HOW TO START WORKING WITH ME
Our mobile app development process
Three steps to work with me. The first one costs you nothing but gives you what you need at this moment.
STEP 1
Book a 30-minute discovery call with me
You describe what you’re trying to build or fix. I ask the questions a CTO would.
STEP 2
I send a scope you can hold us to
With clear phases, honest estimates, named risks. Written so your leadership team can read it.
STEP 3
The team embeds and we start with you
My engineers build; I lead.
FAQ
What I'm asked on most scoping calls
How much does mobile app development cost?
Most custom app builds we scope sit between $60k and $250k+ depending on platforms and integrations. You can engage day rates for embedded engineers plus my fractional CTO time, or a fixed price per scoped phase where the work suits it.
Who owns the code and IP?
You do. Everything we build for you belongs to your business.
Can you take over an existing or stalled build?
Yes. A meaningful share of our engagements start as rescues or take-overs of a half-finished app or a vendor that went quiet. We audit the code honestly, stabilise it, then take ownership.
How long does it take to build an app?
A focused first release is typically 10–16 weeks. Larger platforms run in phases so something usable ships every 4–6 weeks. Scoping starts within days, and engineering starts in weeks, not months.
What tech stack do you use?
Swift for native iOS, Kotlin for native Android, React Native or Flutter for cross-platform, with Node, Python or .NET on AWS or Azure behind them. Chosen to fit your team and your product, not our habits.
Where are you based?
Sydney, working with clients right across Australia.
STOP SEARCHING, START MOVING FORWARD
Book a discovery call
Complete the form and hit submit. I read every submission myself and reply on the same day, including the ones I turn down (along with the reason).
Thanks — your message is on its way.
Sam will get back to you personally, usually within one business day. If it's urgent, call0431 197 004.