Alternova
Alternova is a self-funded San Francisco technology and investment studio founded in 2016 that builds digital health, education, and fintech products for distribution-first founders at below-market rates in exchange for equity, operating across the USA, Europe, and Colombia.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Alternova does
Alternova Inc. is a San Francisco-based, self-funded technology and investment studio founded in 2016 that operates a hybrid equity-for-development model. The company partners with distribution-first founders, operators, and revenue-stage startups to design, build, and operate digital products, charging roughly 60% below typical market development rates and converting the foregone margin into equity stakes in the partner companies. Alternova targets three primary verticals: digital health (its largest segment), education, and fintech, with a portfolio that includes cognitive assessment tools (Ace with UCSF), speech coaching (Credible), VR cognitive training (Mastermind), telehealth mental health (Backpack), ADHD interventions (Atom), menopause care (Issviva for Essity), dementia care platforms (Caressa, Lizzy Care), clinical research infrastructure (Nexus), sleep therapy (Sleepio for Big Health), and fintech (ExchangiFi). The company is led by founder and CEO Ricardo Velasquez and Chief Growth Officer/COO Maria Clara Mesa Abad, holds SOC 2 Type 2 certification (2025) and offers HIPAA-compliant hosting, and operates across offices in the USA, Europe, and Colombia with Brazil as a served market. Its GTM is sales-led and direct, targeting founders and operators with strong go-to-market capabilities who lack internal technology infrastructure, supplemented by boutique consulting and production-ready app review services. Alternova describes its engineering culture as 'AI-first,' claiming 5x output per developer from a small team of 11–50 employees, though no proprietary AI models or published research are disclosed. The company is privately held with no external LP capital, no disclosed funding rounds, and no parent company.
Alternova firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Alternova
- Legal name
- Alternova Inc.
- Website
- https://alternova.co
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Alternova is a self-funded San Francisco technology and investment studio founded in 2016 that builds digital health, education, and fintech products for distribution-first founders at below-market rates in exchange for equity, operating across the USA, Europe, and Colombia.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Alternova industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Software Development Services
- NAICS
- Custom Computer Programming Services (541511), Computer Systems Design Services (541512)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Programming Services (7371), Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Emerging Tech (IoT, Blockchain, AR/VR, Edge) Consulting (BPAHAEAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Data, Analytics & AI Consulting (BPAHAEAF), XR/AR/VR/MR Development Frameworks & Toolchains (MPAFAFAF)
Keywords
Where Alternova is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Alternova business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Software Development Services: Provides custom software development at ~60% below market rates. The discounted margin is converted into equity in portfolio companies, creating a hybrid revenue model that combines near-term service fees with long-term equity upside.
- Strategic Investment: Invests capital and technology into portfolio companies that are revenue-stage or actively closing a round. Investments are structured to be cashflow positive with IRR targets of 3-5x.
- Boutique Services: Consulting sessions and production-ready app reviews for external clients seeking strategic guidance.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Hybrid | Multi-year contract | Hybrid Deal - Equity-for-Development Exchange |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Alternova product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Alternova provides custom software development services at below-market rates combined with equity investments in client companies. The firm builds production-ready mobile, web, VR/AR, and gamified applications for founders, operators, and enterprises in education, health, and fintech, using AI-augmented workflows. Clients can engage Alternova through boutique Consulting services or contract for a Production Ready App built to spec.
Product overview
Alternova operates as a hybrid investment and technology company that builds and invests in technology improving human wellbeing. Their portfolio consists of multiple distinct digital health products including cognitive assessment tools (Ace), speech coaching apps (Credible), VR training programs (Mastermind), mental health platforms (Backpack), ADHD interventions (Atom), menopause care marketplaces (Issviva), dementia care tools (Caressa, Lizzy Care), clinical research platforms (Nexus), and sleep therapy programs (Sleepio). They also invest in fintech ventures (ExchangiFi) and speech/cognitive therapy startups (TheraNuvo, Sky Therapeutic). Beyond product ownership, they offer boutique services including consulting and production-ready app reviews. The company follows an 'AI-First Development Culture' achieving 5x output per developer and provides enterprise-grade hosting with HIPAA/SOC2 compliance.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- ExchangiFi: Fintech platform making Tax-deferred 351 exchanges simple.
- TheraNuvo
- Lizzy Care
- Sky Therapeutic
- Ace
- Credible
- Atom
- Issviva
- Backpack
- Magpie
- Mastermind
- Sleepio
- Caressa
- Nexus
- Consulting
- Production Ready App
Products and services
- Consulting Boutique consulting engagement offered by Alternova to founders, operators, and enterprises for strategic and technical guidance, typically paired with custom software development and equity-based engagement.
- Production Ready App Boutique service through which Alternova delivers a custom-built, production-ready application (mobile, web, VR/AR, or gamified) at below-market rates in exchange for equity, targeted at founders, operators, and enterprises in education, health, and fintech.
Quantifiable outcome
- 10x faster market entry for portfolio companies
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Alternova
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Alternova technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
AI capability7 records
Feature1 record
Alternova partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered portfolio and core.
- ExchangiFiportfolioPortfolio investment in tax-deferred 351 exchange fintech platform. Built and launched from concept to market success.
- TheraNuvoportfolioPortfolio company revolutionizing speech and cognitive therapy through technology solutions.
- Lizzy CareportfolioPortfolio investment simplifying and empowering the dementia care journey for families.
- Sky TherapeuticportfolioNIH-funded Central Executive Training (CET) game targeting core root cause of ADHD.
- UCSF NeuroscapecoreCollaborated on Ace cognitive assessment videogame for executive function research, available in 6 languages and used across USA and Europe research studies.
- EssitycoreBuilt Issviva menopause care platform and Caressa caregiver empowerment solution for this global health and hygiene company.
- Big HealthcoreDeveloped Sleepio digital sleep therapy application for better sleep through digital therapeutics.
- Mastermind SportscoreVR cognitive training platform for athletic performance with 39 distinct training games designed to sharpen cognitive skills.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Alternova competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- High Alpha: B2B SaaS venture studio that builds and invests in companies from concept to market, mirroring Alternova's hybrid build-and-equity model. Both target distribution-led founders and operate portfolio studios rather than purely being dev shops or VCs.
- Appnovation: Global digital agency building custom web, mobile, and immersive (AR/VR) experiences for enterprise clients. Comparable to Alternova's full-service build offering across emerging tech and enterprise apps.
- Work & Co: Product studio that designs, builds, and ships digital products for leading brands (Nike, Google, Facebook). Closely matches Alternova's boutique, high-output product-build model with strong design-engineering integration.
- Thoughtbot: Boutique product design and development consultancy that occasionally takes equity or profit-share in early-stage ventures. Similar boutique, design-led, equity-friendly dev model targeting founders.
- DockYard: Digital product consultancy specializing in custom web, mobile, and Elixir-based applications for enterprise clients. Comparable boutique custom-software studio serving enterprise with high product quality.
Broad incumbents
- Rightpoint: Larger digital experience and technology consultancy delivering custom software, design, and emerging-tech builds for Fortune 500. Operates in the same custom-development space as Alternova but at significantly greater scale.
- Endava: Public technology services firm delivering custom software engineering, particularly for financial services and digital health. Competes for similar enterprise digital builds at much larger scale than Alternova.
- Globant: Global digital transformation consultancy building custom software, AI, and immersive experiences for enterprises including healthcare and fintech. Overlaps with Alternova's vertical mix but operates at vastly greater scale.
- Thoughtworks: Global technology consultancy focused on custom software engineering, design, and emerging-tech strategy. Comparable to Alternova's enterprise custom-software positioning but with substantially more resources and broader geographic reach.
Emerging players
- Betaworks: Venture studio/seed investor that builds and funds consumer and frontier-tech startups. Comparable to Alternova's portfolio-building approach but skewed toward consumer/AI rather than digital health.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Alternova social profiles
Digital presenceAlternova compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Alternova financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Alternova leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Alternova funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Alternova M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Alternova
What does Alternova do?
Alternova provides custom software development services at below-market rates combined with equity investments in client companies. The firm builds production-ready mobile, web, VR/AR, and gamified applications for founders, operators, and enterprises in education, health, and fintech, using AI-augmented workflows. Clients can engage Alternova through boutique Consulting services or contract for a Production Ready App built to spec.
Is Alternova a public or private company?
Alternova is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Alternova founded?
Alternova was founded in 2016. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Alternova based?
Alternova is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does Alternova make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Software Development Services are the primary driver. The others are strategic Investment and boutique Services.
Who are Alternova's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are High Alpha, Appnovation, Work & Co, Thoughtbot and DockYard. Broad incumbents are Rightpoint, Endava, Globant and Thoughtworks. Betaworks is listed as an emerging player.
Does Alternova have an API?
No public API is recorded for Alternova.
What industry is Alternova in?
Alternova's product category is Software Development Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAEAL, Emerging Tech (IoT, Blockchain, AR/VR, Edge) Consulting, with a secondary code of BPAHAEAF, Data, Analytics & AI Consulting. Its NAICS code is 541511 and its SIC code is 7371.