Question 1

What is Novia Lab?

Accepted Answer

Novia Lab is a digital product development agency based in Quebec, specialized in building MVPs (Minimum Viable Products) and custom software for startups and SMEs. Our team combines technical expertise in Next.js, React Native, and Supabase with product intuition to deliver solutions that solve real business problems. Unlike traditional web agencies that build brochure sites, we build functional digital products — SaaS platforms, mobile applications, internal tools, and custom business software. If you have an idea and need a technical team capable of turning it into a product, we're here for you.

Question 2

What's the difference between Novia Lab and a traditional web agency?

Accepted Answer

The difference is fundamental. A traditional web agency designs brochure sites, online stores, or landing pages — projects with a defined beginning and end. Novia Lab is something different: we build scalable digital products that grow with your company. Concretely, that means we think about long-term technical architecture, not just the initial delivery. We help you choose the right stack, design a scalable database, and secure your product from day one. And after delivery, we remain available to continue iterating with you — new features, optimizations, integrations. It's a partnership, not a transaction.

Question 3

What types of companies does Novia Lab work with?

Accepted Answer

Novia Lab primarily works with three types of clients: Quebec startups looking to launch their first MVP to validate their concept and access an incubator or seed funding; specialized SMEs (construction, HVAC, industry, services) with complex business processes that generic software can't handle; and project founders in the ideation phase who need an experienced technical partner to structure and execute their vision. Our projects span sectors as varied as digital health, B2B SaaS, marketplaces, mechanical building, consumer mobile apps, and internal business tools. What drives us is real complexity — problems that a WordPress site can't solve.

Question 4

Is Novia Lab based in Quebec? Do you work with clients outside the province?

Accepted Answer

Yes, Novia Lab is based in Quebec and the vast majority of our clients are Quebecers. We know the local ecosystem well — incubators, funding programs like ESSOR (Investissement Québec) and BDC, CCQ and RBQ standards for specialized sectors, and the specificities of the French-speaking market. That said, we work in fully remote mode and collaborate with clients in other Canadian provinces and internationally. If your project resonates with us and our expertise matches your needs, geography is not an obstacle.

Question 5

Can Novia Lab help me prepare my application for an incubator like Centech or FounderFuel?

Accepted Answer

Indirectly, yes — and it's often our biggest impact. Having a functional MVP built by an experienced team is one of the strongest arguments for convincing a selection committee like Centech, FounderFuel, or Le Camp. An MVP demonstrates your execution ability, your market understanding, and your seriousness. Several of our clients have used their MVP as the centerpiece of their application. We can also support you on technical pitch definition, architecture documentation, and initial validation metrics — everything incubators need to evaluate the technical soundness of a project.

Question 6

How does a project work at Novia Lab?

Accepted Answer

Every project begins with a 2-week discovery sprint. We map your workflows, precisely define the MVP or software scope, choose the technical stack together, and produce a detailed delivery plan. This is the step that prevents unpleasant surprises mid-project. Then we work in 2-week delivery cycles (agile sprints). At the end of each sprint, you receive a demo of completed work and can provide feedback. This cadence ensures the product evolves in the right direction, with your constant validation — not an opaque final delivery in 6 months.

Question 7

How long does it take to deliver an MVP with Novia Lab?

Accepted Answer

The typical MVP timeline is 6 to 12 weeks after the discovery sprint, depending on complexity. A web MVP with authentication, database, and main dashboard can be delivered in 6 weeks. A platform with simultaneous iOS and Android mobile applications typically requires 10 to 14 weeks. The goal isn't speed for its own sake — it's getting something into the hands of real users as fast as possible to start learning and iterating. An MVP delivered in 6 weeks with 5 well-executed features always beats a "complete" product delivered in 18 months.

Question 8

Can Novia Lab take over an existing project started by another team or agency?

Accepted Answer

Yes, this is a situation we encounter regularly. Before accepting a takeover project, we perform a complete technical audit of the existing code — code quality, architecture, technical debt, security, performance. This audit allows us to honestly assess what can be kept, what needs to be refactored, and what needs to be rewritten. If the existing base is recoverable, we build on it. If the code is too unstable to support growth, we tell you clearly and propose a progressive migration toward a healthy architecture. What matters is your long-term success — not reassuring you in the short term.

Question 9

Does Novia Lab provide support and maintenance after product delivery?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely. Delivering an MVP or software is not the end — it's the beginning. Novia Lab offers maintenance and support contracts after delivery: priority bug fixes, security updates, performance optimizations, and new feature development in continuous cycles. You can choose between a monthly maintenance contract (reserved hours) or continuous development cycles for actively growing products. In all cases, you benefit from our team's deep knowledge of your codebase — no need to re-explain everything each time.

Question 10

How do I start a project with Novia Lab?

Accepted Answer

The first step is a free 30-minute consultation — no commitment, no sales pitch. We listen to your project, ask the right questions, and give you an honest assessment of feasibility, approximate budget, and realistic timeline. If we don't think we're the right fit for your project, we'll tell you — and point you toward the best resource. To book this call, visit novia-lab.com or write to us directly. Most of the time, projects that start with this exchange move significantly faster because we've aligned expectations from the start.

Question 11

How much does MVP development cost in Quebec in 2026?

Accepted Answer

MVP development typically costs between $15,000 and $80,000 CAD depending on complexity. Here are the typical ranges: Simple web MVP (authentication, CRUD, basic dashboard): $15,000 – $30,000 for 4 to 6 weeks of development. B2B SaaS platform with complex business logic, analytics dashboard, and integrations: $35,000 – $65,000 for 8 to 12 weeks. Mobile MVP (iOS + Android) with backend: $45,000 – $80,000 for 10 to 14 weeks. Note: Quebec's ESSOR program (Investissement Québec) can fund up to 50% of development costs for an eligible first digital product. The BDC (Business Development Bank of Canada) also offers venture capital financing for seed-stage startups.

Question 12

How much does custom software cost for an SME or specialized company?

Accepted Answer

For custom software targeting a specific SME business process — job site management, production tracking, sector-specific CRM — the typical range is between $25,000 and $150,000 CAD depending on scope. A first functional module (e.g., airflow sheet management for an HVAC contractor, or a project tracking dashboard) typically costs between $25,000 and $50,000. A complete platform covering multiple departments — estimating, job site management, invoicing, maintenance — can reach $100,000 to $150,000. The ESSOR program and SR&ED tax credits can significantly reduce your net cost.

Question 13

Does Novia Lab work with pre-seed startups that don't have funding yet?

Accepted Answer

Yes, absolutely. Many of our projects start with pre-seed founders who have a strong idea but no institutional funding yet. In these cases, we typically begin with the discovery sprint to precisely define the scope and estimate the budget — giving you a concrete plan to present to investors or an incubation program. We can also help you structure your ESSOR funding application, identify applicable support programs, and prepare the technical documentation required by investors. Having a technical partner involved early is a strong positive signal for investment committees.

Question 14

Are there Quebec grants to fund my application or software development?

Accepted Answer

Yes, several programs exist to reduce your development costs: ESSOR Program (Investissement Québec) — funds up to 50% of first eligible digital product development costs, as a loan or non-repayable contribution depending on your profile. BDC Technology Acceleration — venture capital funding for seed-stage tech startups with strong growth potential. SR&ED Tax Credit (Scientific Research and Experimental Development) — recover between 35% and 69% of R&D costs depending on your status (CCPC or other). Innov-Alliance — grants for collaborative projects between startups and Quebec universities. PCAN Program — helps Quebec SMEs fund their digital transformation. We regularly guide our clients through these processes. Mention it during your initial consultation and we'll point you to the most relevant programs for your situation.

Question 15

What technologies does Novia Lab use to develop MVPs and software?

Accepted Answer

We use a modern, battle-tested stack optimized for development speed and long-term scalability: Web frontend: Next.js (React) — the industry standard for high-performance web applications with built-in excellent SEO. Mobile: React Native — a single codebase for iOS and Android, cutting the mobile budget in half. Backend & database: Supabase (managed PostgreSQL), Firebase, or Node.js/Express depending on needs. Hosting & deployment: Vercel or Railway — automatic deployment, global CDN, zero DevOps. CMS: Sanity.io for content-managed projects. Auth: Supabase Auth, Auth0, or Clerk depending on complexity. We don't change technologies for fun — we choose the tools most suited to your specific context and master them deeply.

Question 16

What is an MVP and how is it different from a prototype or a final product?

Accepted Answer

A prototype (typically a Figma mockup) is a visual simulation of your product — it has no functional code. It lets you test design and user flows before development starts. It's the validation step for "does this look right?" An MVP (Minimum Viable Product) is a real, functional product that real users can use — often for the first time under real conditions. It contains only the essential features to validate your core market hypothesis. It's the validation step for "do people actually want this?" The final product is what you build after validating your market with your MVP, with all features, performance optimizations, and the polish needed to scale. Going straight to the final product without going through the MVP is the primary failure factor for startups — you invest massively before knowing whether the market responds.

Question 17

Can Novia Lab integrate its software with our existing systems (ERP, CRM, accounting)?

Accepted Answer

Yes, integration with existing systems is an important part of our work. Most modern tools — QuickBooks, Xero, HubSpot, Salesforce, SAP, Dynamics — expose REST APIs or webhooks that allow bidirectional connections. During the discovery sprint, we precisely map your current systems and design an appropriate integration strategy: real-time synchronization, scheduled imports/exports, or event-triggered integrations. The goal is always to eliminate double data entry and create a coherent data flow between all your tools.

Question 18

Does Novia Lab manage hosting, security, and compliance for my application?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Hosting, security and compliance are part of our deliverable. We deploy on world-class cloud infrastructure (Vercel, Railway, AWS, Supabase) with rigorous security configurations: forced HTTPS, encrypted environment variables, rate limiting, CSRF protection, input validation, regular dependency audits. For projects that handle personal data, we implement practices compliant with Law 25 (Quebec) and GDPR (if applicable) from the design stage: data minimization, explicit consent, encryption of sensitive data at rest and in transit, and clear retention policies. Security is not an afterthought — it's built into the architecture from day one.

Question 19

Can Novia Lab develop a mobile application for iOS and Android?

Accepted Answer

Yes. We develop cross-platform native mobile applications with React Native, targeting iOS and Android simultaneously from a single codebase. This is the solution we recommend for most mobile MVPs — it cuts development budget in half compared to two separate native apps, without significant compromise on user experience. For cases requiring very specific native performance or features (real-time video processing, advanced AR, Bluetooth LE), we can evaluate native development in Swift (iOS) or Kotlin (Android). But in 90% of cases, React Native delivers exactly what's needed — it's the same technology used by Facebook, Shopify, Coinbase, and thousands of other apps on the App Store and Google Play.

Question 20

Does Novia Lab use artificial intelligence in its developments?

Accepted Answer

Yes, AI is part of our toolkit — but we integrate it only when it delivers real value, not to follow a trend. Concretely, this can take several forms depending on your project. Generative AI: integration of Claude (Anthropic) or GPT-4 (OpenAI) APIs for content generation, summarization, classification, or conversational assistance features directly in your product. ML & prediction: recommendation models, anomaly detection, or demand forecasting based on your business data. Computer vision: image or document analysis for sectors like construction, healthcare, or logistics. Intelligent automation: data processing pipelines with LLM enrichment steps. In all cases, we clearly explain what AI contributes, what it can't do, and we design systems where humans retain control over important decisions.

Common questions