ESAI had no technical founder and an MVP built on low-code tooling — functional enough to validate the idea, but not investable. With a seed round in sight and real product ambition around AI-powered admissions tools, they needed to move fast: rebuild on a scalable stack, ship new features, and present a credible technical vision to investors. All of this with a limited runway.
Alteam embedded with ESAI for two years through an Augment retainer, providing fractional CTPO leadership and advisory alongside an on-demand team of three software engineers and a UX/UI designer. We started with a full product assessment, stress-testing the MVP, the tech strategy, and the roadmap, then moved into execution. The team rebuilt the product on a scalable foundation and shipped new AI-powered features designed to transform the student admissions process.
ESAI went from an uninvestable low-code prototype to a market-ready product that unlocked their pre-seed and seed rounds, attracting Mark Cuban as an investor. Alteam's fractional model meant ESAI had senior technical leadership and a capable delivery team throughout, without the cost or commitment of full-time hires at a stage where every pound of runway matters.