The verdict in three sentences
For a New York expense-management startup, a B2B SaaS MVP limited to three features costs 35,000 to 60,000 EUR (about 38,000 to 65,000 USD) with a European or nearshore agency and ships in 10 to 14 weeks. The same scope at a Manhattan studio typically runs 80,000 to 140,000 USD, and founders who incorporate a French subsidiary can also tap the French Tech grant (up to 30,000 EUR). Beyond price, the real risk for non-technical founders is overbuilding: a strict scope is worth more than a low day rate.
What a B2B SaaS MVP costs in 2026
Serious European agencies bill 550 to 850 EUR per day per profile, while New York senior contractors charge 900 to 1,400 USD per day. An expense MVP with receipt capture, manager approval workflow and accounting export represents 60 to 90 person-days, design included.
| Item | 2026 range (EUR, excl. tax) | Share of budget |
|---|---|---|
| Discovery, workshops, UX/UI mockups | 4,000 to 7,000 | 11 % |
| Authentication, roles, multi-company | 5,000 to 8,000 | 14 % |
| Receipt capture + OCR (third-party API) | 7,000 to 12,000 | 20 % |
| Approval workflow and notifications | 6,000 to 10,000 | 17 % |
| Accounting export (CSV, QuickBooks, Xero API) | 5,000 to 9,000 | 15 % |
| Subscription billing (Stripe) | 3,000 to 6,000 | 9 % |
| QA, production launch, monitoring | 5,000 to 8,000 | 14 % |
| Total MVP | 35,000 to 60,000 | 100 % |
The gap between the low and high end depends mostly on three choices: native mobile app or responsive web (a PWA is enough for an MVP), in-house OCR or API (always the API at first), and number of accounting integrations (one at launch).
Part-time CTO, contractors or agency: the real comparison
Non-technical founders often hesitate between recruiting a co-founder CTO, paying a fractional CTO who manages contractors, or handing the MVP to an agency. Each option has a hidden cost.
| Criterion | Fractional CTO + contractors | MVP agency | Recruited co-founder CTO |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cash cost over 14 weeks | 30,000 to 45,000 EUR | 35,000 to 60,000 EUR | 0 to 15,000 EUR + 10 to 25 % equity |
| Time to start | 3 to 6 weeks | 1 to 2 weeks | 3 to 9 months of search |
| Dependency risk | Medium | Medium (code handed over) | Low |
| Founder management load | High | Low to medium | Low |
| Documentation quality | Variable | Contractual | Variable |
| Grant-eligible spend | Yes (invoices) | Yes (invoices) | Partial |
For an MVP that must convince pilot customers and angels within six months, the agency or the fractional CTO + agency combo is usually fastest. Recruiting a co-founder CTO remains the goal, but works better after first revenue, once the product vision is validated.
Grants and recurring costs to plan for
The French Tech grant funds up to 30,000 EUR (capped at 70 % of eligible spend) for a French entity, and US founders can look at SBIR programs for R&D-heavy products. External development services are eligible if committed after the application. On the recurring side, a modern stack stays lean.
| Monthly item | Up to 100 users | Up to 1,000 users |
|---|---|---|
| App hosting (Vercel, AWS) | 20 to 40 USD | 60 to 120 USD |
| Managed PostgreSQL | 15 to 25 USD | 50 to 90 USD |
| Receipt OCR (API, usage-based) | 10 to 30 USD | 60 to 100 USD |
| Transactional email | 0 to 15 USD | 20 to 35 USD |
| Monitoring and logs | 0 to 20 USD | 25 to 40 USD |
| Total infrastructure | 45 to 130 USD | 215 to 300 USD |
| Ongoing maintenance (option) | 800 to 1,500 EUR | 1,500 to 3,000 EUR |
Splitting the MVP into two-week sprints
A typical six-sprint plan: sprint 0 discovery and mockups, sprint 1 authentication and company workspaces, sprint 2 receipt capture and OCR, sprint 3 approval workflow, sprint 4 accounting export and Stripe billing, sprint 5 QA with three pilot customers and production launch. Each sprint ends with a demo on staging, so founders can cut a feature as soon as it drifts.
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Mini case study
Claire and Mehdi, co-founders of an expense startup in Brooklyn, pick a 48,000 EUR scope (about 52,000 USD) with a nearshore agency instead of a 110,000 USD local quote. Their French subsidiary obtains a 30,000 EUR French Tech grant (70 % of 42,800 EUR eligible spend). Remaining cash: 18,000 EUR. At 12 USD per user per month, 1,000 paying users generate 12,000 USD monthly revenue for under 300 USD of infrastructure. The 18,000 EUR out-of-pocket is recovered with 150 paying users in ten months.
FAQ
Can an MVP really ship in 10 weeks?
Yes, if the scope is limited to three features and decisions are made within 48 h. Beyond five features, plan 16 to 20 weeks.
Does the French Tech grant fund an agency?
Yes, external development services are eligible, up to 70 % and 30,000 EUR, for a French entity. The application must be filed before purchase orders are signed.
Who owns the code?
The contract must assign all IP to the startup, with code pushed to a Git repository the startup owns. This is non-negotiable before any fundraising.
Do we need a native mobile app for the MVP?
Rarely. A PWA supports receipt photos and costs 30 to 40 % less than separate iOS and Android apps.
What should we budget after launch?
Plan 15 to 20 % of the initial budget per year for maintenance and small features, i.e. 7,000 to 12,000 EUR for a 48,000 EUR MVP.
Let's scope your project. Send us your three core features and we will price an MVP between 35,000 and 60,000 EUR, split into sprints and ready for your grant file. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.