Alternova, Inc.

Alternova is a Colombia-based design and development shop that doubles as an investment fund. They work in health, education, and fintech—three sectors they say shape human wellbeing. The firm is small and AI-enhanced, claiming 5x output per developer through what they call an AI-first development culture. Rather than take a traditional hourly-rate engagement, Alternova offers what they call a hybrid model: founders pay roughly 60% below market rate for development work, and Alternova takes the margin as equity instead. They're self-funded with no external investors, no board, and no LPs—which they claim lets them move fast and make decisions by conviction alone.

Their pitch targets founders who are already selling. Alternova invests only in companies generating revenue or actively closing a funding round, and structures deals to be cashflow-positive from the start. They say they "bet on distributors"—people exceptional at go-to-market—and provide technology and capital alongside the engineering work.

Services and capabilities

Alternova groups its work into three phases: design, build, and scale. On the design side, they offer product strategy, UX/UI design, user research, and design systems. They position this as strategic consultancy paired with user-centered design.

For build, they deliver custom software development, web and mobile applications, video games, API development, and "reliable infrastructure." They don't name specific tech stacks on their main pages, though projects in their portfolio touch web, mobile, and gaming platforms.

Under scale, they list HIPAA/SOC2 hosting, strategic investment, go-to-market support, and DevOps & security services. This is where the investment piece enters: they'll host your product, advise on launch strategy, and put capital in.

Notable work

Alternova's portfolio mixes client work and in-house ventures. Client projects include Mastermind, a VR cognitive training app for athletic performance with 39 distinct training games; Ace, a mobile assessment tool for executive function (attention, working memory, goal management) with 13 tasks available in 6 languages, used across research studies in the USA and Europe; Credible, a speech-coaching app that flags filler words like "like" in real time; Issviva, a Shopify-integrated e-commerce marketplace for menopause products sold in the UK; and Backpack, a mental health app for kids and teens offering appointment scheduling, emotional tracking, and telehealth integration.

Their own portfolio ventures include Sky Therapeutic, an NIH-funded game targeting ADHD through central executive training; ExchangiFi, a fintech platform simplifying tax-deferred 1031 exchanges; TheraNuvo, focused on speech and cognitive therapy; and Lizzy Care, a dementia care platform. They've publicly launched multiple products, though exact numbers aren't specified in the source.

How they work

The engagement model is the crux of their pitch. Alternova charges roughly 60% below market hourly rates—close to cost, they say—and converts the margin into equity in your company. They target founders already generating revenue or in active funding rounds, and structure every investment to be cashflow-positive with no burn on their side. They aim for 3–5x IRR targets. They describe themselves as small but AI-enhanced, claiming faster market entry (10x faster, according to their site) and built-in distribution for portfolio companies. Decision-making is conviction-driven, with no hidden agendas from external investors.

Team and credentials

The source does not name founders, leadership, or give exact team size. Alternova describes itself as "small" and "highly AI-enhanced." They are self-funded and independent, with no external LP backing. No certifications (ISO, SOC 2, HIPAA compliance status) are mentioned, though they do offer HIPAA/SOC2 hosting to clients. No Clutch, G2, or third-party rating is provided.