Business Context

Simpl measures sustainability impact for infrastructure investments. A joint venture between Meridiam and Blunomy, their methodology for scoring SDG and EU Taxonomy alignment was trapped in spreadsheets. Manual. Error-prone. Impossible to scale.

The business needed a real product, not a digitized Excel file. But Simpl had no engineering team, no technical leadership, and no roadmap for getting there.

Challenge

The problem wasn't just "build an app." It was deeper:

• A complex sustainability scoring methodology that had never been translated into software logic
• Multiple stakeholders with different needs, all modifying the same underlying data models
• No CTO, no engineering team, no technical decision-making capability in-house
• The venture needed to ship fast enough to prove market viability, but be built well enough to scale

The core tension:

The key to building a successful digital venture isn't just the technology used, but how well the team is assembled to keep the project evolving.

Approach

Kunso didn't come in as a dev shop to execute specs. We operated as the founding engineering function for a venture that didn't have one yet.

The engagement started with understanding the actual business problem before writing a single line of code:

• How does the SDG/EUT scoring methodology actually work, and where are the edge cases?
• Which stakeholders need direct access to modify scoring parameters, and which don't?
• What's the fastest path to a working product that can close real clients?

Solution

1. Methodology Deep-Dive and Architecture

Three weeks of intensive discovery to translate sustainability measurement logic into software architecture. This wasn't a requirements gathering phase. It was engineering the scoring system from first principles so the platform could evolve as the methodology changed.

Deliverables:

• 10 UX/UI screens validated with stakeholders
• Technology proof-of-concept for scoring engine
• System architecture with Airtable as the stakeholder interface layer
• 8-week development backlog prioritized for fastest path to first client

2. Product Build

Development focused on two things simultaneously: shipping a product that could win clients and building a foundation that wouldn't collapse when those clients arrived.

The architecture decisions mattered. Airtable became the interface for non-technical stakeholders to modify scoring parameters directly, eliminating a class of development bottlenecks. Auth0 handled GDPR-compliant user management. Gen AI was embedded for data validation on pre-filled questionnaires, cutting manual review work significantly.

Deliverables:

• Full-stack product: ReactJS frontend, NestJS/PostgreSQL backend, Google Cloud infrastructure
• AI-powered data validation pipeline
• Stakeholder-facing Airtable integration for methodology updates
• Complete technical documentation and process setup

3. Engineering Team Build-Out

A product without a team to maintain it is a liability. From day one, the plan included building Simpl's own engineering capability so they wouldn't depend on us indefinitely.

We defined the engineering budget, built the hiring pipeline, ran technical interviews, and onboarded the team. The goal was a clean handover to internal leadership.

Deliverables:

• 6–12 month engineering budget and resource plan
• CTO evaluation framework and candidate pipeline
• 3 engineers and a CTO hired and onboarded