Fintech MVP for Secure Renovation Payments

An AI-powered fintech solution that makes renovation payments safer and clearer for everyone involved. The platform handles complex FCA‑regulated escrow and gives homeowners and builders a structured workflow to fund projects upfront and release payments fairly with minimal risk.

Key Project Numbers AND Facts

12 weeks

project duration

PropTech / Fintech

industry

Next.js, React, Supabase

technology

MVP development, PWA development

services

Client

Renopay is a UK-based startup building a secure payment platform for the home renovation market. The idea is simple but powerful: protect homeowners and builders by replacing risky bank transfers with milestone-based escrow in a smart, transparent system.

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Business Challenge

Every year, around 1.5 million home renovation projects kick off in the UK, yet almost none of them use a structured payment mechanism. Most projects still run on a mix of deposits, ad hoc stage payments, and trust alone, which leaves homeowners exposed if things go wrong and puts builders under constant cash flow pressure when payments are delayed or disputed.

Renopay wanted to change that by combining consumer-grade UX with an FCA‑authorised escrow setup that holds funds securely and releases them only when milestones are completed and approved.

The challenge for the founding team was to turn this concept into an MVP that could sit at the heart of renovation projects. The MVP had to feel polished enough to earn trust, lean enough to launch quickly, and flexible enough to support future additions.

With this idea in mind, the founders approached Upsilon, and our team set to work on bringing their vision to life.

Solution

Moving from product discovery and scoping into development, Renopay and Upsilon shaped the MVP around the flows that mattered most: project setup, milestone planning, funding, approvals, payment release, and basic dispute handling. The design team focused on an intuitive experience where the complexity of escrow sits behind clear visuals, so both sides always know where the money is and what happens next.

The platform’s architecture is built around a regulated safeguarding partner — the Open Payment Platform (OPP), an FCA‑authorised provider. This was a foundational decision: every pound flowing through Renopay sits in a regulated environment instead of on the platform’s own balance sheet, which simplifies risk, compliance, and trust for an early product.

Upsilon also helped integrate AI‑first tools directly into the platform:This is some text inside of a div block.

Payment Schedule Generator
Creates a balanced payment schedule that protects both the homeowner and the builder.
Smart Quote Analyzer
Lets users upload builder quotes, then cross‑references line items against local market data to flag hidden costs, unrealistic pricing, and high‑risk terms.This is some text inside of a div block.

Within the MVP, users can:

Create renovation projects and define milestone‑based payment plans

Release payments once agreed work is completed and approved

Use escrow-secured payments with a 7-day review window before release

Track progress, approve work or raise disputes when necessary — all in one place

Manage project activity through an admin‑facing operational layer

On the technical side, the product was built as a progressive web app (PWA), so it runs across web and mobile from a single codebase. For an early‑stage startup, this means faster time to market, fewer moving parts to maintain, and the ability to test core assumptions with real users on any device before committing to separate native apps.

Impact & Results

By engineering trust directly into the payment flow, Renopay changes both the economics and the emotional experience of renovating, making it feel less like a gamble and more like a managed process for both sides.

For homeowners

Pay only for completed work. Money is released milestone by milestone, on approval.
Budget protection by default. Funds stay ring‑fenced in FCA‑authorised escrow until work is verified, reducing the biggest financial risk in a renovation.
Built-in arbitration. Independent RICS-backed dispute resolution is included, replacing the cost and stress of small claims court.
Transparent, low cost. A simple 1% per milestone fee with no monthly subscription, compared with roughly 4% and weeks of delay that are typical of traditional contract administration and QS drawdowns.

For builders

Proof of funds from day one. Builders see that money is committed before they start, so they do not need to push for large deposits.
Faster cashflow. Once a milestone is approved, payouts hit their account in seconds instead of waiting on NET 30 terms.
Less admin, fewer awkward calls. Automated milestone tracking and time‑stamped records cut down on invoice chasing and “where’s my money?” conversations.
Stronger pitch to clients. Offering Renopay shows professionalism and builds homeowner confidence, helping good builders stand out and win more work.

In short, Renopay turns messy, handshake‑based renovation payments into a clean, fintech‑driven flow that both homeowners and builders can actually trust.