--- title: "Software Takeover" canonical: https://wavect.io/services/software-takeover/ language: en description: "Take over software built by another agency, freelancer, or internal team. We start with a paid assessment, get repo and infrastructure access, close the security and documentation gaps, stabilise releases, then maintain and extend it. No big-bang rewrite." image: "https://wavect.io/img/general/bak/open_graph_preview.jpg" --- Software Takeover # Take Over Software Built by Someone Else Inherited a codebase from another agency, a freelancer, or an internal team that moved on? We take it over the honest way: a paid assessment first, then repo and infrastructure access, the security and documentation gaps closed, releases made safe, and the roadmap moving again. No big-bang rewrite unless the numbers demand one. - 75+ products shipped - 10+ years experience - No-Bullshit Guarantee DIRECT ANSWER Choose Software Takeover when a vendor or team handover needs access recovery, documentation, release stabilization, and a safe path for continued maintenance. BEST FOR - A product changing software service provider, agency, freelancer, or internal engineering ownership. - A live codebase that needs risk assessed before maintenance or new development begins. NOT BEST FOR - A blind rewrite before the current system has been inspected. - A handover without repository, infrastructure, and stakeholder access. // 01 ## What you actually inherit A handover is rarely clean. The people who made the decisions are gone, the documentation is thin or wrong, and nobody is sure what breaks if you touch the wrong file. The real cost of a takeover is not writing code, it is decoding choices someone else never wrote down. We price that risk honestly before we commit to a timeline. - ✓ - **Undocumented decisions.** Architecture and business rules that live only in the previous team's heads. - ✓ - **No clean access.** Repos, CI, cloud accounts, DNS, and secrets scattered across personal accounts. - ✓ - **Security and dependency debt.** Leaked keys, unpatched libraries, and versions that stopped getting fixes. - ✓ - **Release fear.** No tests, no rollback, so nobody wants to ship and the backlog freezes. // 02 ## What the paid takeover assessment covers One to two weeks, fixed scope. You get a written report you own, whether or not you continue with us. Existing codebase assessment Architecture, code quality, hidden coupling, and the quick wins versus the structural risks, mapped in plain language. Repository and infrastructure access We inventory and transfer repos, CI/CD, cloud accounts, domains, and secrets into accounts you control. No more single points of failure. Documentation gaps We write down what only lived in someone's head: setup, deploy, environment config, and the decisions behind them. Security and dependency review Exposed secrets, outdated and vulnerable dependencies, broken access control, and the patch order that actually matters. // 03 ## How the handover runs A staged transition, so production stays up while ownership moves to us. 01 ### Paid assessment Access, audit, and a written plan with a fixed-price offer before we change significant code. 02 ### Knowledge transfer We debrief the previous provider or team where possible, and capture what they know before the window closes. 03 ### Stabilisation We fix what is actively bleeding first: security holes, data risks, and the bugs reaching users. 04 ### Release-risk management Tests, CI, preview deploys, and one-command rollback, so shipping stops being scary. 05 ### Maintenance and further development Then we keep it running and build the roadmap again, on a retainer or a signed scope. // 04 ## What the assessment tells you to do next Sometimes a full takeover is the wrong call. The assessment points you to the honest option, even when it earns us less. Just keep it safe and stable If you mainly need someone to catch regressions and keep a live product healthy, that is a QA partnership, not a full takeover. [See Software Quality Assurance](/services/software-quality-assurance/) It was built with AI tools If the codebase came out of Lovable, Cursor, Bolt, or similar, the failure modes are different and so is the fix. [See Vibe Coding Rescue](/services/vibe-coding-rescue/) Finish it and keep building If the goal is new features and a moving roadmap, we take it over and develop it end to end. [See Software Development](/services/software-development/) // 05 ## What it costs The assessment is the only paid step you commit to up front. Everything after it is quoted from what we actually find. Takeover assessment Fixed scope One to two weeks, fixed price agreed after a short intro call, credited toward the engagement if you continue. You keep the written report either way. Takeover and further development Monthly or fixed Ongoing maintenance and new features on a monthly retainer, or a signed fixed-scope Werkvertrag for a defined piece of work. Quoted after the assessment, never before. We do not quote a takeover blind. Anyone who gives you a fixed number before reading the code is guessing, and you pay for the guess later. Switch agencies, or keep your current team? Sometimes, keep your team. We have told clients not to switch when the math did not work. Ramp time, reverse-engineering, and lost context can cost more than the original problem. When keeping your team and having us coach them to the finish is the cheaper, faster call, we say so. // proof ## Proof, not promises ### [FTW Ventures](/case-studies/ftw-ventures/) - **Status:** Wind Down - **Outcome:** NFT mint - Shipped - **Summary:** Rescued a stalled NFT mint, finished it, and handed back a CMS so non-technical staff could ship without us. - **Stack:** Typescript, React, Solidity ### [Bond Analytics Platform](/case-studies/bond-analytics/) - **Status:** Live - **Outcome:** 2 months - 0 to Enterprise - **Summary:** Institutional bond analytics platform, zero to enterprise-ready in 2 months; raised multiple rounds. - **Stack:** NestJS, React, Typescript ### [Twinsoft AI](/case-studies/twinsoft-ai/) - **Status:** Live - **Outcome:** 2 weeks - To Sellable MVP - **Summary:** Took a vibe-coded prototype to enterprise pilot-ready, no shortcuts. - **Stack:** Python / Flask, LLMs, Terraform These are selected projects, not our full portfolio. We have shipped 75+ products since 2018. ### What clients say Google **Amazingly efficient, professional, and excellent work.** I recently worked with Kevin and his team on a large project. I plan on using him again and highly recommend his services. Read more → Robert Reynolds Original LinkedIn **Working with Kevin is a real pleasure.** He is curious in understanding challenges and at the same time very intrinsically ambitioned in finding the best solution. On top of his undisputed IT-competence his honest and disarming open mind leads to very inspiring relationships. What I value very much is his personal humility towards people. Kevin is a highly recommendable Software-Engineer and a good person who makes an impact. Read more → Stefan Pirchmoser Head of Brand Management Original Trustpilot **Delivered all work on time, even under tight deadlines.** The perfect balance between professional standards and a collaborative working relationship. Read more → MyDevConnect Team Original Independently rated 5.0/5 on Clutch [Read the reviews](https://clutch.co/profile/wavect-gmbh#reviews) [![Clutch Top Software Developers in Austria 2026 award for Wavect](/img/awards/clutch-top-software-developers-austria-2026_hu_1bc9fdf2116cca69.webp) Verified on Clutch · 2026 Top Software Developers in Austria View our Clutch profile](https://clutch.co/profile/wavect-gmbh) [![Clutch Top Digital Transformation Company in Austria 2026 award for Wavect](/img/awards/clutch-top-digital-transformation-company-austria-2026_hu_3960015146744168.webp) Verified on Clutch · 2026 Top Digital Transformation Company in Austria View our Clutch profile](https://clutch.co/profile/wavect-gmbh) ## FAQs Taking over software from another provider ### How does the weekly cancellation actually work? End any week, with one message. No notice period, no exit interview, no fine print. We invoice weekly, so the most you’re ever committed to is the current week. ### What if I'm not blown away by the work? It’s in your contract: tell us, and we refund that week. No questions, no invoices to dispute, no calls to escalate. The only rule: refunds apply to the most recent week. ### Why don't you track hours? Because hours are the wrong metric. If we optimize for hours billed, we do not optimize for your outcome. The deal is simpler: every week has a defined result, and we earn the next week by delivering it. You pay for progress against that result, not for a timesheet. ### What does 'expectations detached from reality' mean? We work with operators, not lottery winners. If a request would require breaking physics, the law, or a third party’s systems, we say so, and if we can’t align, we walk. The guarantee is mutual: you can fire us any week; we can also fire ourselves. ### Can you take over software built by another agency or freelancer? Yes, that is exactly what this is. We inherit codebases from agencies, freelancers, and internal teams that have moved on. The first one to two weeks are an audit: we document the architecture, find the quick wins and the structural risks, and hand you a written plan before we change significant code. We have taken over.NET, PHP/Symfony, Python, and Node projects and modernised them without a big-bang rewrite. ### How do I switch software agencies without breaking production? Staged, not overnight. We take read access and run the assessment while your current setup keeps running, transfer repos, CI, cloud, and secrets into accounts you own (our [software handover checklist](/software-development-guide/software-handover-checklist/) covers what you should receive), then take over releases once tests and rollback are in place. The previous provider is debriefed where possible so knowledge does not walk out the door. ### Can you just extend or finish our existing software? Yes. If the code is sound enough to build on, we go straight from the assessment to new features and a moving roadmap. Most inherited software needs stabilising first, hardening rather than a teardown, and then it is a normal [software development](/services/software-development/) engagement from there. ### What if we only need maintenance, not new features? Then a full takeover is overkill. Keeping a live product safe and stable, catching regressions before users do, is our [Software Quality Assurance](/services/software-quality-assurance/) partnership. We will point you there instead of selling you more than you need. ### What if it turns out to be an AI or vibe-coded prototype? The failure modes are different, so the fix is different. If your app came out of Lovable, Bolt, Cursor, or Replit, see [Vibe Coding Rescue](/services/vibe-coding-rescue/), which is built specifically for AI-generated code. ### What access do you need to take over? For the assessment: read access to the repository, the CI/CD setup, and any docs. For a full takeover: ownership of the repos, cloud accounts, domains, and secrets, moved into accounts you control. Part of the job is making sure everything lives in your name, not a departed contractor’s personal account. ### What does the takeover assessment cost? Fixed scope, priced after a short intro call once we know the size of the codebase, and credited toward the engagement if you continue. You keep the written report regardless. We do not quote the takeover itself before reading the code, because a number given blind is a number you overpay for later. // More in ## More in Software Development ### [Custom Software Development](/services/software-development/) End-to-end delivery across web, mobile, AI, and blockchain. Senior engineers, signed SoW, weekly outcomes. ### [MVP Development](/services/mvp-development/) Discovery for €3,500, then a fixed-price MVP on a Werkvertrag with working software demoed every week. ### [Web Apps](/services/web-apps/) Production-grade web apps in Next.js, React, and NestJS. From zero to scale. ### [Mobile Apps](/services/mobile-apps/) React Native, Flutter, and native iOS and Android, shipped to the App Store and Play Store. ### [Software Quality Assurance](/services/software-quality-assurance/) Outside eyes that catch what your team can't. €750/week, finds 40 to 70% more issues in the first 30 days. // Get to know us ## Get to know us Long-term relationships over quick wins. [![Blogs](/img/services/gtku_blogs_hu_d7e3f659443e93f9.webp) Read our Blog](/blog/overview/) [![No BS Around Tech Podcast](/img/services/gtku_podcast_hu_aac94ba51d8a6f9f.webp) No BS Around Tech Podcast](/#trust-podcast) [![Image Gallery](/img/services/gtknu_gallery_hu_451025d2d15b7558.webp) Get some Impressions](/#image-gallery) ## Structured Data ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@id": "https://wavect.io/#organization", "@type": [ "Organization", "ProfessionalService", "LocalBusiness" ], "employee": [ { "@id": "https://wavect.io/team/kevin-riedl/#person", "@type": "Person", "jobTitle": "Managing Director", "name": "Kevin Riedl", "url": "https://wavect.io/team/kevin-riedl/", "worksFor": { "@id": "https://wavect.io/#organization", "@type": [ "Organization", "ProfessionalService", "LocalBusiness" ] } }, { "@id": "https://wavect.io/team/christof-jori/#person", "@type": "Person", "jobTitle": "Managing Director", "name": "Christof Jori", "url": "https://wavect.io/team/christof-jori/", "worksFor": { "@id": "https://wavect.io/#organization", "@type": [ "Organization", "ProfessionalService", "LocalBusiness" ] } } ], "founder": [ { "@id": "https://wavect.io/team/kevin-riedl/#person", "@type": "Person", "jobTitle": "Managing Director", "name": "Kevin Riedl", "url": "https://wavect.io/team/kevin-riedl/", "worksFor": { "@id": "https://wavect.io/#organization", "@type": [ "Organization", "ProfessionalService", "LocalBusiness" ] } }, { "@id": "https://wavect.io/team/christof-jori/#person", "@type": "Person", "jobTitle": "Managing Director", "name": "Christof Jori", "url": "https://wavect.io/team/christof-jori/", "worksFor": { "@id": "https://wavect.io/#organization", "@type": [ "Organization", "ProfessionalService", "LocalBusiness" ] } } ], "legalRepresentative": [ { "@id": "https://wavect.io/team/kevin-riedl/#person", "@type": "Person", "jobTitle": "Managing Director", "name": "Kevin Riedl", "url": "https://wavect.io/team/kevin-riedl/", "worksFor": { "@id": "https://wavect.io/#organization", "@type": [ "Organization", "ProfessionalService", "LocalBusiness" ] } }, { "@id": "https://wavect.io/team/christof-jori/#person", "@type": "Person", "jobTitle": "Managing Director", "name": "Christof Jori", "url": "https://wavect.io/team/christof-jori/", "worksFor": { "@id": "https://wavect.io/#organization", "@type": [ "Organization", "ProfessionalService", "LocalBusiness" ] } } ], "name": "Wavect GmbH", "subjectOf": { "@id": "https://wavect.io/verified-claims.json#dataset", "@type": "Dataset", "creator": { "@id": "https://wavect.io/#organization", "@type": [ "Organization", "ProfessionalService", "LocalBusiness" ] }, "description": "A machine-readable registry of quantitative and qualitative claims published by Wavect, with review dates, localized page appearances and public third-party citations where available.", "inLanguage": "en", "isAccessibleForFree": true, "license": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "name": "Wavect verified publication claims", "url": "https://wavect.io/verified-claims.json" }, "url": "https://wavect.io/" }, { "@id": "https://wavect.io/team/kevin-riedl/#person", "@type": "Person", "jobTitle": "Managing Director", "name": "Kevin Riedl", "sameAs": [ "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q139796365", "https://www.linkedin.com/in/wsdt", "https://github.com/wsdt" ], "url": "https://wavect.io/team/kevin-riedl/", "worksFor": { "@id": "https://wavect.io/#organization", "@type": [ "Organization", "ProfessionalService", "LocalBusiness" ] } }, { "@id": "https://wavect.io/team/christof-jori/#person", "@type": "Person", "jobTitle": "Managing Director", "name": "Christof Jori", "sameAs": [ "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q139796367", "https://www.linkedin.com/in/jocr77/", "https://github.com/jo-chris" ], "url": "https://wavect.io/team/christof-jori/", "worksFor": { "@id": "https://wavect.io/#organization", "@type": [ "Organization", "ProfessionalService", "LocalBusiness" ] } }, { "@id": "https://wavect.io/#website", "@type": "WebSite", "inLanguage": [ "en", "de", "es", "zh" ], "name": "Wavect", "potentialAction": { "@type": "SearchAction", "query-input": "required name=search_term_string", "target": { "@type": "EntryPoint", "urlTemplate": "https://wavect.io/search/?q={search_term_string}" } }, "publisher": { "@id": "https://wavect.io/#organization", "@type": [ "Organization", "ProfessionalService", "LocalBusiness" ] }, "url": "https://wavect.io/" } ] } ``` ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@id": "https://wavect.io/services/software-takeover/#service", "@type": "Service", "areaServed": [ { "@type": "Country", "name": "Austria" }, { "@type": "Place", "name": "Worldwide" } ], "category": "Software Development", "description": "Take over software built by another agency, freelancer, or internal team. 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