Canadian SR&ED Tax Incentives
Humi is one of Canada’s most successful enterprise software startups.
Founded to simplify HR, payroll, and benefits for Canadian companies, Humi quickly became a trusted partner for thousands of employers.
With backing from Y Combinator, Tribe Capital, and some of the most respected founders in the ecosystem like Ahmad from Mercury, Humi grew into a market leader before its eventual exit to Employment Hero.
While Humi’s main payroll and HR platform was the centerpiece of its acquisition, growth at this scale often requires companies to innovate beyond the core product. That’s where Big House, a certified Bubble agency and leading software development agency, entered the picture.
Humi engaged Big House to design and build a secondary application focused on a very specific but critical business challenge: managing SR&ED (Scientific Research and Experimental Development) tax incentives in Canada. These incentives can significantly offset R&D costs for Canadian companies, but applying for and managing them is complex.
By partnering with Big House, Humi was able to build an MVP fast, test the opportunity in-market, and deliver a polished, user-centric solution without distracting its internal engineering team from its primary mission.
Even though Humi had a strong in-house engineering team, it faced a classic enterprise application development dilemma: how do you innovate and test a new product idea without slowing down the core roadmap?
SR&ED tax incentives represent billions of dollars in funding for Canadian companies, but few tools existed to automate or streamline the process. Humi saw an opportunity to create software that could:
But building this from scratch internally would be expensive, time-consuming, and risky. That’s why Humi turned to Big House, a software house specializing in no-code and low-code tools, to validate the idea quickly.
As Kevin Kliman, Humi’s CEO and Co-Founder, put it:
“Big House let me run an experiment outside the bounds of our existing team without compromising security or the existing budget.”
Despite being a VC-backed company with world-class engineers, Humi deliberately sought out an external app development agency for this project. The reasons were clear:
Kevin summarized the value of outsourcing succinctly:
“It’s one thing to have to staff up a full team to go build something to test out a thesis. It’s another thing to outsource that and do it at a fraction of the cost of building that team internally.”
Big House’s expertise as a certified Bubble agency meant Humi could trust that the work would meet enterprise software standards while still being flexible and cost-effective.
The product Big House built was designed from the ground up to be deeply useful.
At its core, the SR&ED app pulled information from Humi’s core system and other systems that customers worked with. It then processed that data into a structured format that allowed customers to apply for government grants.
Kevin described it best:
“The application itself pulled information from our core system and other systems that our customers work with and then processed it into a really useful piece of information that our customers could use.”
This meant that customers who might otherwise have relied on consultants or manual data gathering could now leverage an elegant digital tool.
Big House’s role went far beyond technical execution. The agency worked closely with Humi to clarify requirements, redesign the UI/UX, and ensure the product was both functional and intuitive.
Kevin praised the design and collaboration process:
“The product is beautiful, very simple, very usable.”
“Big House does a great job of helping us clarify the requests…to build really user-centric, very high-quality products.”
This focus on usability meant that the app avoided the trap of “feature creep” and instead delivered a streamlined, enterprise software tool that was easy for customers to adopt.
Humi’s leadership initially had questions about whether a no-code/low-code platform like Bubble could deliver a product of sufficient quality for enterprise customers. The experience quickly put those doubts to rest.
Kevin was struck by how polished and powerful the solution felt:
“You would never ever know as a user. [Bubble] can be snappy, it can look really good, it can have interactions that make it seem as if you’re using any other code base and language.”
Even more important was the accessibility and speed:
“The thing I’ve always been amazed by was the sheer cost and the accessibility of building [with Bubble]. And the fact that we can build so much in so little time, just working with one person, is pretty incredible.”
For Humi, leveraging no code with Big House meant they could build an MVP fast, test it in market, and iterate — all at a fraction of the time and cost of traditional development.
One of the clearest outcomes of this partnership was the return on investment. Humi was able to save significantly on both development costs and time to market.
As Kevin put it:
“The same piece of software would have probably been three to four times the cost and double the time of development.”
For a fast-scaling startup, this kind of efficiency is invaluable. It meant that Humi could explore new opportunities without straining its budget or delaying core product milestones.
Humi’s leadership team had worked with other software development agencies before. What stood out with Big House was the professionalism, responsiveness, and quality from day one.
Kevin described the collaboration in glowing terms:
“Truly professional, very responsive, very high standard of work. Those things are all markers of high quality and it’s been that way since day one. It’s tough to find and it’s something to really value.”
“The experience has been just fantastic: super professional, delivers really high-value product.”
“It’s been a really great experience, and I highly recommend it.”
For Big House, this validated its positioning as a software house capable of delivering enterprise-grade results, even when working on specialized or experimental products.
With the SR&ED product launched, Humi looked ahead to scaling its adoption. The focus shifted toward:
Kevin outlined the roadmap:
“I see it becoming much more commercially focused…making sure we have really good onboarding, really good support pieces. We can figure out where people get stuck. We can identify what’s really useful and make changes based on that.”
Big House’s work created a foundation that could evolve with Humi’s needs, proving that enterprise application development with no-code tools is not only viable but scalable.
When Humi decided to explore a secondary product to manage SR&ED (Scientific Research and Experimental Development) tax incentives in Canada, the leadership team faced a classic dilemma: should they dedicate scarce engineering resources from their core enterprise software product, or find a partner to build an MVP fast without compromising quality?
Big House was the natural choice. As a certified Bubble agency with deep expertise in no-code and low-code app development, the team could help Humi test new ideas quickly, securely, and at a fraction of the cost of traditional software development.
This experiment-first approach allowed Humi to maintain its focus on its primary HR and payroll platform—already attracting attention from global investors and later Employment Hero—while using Big House’s capabilities as a software dev agency to validate the secondary product.
The SR&ED tool wasn’t just about crunching numbers. Humi wanted a product that would pull data from multiple systems, process it, and deliver actionable insights for customers.
Big House responded by applying a user-first design process. The team re-engineered the UI/UX within the app, simplified workflows, and made the product intuitive enough that even non-technical users could navigate it with ease. Kevin added:
“[The product] is beautiful, very simple, very usable.”
This combination of strong engineering and thoughtful design exemplifies why enterprises turn to Big House not only as an app development agency, but as a partner in creating enterprise applications that deliver real business value.
One of the most striking outcomes of Humi’s collaboration with Big House was the cost and time savings. Kevin put it bluntly:
“The same piece of software would have probably been three to four times the cost and double the time of development.”
By leveraging low-code and no-code platforms, Big House enabled Humi to deliver a high-quality product at a pace that matched startup urgency.
This cost efficiency is particularly powerful for companies that are scaling quickly or managing multiple product lines. Instead of committing to permanent headcount or draining internal resources, they can hire a Bubble developer from Big House and achieve the same outcomes faster.
This is why many startups and enterprises alike rely on Big House as their software house: the blend of professional delivery, flexible engagement models, and enterprise-grade security makes it a winning proposition.
Although the SR&ED project was scoped as a secondary product, Humi saw enduring value in the partnership. Big House not only delivered the product but also helped with database research, clarifying feature requests, and ensuring a high standard of work across the board.
Kevin summarized it best:
“Truly professional, very responsive, very high standard of work. Those things are all markers of high quality and it’s been that way since day one.”
This long-term trust demonstrates why enterprises continue to choose Big House when they need a reliable software development agency to extend their capabilities. As Kevin himself said:
“I would absolutely hire Big House again. In fact, I might do so for another side hustle as we speak.”
For founders and CEOs weighing whether to explore no-code and low-code tools with external partners, Humi’s experience shows how the right collaboration can deliver more than just a product—it creates lasting strategic value.
Kevin also shared valuable advice for other founders and executives considering no-code for enterprise-grade products. His main point: communication is key.
“Make sure you communicate a ton with your CTO and technical leader. One of the interesting parts of this type of relationship is that you don’t need a technical team to build something you can run an experiment around. But making sure you’ve got a good understanding with your Chief Technical Officer…is the most important thing.”
And when it comes to product development philosophy, he emphasized speed and experimentation:
“Anybody who’s really excited about products should believe that getting good products out the door quicker is just going to be the best thing to do.”
When asked if he would work with Big House again, Kevin’s answer was clear:
“I would absolutely hire Big House again. In fact I might do so for another side hustle as we speak.”
“It’s great working with you.”
This kind of endorsement from a successful venture backed founder speaks volumes about Big House’s ability to deliver not just software, but real business outcomes.
Humi’s collaboration with Big House demonstrates how startups and enterprises alike can leverage no code, low code, and certified Bubble agency expertise to innovate quickly, affordably, and effectively.
Whether it’s launching a new MVP, building a secondary product, or experimenting with new revenue opportunities, Big House offers the agility and professionalism needed to deliver results.
For organizations looking to:
Big House is the right choice.
Are you ready to hire a Bubble developer or work with a software house that can bring your vision to life?
👉 Contact Big House today and let’s build the next great product together.
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Truly professional, very responsive, very high standard of work. Those things are all markers of high quality and it's been that way since day one. It's tough to find and it's something to really value. The same piece of software would have been three to four times the cost and double the time of development. I would absolutely hire Big House again. In fact, I might do so for a side hustle as we speak.
Big House is committed to 1) developing robust internal tools for enterprises, and 2) crafting minimum viable products (MVPs) that help startups and entrepreneurs bring their visions to life.
If you'd like to explore how we can build technology for you, get in touch. We'd be excited to discuss what you have in mind.