App Development Company

Bad Dinosaur

Edinburgh app design and development agency building web, mobile and desktop software for SMEs

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About Bad Dinosaur

Edinburgh is home to Bad Dinosaur, a product design and development agency that builds software for small and growing businesses. Founded in 2013, the agency has seen over 100 digital products launched, and it describes its approach as human expertise supported by AI to move quickly through repetitive parts of a build.

Several ways in

The agency sets out different starting points. A business needing something new can commission a platform, product or internal tool for Android, iOS, the web, Windows or macOS. Someone who has built a prototype with AI coding tools can bring it to the agency to be made ready for real use. A stretched in-house team can hand over a complete work package from its backlog, and a business that wants to change developer can have an existing project taken over and put back on track. A company unsure of what it needs can describe its situation and be pointed in the right direction.

Practical examples of what to build

Its own suggestions include turning a business-critical spreadsheet into a structured application, building an online customer portal that brings key systems together, and packaging industry knowledge into a product that can be sold on. Past projects include a financial comparison platform, a tutor booking system for a university, an employee benefits comparison tool, a companion app for patients going through radiotherapy and a health-tech management tool for the pharmaceutical industry.

Working method

The developers use an agile method to stay flexible and keep costs down. The agency says it does not outsource and that its close team aims to deliver a project within three to four months. On AI, it says the tools speed up repetitive work but cannot understand how the rest of a product fits together, so engineers keep the design decisions.

Recognition

The company lists awards including Top Software Developers from Clutch in 2022, Digital Tech Business of the Year from ScotlandIS in 2020, a Net Zero shortlisting from the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce in 2024 and several 2025 listings from TechBehemoths for UX and UI design, mobile app development and custom software development.

TrustList summary

Bad Dinosaur designs and builds software for small and growing businesses from Edinburgh, Scotland. Since 2013 it has helped launch more than 100 digital products, and its developers use AI to speed up repetitive build work while engineers handle design decisions.

What Bad Dinosaur offers

New software builds: platforms, products and internal tools for Android, iOS, the web, Windows and macOS.
Prototype to production: taking apps started with AI coding tools and making them ready for real use.
Outsourced work packages: delivering a whole piece of a backlog for stretched in-house teams.
Project takeovers: picking up existing projects from other developers.
Spreadsheet-to-app and customer portals: replacing manual spreadsheets and joining up business systems.

Clients

Clients include SMEs, a university booking system for St Andrews, an NHS trust radiotherapy companion app, a pharmaceutical management tool and a sustainability tool for Green Tourism.

Key facts

Based in: Edinburgh, Scotland
Active since: 2013
Products launched: more than 100
Awards: ScotlandIS Digital Tech Business of the Year 2020; Clutch award 2022

Summary written by TrustList from the business's own published information, Nov 2026.

Gallery

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Categories & features

Bad Dinosaur rankings

Bad Dinosaur is ranked on 3 TrustList rankings: #2 on 1, #4 on 1 and #18 on 1.

Every ranking orders its listings by their reviews, how complete the profile is and the Trust Score. Bad Dinosaur has no reviews yet and 3 of the 10 profile details we look for. Where no listing on a page has been reviewed, the order follows the profiles alone.

App development company · 3 rankings

#2of 6
Pharmaceutical
It is the only one of the 6 here listing booking and non profit.
Its profile: “Past projects include a financial comparison platform, a tutor booking system for a university, an employee benefits comparison tool, a companion app for patients going through radiotherapy and a health-tech management tool for the pharmaceutical industry.”
Of the 6 here, 9 also cover medical and 5 also cover hospitality & leisure; 2 also work in United States of America.
Behind Flexware Innovation, Inc., ahead of Donatix.
#4of 18
Scotland
It is the only one of the 18 here listing hospitality & leisure and pharmaceutical.
Its profile: “Bad Dinosaur designs and builds software for small and growing businesses from Edinburgh, Scotland.”
Of the 18 here, 6 also cover android and 5 also cover mobile app development; 5 also work in Glasgow and 3 also work in Edinburgh.
Behind Ecatenate Limited.
#18of 58
Booking
It is one of 5 here listing energy & natural resources and one of 12 here listing agile.
Its profile: “Past projects include a financial comparison platform, a tutor booking system for a university, an employee benefits comparison tool, a companion app for patients going through radiotherapy and a health-tech management tool for the pharmaceutical industry.”
Of the 58 here, 41 also cover eCommerce and 36 also cover education; 4 also work in Delhi NCR and 3 also work in Ahmedabad.
Behind Axisbits GmbH, ahead of BDSD Technology Pvt Ltd.