Independent software studio
Melbourne, Australia

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AI-first developer & entrepreneur

Turn your idea
into a real product.

Raef’s animated counterpart A cartoon portrait of Raef with a neat, side-swept dirty-blonde quiff, blue eyes behind dark round glasses, a slim, close-trimmed sandy ginger beard, light eyebrows and a softly folded grey pullover hoodie.

I build web and mobile applications that help you save time, serve customers and grow your business. I’m Raef, a developer who has co-founded and exited two businesses. You work directly with me, from shaping the idea to launch and beyond.

Talk to me Explore the work

Based in Melbourne. Working worldwide.

Why the cartoon? Before Slay, I worked at famous3D, whose facial animation software was used on Gollum in The Lord of the Rings.

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Before Slay / famous3D

A past life in
facial animation.

At famous3D, I managed development of facial animation software. Alongside its use in film, the company’s software was used in the game Enter the Matrix and in mobile applications with NTT DoCoMo.

This character brings that part of my work into the browser. Try an expression, change his outfit or give him a line. It’s a small taste of the personality software can have.

What we can build now

AI has changed
what we can build.

AI makes bigger products and once-unaffordable tools practical to build with a small team.

I built Powercoach part time with AI under my direction. I bring the same capability to your project, with the experience to make sound decisions and take responsibility for the result.

Read my AI manifesto

Build something new.

From a first idea to a product people rely on. We’ll define a useful first release, build it and get it into people’s hands. It’s the path I took with Tell Touch.

New applications & product development

Improve efficiency.

Cut repetitive work and give your team better information. Connect systems, automate workflows and use AI where it helps, so people can spend more time on the work that matters.

AI features & workflow automation

Expand your product.

Add useful features, connect new services and make your application easier to use. I’ll get to know your product and stay involved as it grows, as I have with HotHealth since 2016.

Existing products & ongoing partnerships

Work, ventures & experience

The story
behind the work.

Facial animation, a 24-person agency, long-term partnerships and businesses of my own.

  1. –

    Facial animation software

    famous3D

    Worked on facial animation software used on Gollum in The Lord of the Rings, and in games and mobile.

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    The company’s software was used on movies like The Lord of the Rings, animating Gollum’s face, in games like Enter the Matrix, and in mobile applications with NTT DoCoMo and China Mobile.

    Studios in the US, Europe, Japan, India and Australia licensed the tools for film, television and games. Capcom, the studio behind Street Fighter and Resident Evil, was a customer, as were Blur Studio, Shiny Entertainment, Digital Anvil, Codemasters and Melbourne House.

    Some of the productions

    • The Matrix Reloaded Shiny Entertainment
    • Star Trek Armada Blur Studio
    • Empire Earth Blur Studio
    • Command & Conquer: Renegade Blur Studio
    • Stronghold FireFly Studios
    • Knockout Kings Black Ops for EA
    • V8 Supercars Race Driver Codemasters
    • Krush, Kill ’n Destroy Melbourne House
    • Captain Scarlet Television series
    • Batman ride film Blur Studio

    The animated version of me on this page brings that experience into the browser, with an SVG face and expressions timed to speech.

    An archival facial-animation setup showing a performer and a character on screen

    1. At ProjectProject

      Early product development

      Team App

      Built the first version and helped establish the business. Team App later sold to Stack Sports for tens of millions.

      More

      Team App helps the people who run amateur sports teams and clubs manage their teams more efficiently.

      At ProjectProject, we built the initial version of Team App and helped establish the business. It went on to become a widely used platform for sports teams and clubs, and later sold to Stack Sports for tens of millions of dollars.

      An early Team App interface across a laptop, tablet and phones

    2. At ProjectProject

      Client work

      The clients.

      Applications and websites for organisations including Queensland Health, Beyond Blue, FetchTV and Isuzu, and start-ups including Team App, Shout and PicSafe.

      More
      • Australian Government
      • WA Government
      • Queensland Health
      • Australian Unity
      • Beyond Blue
      • Smiling Mind
      • Save the Children
      • FetchTV
      • Isuzu
      • Sabco
      • Almond Breeze
      • Golf Australia
      • North Melbourne Football Club
      • Team App
      • Shout
      • PicSafe

  3. –present

    Founder & developer

    Slay

    My independent studio. Applications for clients, and businesses of my own.

    More

    I sold my share of ProjectProject because I wanted to get back to programming rather than managing other people. I started Slay in 2014 to work directly with clients and build products myself.

    I work directly with established businesses and funded founders, from the first product decisions to launch and ongoing development. I also start and build businesses with partners.

    Most projects start with me; trusted partners join when the work needs a larger team.

    1. –present

      HotHealth development

      HotHealth

      Owned by ASX-listed Global Health

      Developing HotHealth for Global Health: bookings, patient forms and telehealth, connected to clinical systems. The HotHealth story

      More

      I started the HotHealth project in January 2016 and continue to work on it, combining hands-on programming with management of a development team.

      The product connects branded websites, appointment bookings, patient forms and telehealth with the systems hospitals and clinics already use.

    2. –

      Co-founder & CTO

      Tell Touch

      Co-founded and built the aged care feedback platform. Acquired by Leecare in 2025. The Tell Touch story

      More

      I co-founded Tell Touch with two partners whose backgrounds spanned aged care nursing, management and consulting. Together, we built a way for residents, families and staff to share their experiences through kiosks, QR codes, apps and the web.

      We used AI throughout the application to identify feedback trends, suggest draft responses and help managers prepare their mandatory monthly reports.

      The system was used in aged care homes around Australia and by home care providers. As co-founder and CTO, I was responsible for building the product.

    3. –present

      Co-founder & developer

      Powercoach

      Built live match analysis and AI insights for Australian football with two partners. Launched in 2026. The Powercoach story

      More

      After two minutes’ training, a volunteer can capture match stats on an iPad. Coaches get a professional-level dashboard and advice from our AI model trained on an AFL assistant coach’s expertise.

      I built the application with two partners, including GWS Giants assistant coach Robbie Chancellor. Work began in 2025, followed by the launch during the 2026 AFL season.

    4. Next

      Your project.

      Tell me what you’re building.

      Talk to me

How I work

You’ll be talking
to the person building it.

I lead and build your project, bringing in trusted specialists when needed. I estimate the work, talk you through the decisions and remain your point of contact throughout.

Raef in his grey hoodie, holding a laptop and welcoming you.

  1. Work out what matters.

    Tell me what’s happening in your business and what you want to change. We’ll agree on a starting point and I’ll estimate the time involved.

  2. Make it tangible.

    You’ll see the application as it takes shape. We’ll try it, discuss what needs to change and make the decisions together.

  3. Put it to work.

    Launch it, see how people use it and decide what comes next. I’m happy to stay with a product for years; HotHealth is a good example.

Security & data sovereignty

Built with trust
in mind.

Years of building healthcare applications have shaped how I work. Sensitive information, access controls and the systems behind the screen need care from the start.

A closed padlock representing security and care for your data.
Who can see what.
Permissions, authentication, encryption and audit trails built around the people using the application and the information it holds.
Where your data lives.
We agree where information is stored, processed and backed up, and who can access it. That includes third-party services and any AI tools we introduce.
Care beyond launch.
Testing, dependency updates, monitoring and recovery planning are part of keeping a product dependable as it grows.

A few useful details

Before we
say hello.

What kinds of projects are a good fit?

Applications for established businesses and funded founders, with project budgets above A$10,000. That can mean a new product, a substantial improvement to an existing one or an ongoing development partnership.

How do you price the work?

I estimate the time required for the agreed scope, then charge for the hours worked. We can break a larger product into stages, with an estimate for each stage and regular progress reviews. If the scope changes, we’ll discuss the effect on the estimate before going ahead.

Can you add AI to an existing application?

Yes. That could mean searching your organisation’s information, helping people work through documents or automating a time-consuming workflow. We’ll choose a useful starting point, connect it to your existing systems and test it with the people who will use it.

Do you work with clients outside Melbourne?

Yes. I’m based in Melbourne and happy to work remotely. You deal directly with me, and I can bring in trusted partners when the project needs them.

Let’s make something useful

Got something
in mind?

A few lines is plenty. Tell me what you want to build or improve.

I’ll reply personally, and we can arrange an initial conversation about your goals, budget and a sensible starting point.

Prefer a conversation?0402 884 406hello@slay.com.au

Based in Melbourne. Working worldwide.

Chat with Slay’s assistant

Tell the assistant what you’d like to build or improve. It can answer questions about how I work and pass your enquiry to me, and I’ll reply personally.

Use the chat button at the bottom right.

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