diff --git a/app/README.md b/app/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..94f1bc5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,103 @@
+# Important info for Docker & FastAPI
+## Starting & Stopping
+
+### just like before with the timescaledb, this will also start fastapi
+docker compose up -d
+
+### stop everything
+docker compose down
+
+### restart just fastapi
+docker compose restart fastapi
+
+## Viewing Logs
+
+docker compose logs -f fastapi
+
+docker compose logs -f timescaledb
+
+## Running Python Files
+
+Any file in the volumes section of `docker-compose.yml` can be accessed.
+If you want to access a file in a different folder, add it with the same schema as the other directories.
+
+### example of running /database/example.py
+docker exec lsu-fsae-fastapi python /database/example.py
+
+### open an interactive Python shell
+docker exec -it lsu-fsae-fastapi python
+
+### open a full bash shell inside the container
+docker exec -it lsu-fsae-fastapi bash
+
+## Adding a New Package
+
+1. Add it to `app/requirements.txt`:
+
+2. Recreate the container:
+
+`docker compose up --force-recreate fastapi`
+
+If you just want to test a package before adding for everyone:
+
+`docker exec lsu-fsae-fastapi pip install [package]`
+
+## API Links
+
+`http://localhost:8000` - API status
+`http://localhost:8000/health` - DB connection
+`http://localhost:8000/docs` - Interactive API docs
+
+## VSCode Example 
+
+**1. Install the Python extension in VSCode**
+
+**2. Create a virtual environment:**
+`cd app`
+`python -m venv venv`
+
+**3. Select the interpreter in VSCode:**
+- Open Command Palette `Python: Select Interpreter`
+- Pick the one inside `./app/venv`
+
+**4. Install dependencies in the VSCode terminal:**
+`source venv/bin/activate` OR `source venv\Scripts\activate`
+
+`pip install -r requirements.txt`
+
+**5. Start the database:**
+`docker compose up -d timescaledb`
+
+**6. Run FastAPI:**
+`uvicorn main:app --reload`
+
+## Adding New API Route example:
+```
+ simple GET route — no database
+@app.get("/hello")
+async def hello():
+    return {"message": "hello from FSAE"}
+
+
+# GET route with a URL parameter + database query
+@app.get("/sensor/{sensor_id}")
+async def get_sensor(sensor_id: str, request: Request):
+    async with request.app.state.pool.connection() as conn:
+        rows = await (await conn.execute(
+            "SELECT time, value FROM telemetry WHERE sensor_id = %s ORDER BY time DESC LIMIT 100",
+            (sensor_id,)
+        )).fetchall()
+    return [{"time": str(r[0]), "value": r[1]} for r in rows]
+
+
+# POST route — write data to the database
+@app.post("/sensor/{sensor_id}")
+async def post_sensor(sensor_id: str, value: float, request: Request):
+    async with request.app.state.pool.connection() as conn:
+        await conn.execute(
+            "INSERT INTO telemetry (time, sensor_id, value) VALUES (NOW(), %s, %s)",
+            (sensor_id, value)
+        )
+    return {"inserted": True}
+```
+
diff --git a/app/__pycache__/main.cpython-313.pyc b/app/__pycache__/main.cpython-313.pyc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..eb52ebc
Binary files /dev/null and b/app/__pycache__/main.cpython-313.pyc differ
diff --git a/app/main.py b/app/main.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..889b7ef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/main.py
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+import os
+from contextlib import asynccontextmanager
+from fastapi import FastAPI, Request
+from psycopg_pool import AsyncConnectionPool
+
+DATABASE_URL = os.environ.get("DATABASE_URL", "postgresql://fsae:fsae2026@timescaledb:5432/daq_data")
+
+@asynccontextmanager
+async def lifespan(app: FastAPI):
+    pool = AsyncConnectionPool(conninfo=DATABASE_URL, min_size=1, max_size=10, open=False)
+    await pool.open(wait=True, timeout=30)
+    app.state.pool = pool
+    yield
+    await pool.close()
+
+app = FastAPI(title="LSU FSAE DAQ API", lifespan=lifespan)
+
+@app.get("/")
+async def root():
+    return {"status": "running"}
+
+@app.get("/health")
+async def health(request: Request):
+    async with request.app.state.pool.connection() as conn:
+        await conn.execute("SELECT 1")
+    return {"status": "healthy"}
diff --git a/app/requirements.txt b/app/requirements.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..00f7c7b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/requirements.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+fastapi
+uvicorn[standard]
+psycopg[binary, pool]
+pydantic-settings
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index efe254a..ef31615 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -10,6 +10,33 @@ services:
       - "5432:5432"
     volumes:
       - timescale_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
+    networks:
+      - fsae-network
+
+  fastapi:
+    image: python:3.13-slim
+    container_name: lsu-fsae-fastapi
+    working_dir: /app
+    volumes:
+      - ./app:/app
+      - ./dashboard:/dashboard
+      - ./database:/database
+      - ./parser:/parser
+    command: >
+      sh -c "pip install --no-cache-dir -r requirements.txt &&
+             uvicorn main:app --host 0.0.0.0 --port 8000"
+    ports:
+      - "8000:8000"
+    environment:
+      DATABASE_URL: postgresql://fsae:fsae2026@timescaledb:5432/daq_data
+    depends_on:
+      - timescaledb
+    networks:
+      - fsae-network
+
+networks:
+  fsae-network:
+    driver: bridge
 
 volumes:
-  timescale_data:
\ No newline at end of file
+  timescale_data: