Two colleagues walking into a client office
How we work

We work out where AI pays, then build it with you.

Most companies have turned on a chatbot; almost none have software running a whole workflow with people on the exceptions. We get a company from the first to the second, one workflow at a time, in three stages: Assess, Build and Scale, with Advisory alongside.

Book the two-hour diagnosticFor PE firms
weeks to know where AI pays
2 to 4
days to the first workflow in production
100
production systems since 2016
250+
We build on
ClaudeDatabricks
Runs in your cloud
AWS
Azure
SOC 2 Type II
Investment firms we work with
Operators we have built for
How we work

Three stages. Start where you are.

We understand your business and your data, say what is worth building, build it with your team, and stay until it runs. Each stage is priced up front, and you can start at the one you are at.

  1. Stage 1 of 3

    Assess

    A read-only look at your data and how work gets done today, then a ranked list of what is worth building, with the savings and the time to value. Two hours to start; two to four weeks for the full picture.

  2. Stage 2 of 3

    Build

    Our business analysts, forward-deployed engineers and AI specialists build the first workflow with your team, in your cloud, live within 100 days.

  3. Stage 3 of 3

    Scale

    We stay until it runs on its own, then take what worked to the next function or the next company.

Alongside every stage

Advisory. A senior AI lead on retainer for the board, governance and vendors, from the first stage on.

Your data stays in your tenant. A readout every week, written for the operator and the board. SOC 2 Type II on our side.

Three companies, three targets. Each moves to the level its P&L needs.Three portfolio companies, three targets. What ships in one transfers to the next.

  • Month-end close, Industrials: moves from Level 1 to Level 2. 14-day close. 10-day close.
  • Insurance approvals, Healthcare: moves from Level 1 to Level 3. 45 min each. 20 min each. 4 min · $310K/yr.
  • Renewal quoting, Software: moves from Level 1 to Level 4. 2 days. Same day. 1 hour. Minutes · $480K.
  • Month-end close, Industrials portco: moves from Level 1 to Level 2. 14-day close. 10-day close.
  • Insurance approvals, Healthcare portco: moves from Level 1 to Level 3. 45 min each. 20 min each. 4 min · $310K/yr.
  • Renewal quoting, Software portco: moves from Level 1 to Level 4. 2 days. Same day. 1 hour. Minutes · $480K.
Where you are

Five levels. We start from yours.

Every company sits on one of five levels of AI maturity we defined, from a chatbot people ask to an operation that runs itself; about 80% of mid-market companies are at Level 1. We place you, then move one workflow at a time: connect the chatbot to your data, then let an agent run the step while a person reviews.

See the five levels
The problem we solve

Mid-market companies are stuck between pilots and production.

of AI pilots show no P&L impact · MIT NANDA
95%
of adopters see >5% EBIT impact · McKinsey
~6%
  1. 01

    The pilot trap

    Prototypes work. Then no one owns the path from prototype to a governed production system, so the pilot stays a pilot.

  2. 02

    The talent gap

    Senior data and AI engineers are scarce and expensive, and hard to retain inside a single portfolio company.

  3. 03

    The measurement problem

    Without a tie to EBITDA, AI spend looks like cost. The board funds what it can see in the numbers.

What it costs and how long

Published ranges, fixed prices.

  • Find where AI paysStage 1 of 3

    Assess

    Know where AI creates value.

    Time
    2 to 4 weeks
    Price
    $25K to $50K

    Two-hour diagnostic first, then the full readout: opportunity map, ROI model, 90-day plan, board-ready.

    Explore Assess
  • Build the first workflowStage 2 of 3

    Build

    Ship the first workflow.

    Time
    3 to 6 months
    Price
    $75K to $350K

    A senior pod takes one function to Level 3 (software runs the workflow, people review the exceptions) in production. First workflow live by day 100.

    Explore Build
  • Repeat it across the portfolioStage 3 of 3

    Scale

    Repeat it across the book.

    Time
    Per year, annual agreement
    Price
    $250K to $1.5M+

    What ships at company one is the starting point at company two. 3 to 15 companies.

    Explore Scale
  • A senior AI lead on retainerAlongside every stage

    Advisory

    Fractional AI leadership.

    Time
    Monthly, 3-month minimum
    Price
    $15K to $30K / mo

    A Portfolio Success Partner for board reporting, governance, and vendor management.

    Explore Advisory

What 100 days means. Assess runs two to four weeks and the first production workflow lands by day 100. A full Build across several functions runs three to six months.

See the day-by-day plan
Which door is yours

Built for the people accountable for the number.

Built in New York

Senior engineers, embedded wherever the portfolio is.

production systems since 2016
250+
days to the first workflow
100
Type II certified
SOC 2
Questions

Common questions.

How does a Blue Orange engagement run?

In three stages, with advisory alongside. Stage 1, Assess, finds where AI pays in two to four weeks. Stage 2, Build, puts the first workflow live in 100 days. Stage 3, Scale, repeats it across functions and the portfolio. Advisory is a senior AI lead on retainer. Every stage has a published price, and you start at the stage you are at.

What are the three stages?

Assess, Build and Scale, with Advisory alongside. Assess finds where AI creates value: a two-hour diagnostic first, then the full readout. Build ships the first workflow: a senior pod takes one function to Level 3 (L3) in production. Scale repeats it across 3 to 15 companies. Advisory is a senior AI lead on retainer, the Portfolio Success Partner.

What does 100 days mean?

100 days is Assess plus the first Build. Assess runs two to four weeks; the first production workflow lands by day 100; a full Build across several functions runs three to six months.

Who is the engagement for?

It is built for the people accountable for the number: PE operating partners who need a portfolio view, and portfolio company CEOs, COOs and CFOs. The typical company has $30M to $500M in revenue, a value creation plan with an AI line on it, and no one on staff who has shipped one.

How do I start?

Begin with Stage 1, Assess. A two-hour diagnostic places you on the five AI maturity levels we defined (L1 to L5); the full assessment ranks every workflow by payback and hands you a board-ready plan in two to four weeks. Operating partners start with the portfolio view on the For PE firms page.

How much does Assess cost?

Assess is $25K to $50K fixed, over two to four weeks. The two-hour two-hour diagnostic that comes first is complimentary for qualified companies: read-only access, a placement on the five AI maturity levels we defined (L1 to L5), a six-dimension readout and a ranked workflow list.

How much do Build, Scale and Advisory cost?

Build is $75K to $350K, 3 to 6 months. Scale is $250K to $1.5M+, per year, annual agreement. Advisory is $15K to $30K / mo, monthly, 3-month minimum. Milestone billing: you pay for progress, not hours. Assess is $25K to $50K, 2 to 4 weeks.

Proof · Stage 2, Build

4x faster CIM review

A private equity firm's deal team. Manual processing down 75%, analyst queue from 70 to 10, CIM cycles 4x faster. Read it →

Know exactly where AI creates value, in two to four weeks.

Begin with Stage 1, Assess. A two-hour diagnostic places you on the ladder; the full assessment ranks every workflow by payback and hands you a board-ready plan.

Book the two-hour diagnosticTalk to an engineer