Professional fees · selective acceptance

Pay for the evidence burden, not for unnecessary volume.

You should be able to understand the likely cost before paid work begins. Aperture starts with the smallest responsible evidence scope that can materially improve the decision.

Aperture prices the work by evidence burden, not page count or client prestige. The canonical ranges below govern new public quotations; the written proposal controls the accepted scope and fee.

Discuss a Matter Request a Formal Proposal

PRIVATE FIT REVIEW · NO FEE · NO ENGAGEMENT UNTIL ACCEPTED.Aperture assesses fit, lawful use, capacity and scope before any matter is accepted. No paid work begins until terms and fees are agreed.

Fast-track suitability: Because Aperture is remote-first and works around tightly defined decisions and evidence problems, suitable focused matters can often move quickly. Any expedited timetable is confirmed only after scope, source availability, capacity and settled payment are known.

Pricing is not an access guarantee. Aperture accepts matters selectively. A fit review comes before any formal proposal or paid engagement.

A lower-cost way to start

Do not buy a broad investigation when a bounded evidence problem is what you actually need answered.

Aperture's published prices reflect a narrower service model. We do not price in field investigations, surveillance, human-source enquiries or deployed teams because those are not part of our service. That allows a client to start from US$750 for a tightly defined decision or evidence problem and scale only when the evidence burden requires it.

See how Aperture fits alongside larger investigations firms →

Built to move quickly

Focused scope. Less friction. Earlier decision clarity.

Aperture is remote-first and built around defined decisions, evidence problems and bounded sets of related questions, using structured digital evidence workflows and technology-assisted discovery. That operating model can allow us to move quickly when a decision is time-sensitive, while people still control the evidence evaluation, challenge process and final judgement.

Actual timing depends on scope, source availability, complexity, jurisdiction, client response, specialist dependencies and settled payment. Speed never replaces verification.

No site visits or field deployment delaysFocused evidence universe rather than unnecessary breadthTechnology accelerates finding, organising and comparing materialHuman evaluation and approval remain mandatory

A lower-friction first engagement

Start with the smallest question that can materially improve the decision.

Quick Evidence Check

US$750 fixed

One tightly defined claim, representation, document or immediate factual uncertainty. Designed as a first experience of Aperture and deliberately not equivalent to full due diligence.

bounded Central Question
limited evidence universe
concise reliance finding
clear next-step recommendation

Representative public-source demonstration: 23andMe

See a representative US$750 Quick Evidence Check →The example shows the type and depth of work this service can produce. Exact scope and deliverables depend on the matter.

Best for: A tightly bounded first check of a claim, document, representation or immediate factual uncertainty.

You receive: Concise source-traceable finding and recommended next step.

Excluded / boundary: Tightly bounded scope; not full due diligence.

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Focused Evidence Review

US$1,500–US$3,000

For a narrow decision question requiring more source testing, contradiction analysis or contextual verification than a Quick Evidence Check.

Representative public-source demonstration: CrowdStrike

See a representative Focused Evidence Review →The example shows the type and depth of work this service can produce. Exact scope and deliverables depend on the matter.

Best for: A defined decision or evidence problem requiring deeper source testing and contradiction analysis.

You receive: Focused evidence review with material findings, uncertainty and reliance limits.

Excluded / boundary: Scope remains bounded; specialist or field work is excluded unless separately agreed.

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Reality Verification Assessment

US$2,500–US$5,500

A structured assessment of a material claim, event, representation, entity or evidence question with an explicit responsible-reliance finding.

Representative public-source demonstration: Cruise

See a representative Reality Verification Assessment →The example shows the type and depth of work this service can produce. Exact scope and deliverables depend on the matter.

Best for: A material claim, event, representation, entity or evidence problem with several related evidentiary questions.

You receive: Structured assessment of support, contradiction, uncertainty and responsible reliance.

Excluded / boundary: Not legal advice, audit assurance or a guarantee of truth.

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Claims & Evidence Audit

US$3,000–US$7,500

Claim-by-claim testing of a report, presentation, article, memorandum, AI-generated output, investment thesis or other evidence-bearing document.

Representative public-source demonstration: Northvolt

See a representative Claims & Evidence Audit →The example shows the type and depth of work this service can produce. Exact scope and deliverables depend on the matter.

Best for: Reports, presentations, articles, memoranda, AI-generated research or investment theses.

You receive: Claim-by-claim support testing, independent corroboration, omissions, contradictions and overstatement risk.

Excluded / boundary: Does not replace subject-matter professional advice where required.

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AI Reliance & Claims Verification

US$3,000–US$7,500

Independent testing of the material claim behind an AI-assisted decision, whether the information came from a vendor, internal copilot, agent, generated report or deployed system.

Best for: AI procurement, vendor claims, generated board material, AI-assisted due diligence and post-deployment reliance reviews.

You receive: Proposition-level testing, source tracing, contradictions, evidence gaps and a written reliance finding.

Excluded / boundary: Does not replace legal, cybersecurity, model-validation or other specialist professional work where required.

Explore this product

Counterparty / Public-Source Due Diligence

US$5,000–US$10,000

Decision-specific public-source review of a company, individual, supplier, partner, transaction or investment concern within lawful and professional boundaries.

Representative public-source demonstration: Synapse Financial Technologies

See a representative Counterparty / Public-Source Due Diligence case →The example shows the type and depth of work this service can produce. Exact scope and deliverables depend on the matter.

Best for: Companies, individuals, suppliers, partners, transactions or investment concerns.

You receive: Decision-specific public-source review with source-traceable findings and explicit limitations.

Excluded / boundary: No surveillance, field enquiries, hacking or human-source intelligence.

Discuss a Matter

Supporting Output: Decision-Support Memorandum

From US$2,500 for synthesis-only work

A management-level output built from an existing controlled evidence record. Any new investigation is priced under the underlying evidence-assurance scope.

Representative public-source demonstration: Sasol

See decision-support work in practice →The example shows the type and depth of work this service can produce. Exact scope and deliverables depend on the matter.

Investigative Research Dossier

US$8,000–US$16,000

Structured investigation of a consequential question, disputed chronology, transaction, counterparty or complex evidence body. Includes deeper registers and analytical controls as appropriate.

Representative public-source demonstration: Tricolor Auto

See a representative Investigative Research Dossier →The example shows the type and depth of work this service can produce. Exact scope and deliverables depend on the matter.

Financial-Statement Reality Assessment

US$7,500–US$20,000

Public-source examination of financial reporting, cash generation, controls, assumptions, calculations, contradictions and reliance limitations. Specialist boundaries remain explicit.

Representative public-source demonstration: Super Micro Computer

See a representative Financial-Statement Reality Assessment →The example shows the type and depth of work this service can produce. Exact scope and deliverables depend on the matter.

Complex / Multistage Matter

From US$15,000

For multiple entities, jurisdictions, large evidence volumes, high-reliance use, extensive chronology, complex financial or technical work, or multiple controlled outputs.

Representative public-source demonstration: &Beyond

See a representative Complex / Multistage Matter →The example shows the type and depth of work this service can produce. Exact scope and deliverables depend on the matter.

One pricing source. Every public fee is drawn from the V161 pricing register. The formal proposal controls the final scope and fee.

Paid records, databases, specialists, translations, travel and applicable taxes are excluded unless expressly included. Urgent work is subject to capacity and a separately agreed urgency premium.

Other common scopes

Independent Challenge Review

US$4,500–US$10,000

Give us the current conclusion or thesis. We deliberately test what would have to be true for it to fail.

Representative public-source demonstration: OceanGate / Titan

See a representative Independent Challenge Review →The example shows the type and depth of work this service can produce. Exact scope and deliverables depend on the matter.

Strategic / Regulatory / Technical Research

US$4,500–US$12,000

Defined evidence work with legal, scientific, technical or other specialist boundaries identified and escalated where necessary.

Representative public-source demonstration: Cruise

See strategic, regulatory and technical evidence work in practice →The example shows the type and depth of work this service can produce. Exact scope and deliverables depend on the matter.

Monitoring

From US$1,500/month

Focused monitoring starts from US$1,500/month. Enhanced monitoring commonly falls between US$3,500 and US$7,500/month. The subject, sources, cadence, reporting threshold and term are defined in writing.

Representative public-source demonstration: Tricolor Auto

See a case where a changing public record matters →The example shows the type and depth of work this service can produce. Exact scope and deliverables depend on the matter.

How quotations work

The formal proposal controls the engagement.

Fixed project scope. Aperture generally quotes by defined project or phase rather than exposing an open-ended public hourly rate.

Written acceptance. The proposal and incorporated engagement terms may be accepted by an unequivocal authorised email response where applicable law permits.

Payment before commencement. Aperture sends the client a PayFast payment link by email. The payment options actually made available through PayFast may vary. No substantive work starts until the amount due for commencement has settled in cleared funds.

Timing follows settlement. Late settlement can move the start date, reserved capacity and delivery timetable. Urgency does not override payment requirements.

Scope protection. Material expansion of the Central Question, evidence universe, entities, jurisdictions, specialist requirements or outputs requires written agreement before additional work begins.

Commercial logic

Aperture is designed to reduce the cost of uncertainty before it becomes the cost of a bad decision.

The purpose is not to sell the largest engagement. It is to determine the smallest responsible evidence-assurance scope that can materially improve the decision, and to identify when a larger investigation or specialist engagement is genuinely warranted.

Discuss a Matter Compare the Diligence Routes

Professional advisers and approved Channel Partners

TWO COMMERCIAL ROUTES. FULL ADVANCE PAYMENT.

Approved partners may instruct Aperture directly at preferential Partner Delivery Rates or refer clients directly under the Channel Partner Programme.

All Aperture fees are payable in full in advance unless Aperture expressly agrees otherwise in writing for a specific matter.

Any stated delivery period begins only after written scope confirmation, receipt of all required information and cleared payment.

Explore Channel Partner Options Private Partner Room

Academic & research institutions

Professional research work is priced at professional market rates.

Aperture does not apply an automatic academic, student or self-funded discount. Where an academic engagement resembles one of the commercial services above, that commercial service level is a relevant benchmark. The final quotation is calibrated to the actual evidence burden and the professional market in which the work is commissioned.

Scope first

The Central Question, source burden, complexity, jurisdictions, specialist requirements, output and timetable remain the primary cost drivers.

Institution & market

We consider the actual university or research institution, city, region, country, currency and current comparable professional research or consulting rates.

Funding & procurement

Grant, sponsor, departmental or institutional funding may affect procurement, reporting, contracting and the scope that can responsibly be commissioned. It does not create an automatic discount or arbitrary surcharge.

Full professional value

The objective is a fair and defensible commercial fee for the work required, not a lower price merely because the engagement sits inside academia.

No amount displayed on this website guarantees the final academic or institutional fee. A specific quotation follows scope review, relevant affiliation verification, market benchmarking and procurement or funding-context review where applicable.

Request an Academic Research Quotation How Academic Pricing Works

Canonical V166 pricing

PROFESSIONAL EVIDENCE WORK, PRICED TO THE DECISION AND EVIDENCE BURDEN.

Start with the smallest responsible scope that can materially improve the decision. A larger transaction does not automatically justify a larger fee, and a narrow question is not automatically cheap if the evidence burden is substantial.

Quick Evidence Check

US$750 fixed

One genuinely narrow factual question and a small, readily accessible evidence universe.

Focused Evidence Review

US$1,500–US$3,000

One defined issue requiring deeper source testing, limited chronology or contradiction analysis.

Reality Verification Assessment

US$2,500–US$5,500

A structured assessment of a material claim, event, document, entity or reliance question.

Transaction-Critical Evidence Validation

US$5,000–US$8,000

One bounded but decision-critical live proposition requiring record-level reconciliation or private/public evidence matching.

Enhanced Public-Source Due Diligence

US$5,000–US$10,000

Broader company, counterparty or transaction diligence across multiple related propositions and evidence categories.

Claims & Evidence Audit

US$3,000–US$7,500

Testing the evidential support, sourcing, contradictions and limits behind a material set of claims.

Investigative Research Dossier

US$8,000–US$16,000

A materially broader investigative evidence body with chronology, hypotheses, source conflicts and decision support.

Complex / Multistage Matter

US$16,000–US$30,000+

Multiple entities, jurisdictions, stages, specialist dependencies or substantial evidence volumes.

Monitoring

From US$1,500/month

Verify once, or separately scope monitoring where the proposition can materially change after the original finding.

YOU ARE NOT BUYING PAGES. Final pricing depends on the factual question, evidence volume, source difficulty, material entities and jurisdictions, urgency, intended reliance and specialist requirements. Aperture confirms scope and fee in writing before paid work begins.