FAQ
Straight answers
Pricing, process, the Spaza pipeline, and who we’re for — no runaround.
- How much does working with ConceptLABS® cost?
- Every engagement starts with a free 45-minute Strategy Session. From there, pricing is anchored and public: the AI Readiness Assessment is from R2,500 ex VAT, the Idea Validation Workshop is from R12,500 ex VAT, and setup packs (company registration, brand, digital presence) start at R7,500 ex VAT. Larger pieces of work — opportunity roadmaps, architecture blueprints, and builds — are quoted upfront, and every paid step ends with a fixed-price quote for the next one, so the budget always holds.
- Do I have to use Spaza to build what you design?
- No. Every blueprint we produce is yours to keep and is written to be built from by any engineering team. Spaza — the delivery studio behind 150+ shipped products — is our default builder and usually the fastest, most cost-effective option, but it is never a condition. Strategy and delivery are deliberately separate companies so the plan has to stand on its own.
- What is the difference between the free Strategy Session and the paid diagnostic?
- The Strategy Session is a conversation: 45 minutes to understand your situation and give you an honest read on what you need and what it costs — no artifact, no obligation. The diagnostic (an AI Readiness Assessment for businesses, or an Idea Validation Workshop for founders) is a paid product that produces something you keep: a scored profile or a validated plan. Most clients do the session first, then the diagnostic.
- Is ConceptLABS® a one-person consultancy?
- Engagements are led by founder Theuno de Bruin, who has 20+ years in software (including the FNB Banking app iOS team and an Edcon mobility executive role). Delivery runs on Spaza’s full team — Flutter engineers, UX designers, and QA — the same people behind 150+ shipped products. When your blueprint moves to build, you inherit an established delivery team, not a freelancer.
- Which industries do you work with?
- The method is industry-neutral by design — readiness scoring and workflow mapping work the same in logistics as in legal or retail. Our delivery pedigree spans banking (FNB), retail (Edcon), events, and consumer apps. If your operation has repeatable work, or your idea has a real market, it qualifies.
- What does a multi-agent AI system actually look like in practice?
- Picture a distribution company drowning in manual back-office work. A multi-agent system gives it three agents: one watches incoming orders and flags exceptions, one optimises delivery routing against live constraints, and one chases outstanding invoices and escalates only when a human decision is genuinely needed. The system runs the routine; your people run the exceptions. It is an operating layer, not a chatbot.
- Why choose ConceptLABS® over a Big-4 consultancy or an AI-native dev shop?
- The Big 4 sell AI strategy at enterprise prices, decoupled from delivery. AI-native dev shops sell builds, decoupled from strategy. ConceptLABS® sits deliberately between them: specialist multi-agent architecture at mid-market prices, written by people whose own build team picks it up next — so the plan has to actually work, and you are never locked in.
- Is ConceptLABS® for startups or established businesses?
- Both, through two tracks. If you are running a business, the "For Businesses" track plans and proves AI in your operations. If you are starting one, the "For Founders" track validates the idea first, then takes it to a registered, branded, launched business. Both start with the same free Strategy Session.
- Do you only work with businesses in Pretoria, or remotely too?
- ConceptLABS® is based at Menlyn Maine, Pretoria, and works with clients across South Africa and remotely. Geography has never shipped a product — teams do. In-person sessions in Gauteng are welcome; everything else works just as well over a call.
- What happens after the free Strategy Session?
- You leave the session knowing your recommended path and its exact cost — sometimes the honest answer is that you do not need us yet, and we will say so. If there is a fit, you choose the next step: a paid diagnostic sized to your track, then a build-ready blueprint, then delivery by Spaza or any team you choose. Consult first, price the next step, keep the blueprint — always.
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