The Aptum AI Levels
A maturity model for how data and AI create enterprise value. Most operating partners and portfolio CEOs we work with don't have a data problem. They have a Level problem: they're stuck at one Level when their value creation plan needs them to be at the next.
What it lets you do. A modern datalake (BigQuery or Snowflake), the pipelines that fill it, and dashboards on top. Clean, unified data flowing from operating systems into one place. No more three‑day manual aggregation cycles.
Typical state. Most sub-institutional companies operate below L0: manual exports, ad-hoc spreadsheets, and dashboards rebuilt by hand each cycle. Reaching L0 is the first major Build Sprint move.
What it lets you do. Standardized KPIs and board-ready reporting across portfolio companies. Operators see the same numbers, the same way, every month, without analyst rebuilding.
Typical state. The state most operating partners think they want, and the state most platforms charge them six figures to fail to reach.
What it lets you do. AI surfaces patterns, anomalies, and recommendations on top of the reporting spine. Operators get decision support, not just dashboards.
Typical state. Where the value creation plan actually starts to compound. The first level where AI does work the operator couldn't do faster manually.
What it lets you do. AI in the loop for recurring decisions and handoffs. Weekly and monthly operating rhythms run on the system rather than on email and Slack threads.
Typical state. Where retainer relationships justify themselves. The system absorbs the operating tempo.
What it lets you do. Autonomous workflows where humans handle exceptions only. The operating system gets sharper every quarter without proportional headcount growth.
Typical state. Rare. Reserved for portfolio companies operating at scale or with deliberate long-term commitment. Aspirational, not required.
The Aptum AI Levels are a maturity model shaped by playbooks from large‑scale data and AI deployments, including work with Palantir's American Tech Fellowship.
Where most operators start
Most sub-institutional PE-backed companies operate below L0.
- •Monthly board reporting takes 3+ days of manual spreadsheet aggregation and PowerPoint tinkering
- •Dashboards live in individual siloed tools, or are non-existent
- •Every portfolio company runs different KPIs and different definitions of the same KPI
- •Operating partners spend more time wrangling data than driving decisions
Most teams' first instinct is to hire an analyst to crunch spreadsheets and churn out PowerPoint decks. Modern data and AI infrastructure operates at a different Level: more speed, more insight, more visibility.
How the Levels map to engagements
1. Architecture Assessment
A fixed-scope diagnostic. We map the operating reality, identify where the highest-leverage Level move is, and deliver a roadmap with specific recommendations, effort estimates, and the path to your target Level.
What you walk away with
- ✓A complete operational assessment
- ✓A priority-ranked roadmap
- ✓A Build Sprint proposal, yours to execute with us or anyone else
Levels it moves you through
Diagnoses your current Level. Maps the path to L0 and L1, or L2 for companies with cleaner starting data.
2. Build Sprint
We design and deploy the architecture that moves your portfolio company or holdco from its current Level to the target Level. Modern data stack. AI infrastructure layered in where it actually changes outcomes. Built to last past the engagement.
What gets built
- ✓Data architecture and reporting spine
- ✓AI-augmented decision support where it changes outcomes
- ✓Workflow automation
- ✓Training and documentation so your team owns the system
Levels it moves you through
From manual operations to L0 and L1: a working datalake, pipelines, dashboards, and a standardized reporting spine. Up to L2 for companies that already have clean, structured data.
3. Strategic Retainer
Long-term advisory and ongoing build for operators we've already taken to L2. We extend the system, add capabilities as the team is ready, and run the operating cadence with you. This is where L2 → L3, and eventually L3 → L4, happen.
What it includes
- ✓Monthly sprint of improvements and additions
- ✓Dedicated support channel
- ✓Quarterly operating review
- ✓Priority access for Build Sprint expansion work
Levels it moves you through
L2 → L3, and over multi-year relationships, selectively L3 → L4.
Ready to find your Level?
A 30‑minute Aptum AI Levels Assessment is the fastest way to see where your platform sits and what's worth pursuing now. No commitment beyond the call.
Schedule a Levels Assessment →