What is the Akros Readiness Assessment?
It’s a 4-week deep dive into your commercialization reality. We score your evidence, coding/payment path, buyer alignment, compliance, and GTM foundations. You walk away with a clear readiness score, gap analysis, and prioritized action plan - so you know exactly how close you are to payer product-market fit.

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How does the BD-in-a-Box retainer work?

Think of it as your commercialization team on tap. We embed with you to manage payer outreach, refine contracting materials, run build days, and close deals. Flexible retainers can include cash, equity, and commission structures, aligned with your growth stage and goals.

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What’s included in the Playbook?
The Playbook is your tactical “how.” We refine your value prop by buyer type, build your ROI story, map your contracting paths, and develop the assets you need to land contracts. It’s where strategy meets execution, with a step-by-step guide tailored to your startup.

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Do I have to buy all four offerings in order (Akademy, Assessment, Playbook, Retainer)?
No. Some founders start with the Assessment, others jump straight into the Playbook. The full journey (Akademy → Assessment → Playbook → Retainer) is ideal, but you can engage where it makes the most sense for your stage and resources. Our BD-in-a-Box services are only available to Assessment and Playbook customers.

 

Can international startups use Akros to enter the U.S. market?
Absolutely. Many of our clients are international founders navigating the U.S. payer system for the first time. We help translate your solution into U.S. payer language, adapt your ROI story, and build a contracting strategy that works in this market.

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How does Akros work with partners (actuarial, compliance, marketing, etc.)?
We’re not trying to be everything. We bring in best-in-class partners for actuarial, coding, compliance, marketing, and sales enablement. They contribute to your readiness score, help fill gaps during Playbooks, and extend into our retainer services. You get an integrated experience without the overhead of managing multiple vendors.

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What does Akros cost?
Pricing varies by offering. Akademy courses and Assessments are flat fees. Playbooks are project-based (cash + equity options). Retainers are flexible, mixing cash, equity, and sometimes commission. We align structure to your stage -  predictable for early founders, scalable for growth-stage startups.

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Do you take equity or only cash?
Both. Early offerings (Akademy, Assessment) are typically cash-only. Later-stage engagements (Playbook, Retainer) may include equity and commission to align incentives. We structure engagements to balance cash flow with long-term partnership.

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What if my startup is pre-revenue or grant-funded?
That’s fine. Many of our clients are early-stage, non-revenue startups. Our spectrum of offerings (Akademy, Assessment) is designed to meet you where you are. For grant-funded teams, we help align your commercialization story with payer needs so you’re positioned for sustainability.

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Do you work with nonprofits or only venture-backed startups?
We work with both. Our sweet spot is payer-facing solutions, whether built inside venture-backed startups, international scale-ups, or nonprofits. As long as your solution needs payer adoption to scale, Akros can help.

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What’s the difference between Akros and a traditional consulting firm?
Traditional consultants give you a slide deck. We give you a playbook you can actually use and we stay in the trenches with you to execute. We’re operators, not armchair strategists.

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How is Akros different from accelerators?
Accelerators provide community and exposure. Akros provides commercialization rigor. We don’t just open doors - we make sure you’re ready to walk through them with evidence, ROI, and a contracting path payers can’t ignore.

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Why is payer product-market fit harder than provider or employer sales?
Because payers are fiduciaries. Their risk tolerance is low, their contracting timelines are long, and they demand measurable ROI. Selling to providers and employers can be faster, but payers unlock scale. Akros helps you navigate that complexity without burning runway.

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What trends in payer innovation should founders pay attention to right now?
Three big ones: (1) Medicaid plans investing in social drivers of health, (2) Medicare Advantage plans seeking better quality scores, and (3) Commercial payers experimenting with value-based contracting. The startups that align to these trends - and prove ROI - will win the next wave of contracts.