Real questions from real prospect conversations, answered directly. If you don't see yours here, email hello@auperon.io — we'll respond within one business day.
The most common question we get: "Why sell this as a productized tier instead of a custom quote?" Here's the reasoning.
Because most cellular characterization work follows a predictable pattern — read the cells, model them, translate the insight into actionable recommendations. When the scope is predictable, the pricing should be too.
Fixed tiers mean you know exactly what you're getting, when you're getting it, and what it costs. No scope creep. No "we discovered we need more sequencing." No billable-hours negotiation. If your project genuinely doesn't fit our three tiers, we'll tell you and route you to Van Heron Labs full-service.
Fair question — and one we get a lot. The difference: a services engagement scales with hours, change orders, and account manager availability. Auperon scales with data.
Every tier delivers the same three core deliverables — deep cellular profile, interactive digital twin, prioritized recommendations — regardless of who's running it. The "product" is the platform and the workflow, not just the deliverables. If we were a pure services shop, we'd charge by the hour.
Smaller than Tier 1 — one focused question, minimal comparison — Tier 1 still fits. The discovery output is valuable at any scale, and we don't shrink it further.
Larger than Tier 3 — multiple cell types, multi-quarter engagement, licensing to a manufacturing partner, cGMP-scaled formulations — you're in Van Heron Labs full-service territory. We'll route you there and treat the Tier 3 engagement as an IP-protected discovery entry point if it makes sense.
Within reason, yes. The condition/sample limits are hard boundaries (they define the analytical scope). But which conditions, which comparisons, and which biological questions you want us to focus on — that's yours to shape at kickoff.
What we won't do: mid-engagement scope expansion beyond the tier. If your scope grows, that's a new engagement, not a change order.
The technical prep questions we hear on almost every kickoff call.
RNA-seq data is the core input — either data you already have, or samples we can coordinate sequencing on. Bulk RNA-seq is our bread and butter. We can also work with single-cell RNA-seq (three-prime biased) or Oxford Nanopore data if that's what you have.
At Tier 3, we can incorporate proteomics and metabolomics data as well.
Auperon does not run sequencing itself, but we have three paths:
The sample prep guide covers everything — RNA later reagent use, cell counting, freezing, shipping protocols, common pitfalls we've caught over dozens of engagements.
Yes — this is one of the most common starting points. Send us what you have, tell us the experimental design that generated it, and we'll evaluate whether it's sufficient for the analysis you want to run.
If we need more sequencing to augment your existing data or answer a specific hypothesis, we'll flag that at scoping. Pre-existing data often makes a great first pilot — you see what our analysis looks like on data you already understand.
iPSCs, hSCs, MSCs (multiple donor sources), T cells (CD4/CD8, TILs, Tregs), CHO for biologics production, HEK, E. coli and other microbial systems, embryoid bodies, synthetic embryos, viral vector production cells, NK cells.
If your system is exploratory or novel, that's what Tier 1 is designed for.
That's a good fit for Tier 1 — Discovery & Recommendations. You get the same platform depth (multi-omic characterization, digital twin, prioritized recommendations) on your novel system that established programs get.
A common use case: "we're not sure this cell type will work for X" → we characterize the system, tell you what's actually happening at the molecular level, and give you a mechanism-backed next step.
Standard RNA-seq analysis gives you differential expression tables and pathway enrichment lists. That's the starting point, not the endpoint.
Auperon delivers what happens after: a biological digital twin you can interact with, mechanism-backed recommendations ranked by expected impact, biomarker candidates for your CQAs, and existing-molecule modulator identifications targeting the pathways in your cells' actual biology.
The output isn't "here are 500 differentially expressed genes." The output is "these three modulators of pathway X, present in your cells' actual biology, are your most promising leads for the phenotype you're trying to optimize."
By tier: Tier 1 handles 1 condition / 3 samples. Tier 2 up to 3 conditions / 9 samples. Tier 3 up to 4 conditions / 12 samples.
Our analytical sweet spot is 12 or fewer conditions in one study — beyond that, the comparative figures get unwieldy. We've done larger analyses (60 samples across 30 conditions), but those move into Van Heron Labs full-service territory.
The IP conversation comes up on almost every deal. Here's how we handle it.
You do. The analysis, the digital twin, the biomarker candidates, the modulator identifications, the recommendations — all yours.
Auperon delivers real, defensible IP using existing, characterized components in novel combinations. No new chemistry for you to qualify, characterize, or clear. Real IP, cleaner CMC path.
At Tier 3, we work under an IP-protection framework that treats the engagement as a foundation for potential Van Heron Labs co-development.
Practically, this means: mutual NDAs before technical exchange, clear ownership boundaries on the analysis and recommendations, and pre-negotiated terms for how any downstream co-development would work if you decide to expand.
Standard mutual NDA covers all customer-provided data, samples, cell lines, process information, and results. We never share individual customer data or results with other customers.
Aggregate patterns we identify across programs (for example, GABA showing up as a novel MSC nutrient across multiple programs) may inform our platform and general recommendations — but no customer-specific information is ever shared.
The biomarker candidates and mechanism-backed recommendations can support regulatory documentation — particularly for CQA definition, comparability studies, and QC panel design.
Auperon is not a GxP-validated service. For regulatory-critical use, you'd want to independently validate specific findings. Van Heron Labs full-service supports more extensive regulatory work when needed.
Yes — mutual NDA is standard before any technical exchange or data transfer. We can sign yours or send ours; either works.
Introductory conversations covering non-confidential material (what Auperon does, our capabilities, prior anonymized case studies) don't require an NDA. Once we're talking about your specific cells, process, or program, we NDA first.
Deliverable format, iteration policy, digital twin capabilities.
Three things:
You get continued access after the engagement ends. If you have follow-up questions later that don't require new sequencing, we can typically answer them from the existing digital twin.
Every tier delivers: deep cellular profile, interactive digital twin with continued access, prioritized recommendations with mechanism-level explanation, publication-quality figures (heat maps, volcano plots, pathway enrichments), biomarker and existing-molecule modulator candidates, and a written report.
Tier 2 adds: recommendations formatted as specifications with ranges and rationale, plus implementation support for your team.
Tier 3 adds: custom multi-omic scope (proteomics, metabolomics as fit), integrated process/media/feed design specifications, direct bench validation support.
Final report can be a written document, a presentation, or both — your preference.
"Any iteration required" within the engagement window is included. In practice, this means additional analyses using data we already have — quick to run, included at no extra cost.
If your follow-up questions require new sequencing, that's typically the start of a follow-on engagement rather than a scope expansion of the current one.
Tier 2 includes implementation support — direct guidance for your team at the bench as they run experiments based on our recommendations.
Tier 3 includes direct bench validation support through our partner network for programs that need physical testing before scaling up.
Commercial-scale manufacturing, cGMP-scaled formulations, or licensing to a manufacturing partner is Van Heron Labs full-service territory.
Every engagement includes KPI setting at kickoff — what specific outcome you're trying to optimize (yield, viability, potency, specific CQA). Recommendations are ranked by expected impact against those KPIs.
Your team validates in your own hands, or at Tier 3 our team validates through the partner network. Iteration is designed into the workflow — if the first pass doesn't hit your KPI, we refine and re-recommend within the engagement.
Tier 1: 2 weeks. Tier 2: 3-4 weeks. Tier 3: 6-8 weeks. Those are turnaround times from data-in-hand to delivered report.
If you're providing new samples for sequencing, add 2-3 weeks for sample prep, shipping, and sequencing coordination. If you're providing existing RNA-seq data, we start immediately.
Two options: we can store your data on our secure server (with your dashboard access preserved for continued interaction), or you can store it and grant us access as needed for iteration and follow-up work.
Either way, your raw data and dashboard outputs are yours — you can export or transfer at any time.
Auperon and Van Heron Labs share the same platform and team. Here's how to pick between them.
Auperon is Van Heron Labs' cellular intelligence platform, productized. Same platform. Same team. Same rigor.
Auperon is the fixed-scope, fixed-price entry point for teams who want to prove the value on one focused question before committing to a larger engagement. Van Heron Labs full-service is the enterprise co-development pathway for teams ready for that from the start.
Choose Van Heron Labs full-service when you need:
Yes. Tier 3 is specifically designed as the on-ramp — the IP-protected engagement terms and integrated design work at Tier 3 are the natural foundation for a Van Heron Labs co-development engagement.
Many teams start with Tier 1 or Tier 2, prove the platform's value on one question, then expand to full-service when the strategic fit is clear.
Yes. Auperon and Van Heron Labs share the same scientific team. When you engage Auperon, you're working with the same PhD-level scientists who staff Van Heron Labs full-service engagements. That's why the platform depth is identical.
What's different is the scope and commercial model — not the people or the science.
The productized model is designed to make this the simplest part of the conversation.
All Auperon engagements are paid via Stripe on the Try It Now page. Select your tier, complete checkout, and your engagement kicks off within a few business days.
Cards, ACH, and wire transfers are supported through Stripe's standard checkout.
The tier price includes:
Tier 3 additionally includes the custom multi-omic scope (proteomics, metabolomics as fit), integrated design specifications, and bench validation support.
What's not included: sequencing (Auperon doesn't run or coordinate sequencing — see the "How do sequencing costs work?" question below) and scope expansion beyond the tier's condition/sample limits.
Auperon engagements are fixed-price with iteration included, so refunds aren't a routine part of how we work.
The one specific case where refunds apply: if sequencing data you provide (or that Van Heron Labs coordinates on your behalf) fails our internal QC — meaning it's uninterpretable at the level required to produce mechanism-backed output — we refund the engagement in full and provide our recommendations on experimental design for a future run.
This protects both of us: you're not paying for output we can't confidently deliver, and we're not producing recommendations from data we don't trust.
We don't publish standing multi-project discounts. For teams committing to multiple engagements upfront — for example, three Tier 2 studies across different cell lines, or a Tier 2 → Tier 3 sequence — let's have a conversation. Email hello@auperon.io and we'll scope something that fits.
If you need more than Tier 3 supports (4 conditions / 12 samples), you're in Van Heron Labs full-service territory. We'll route you there for a scoped engagement rather than force the productized format.
The condition/sample limits define the analytical scope of each tier — they're hard boundaries, not soft ones.
Auperon doesn't run or coordinate sequencing — sequencing costs never flow through Auperon. If you provide existing RNA-seq data or point us to public data, sequencing cost is zero for the engagement.
If you need to generate new data for the project, run sequencing with the vendor of your choice — your in-house core, CDMO, Novogene, Genewiz/Azenta, or others. You pay your vendor directly on their terms.
If you need Van Heron Labs to handle sequencing coordination end-to-end (sample prep guidance, vendor management, shipping, sequencing coordination, and analysis), that's a Van Heron Labs full-service engagement rather than Auperon.
Auperon tier prices are paid in full via Stripe at engagement kickoff — there's no downstream invoicing since we don't coordinate sequencing or any pass-through services.
Every question above came from a real prospect conversation. If yours isn't here, email us — we reply within one business day, and if it's a good one, we'll add it.