Insights · AI pilot to production
How much does it cost to take an AI agent from pilot to production at a bank?
At S-PRO a design thinking pilot (workshops, an AI prototype and user testing, 2–4 weeks) starts from CHF 20k. A full solution pilot costs CHF 50–200k depending on complexity and takes up to 2–3 months. Production budgets depend on integrations, data, risk class and approvals, not on the model itself. We work fixed-price and give an exact estimate within a few days of the first meeting.
Claude Certified Services Partner(Anthropic)01
Why most bank AI pilots never reach production
- The pilot used sample data, not governed production data.
- No evaluation set, so nobody can prove accuracy to risk and compliance.
- No audit trail or human-in-the-loop design, so the model-risk review stalls.
- Security, outsourcing and data-residency approvals start too late.
- Each use case is built separately, with no shared data foundation.
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What drives the budget
| Driver | Lower cost | Higher cost |
|---|---|---|
| Integrations | 1–2 read-only systems | Core banking, CRM, KYC and documents, with write access |
| Data | Clean, structured | Unstructured documents, several languages, entity resolution |
| Risk class (EU AI Act) | Internal productivity | Client-facing or credit-related |
| Approvals | Existing AI policy | First agent in the bank, new outsourcing assessment |
| Hosting | Vendor-hosted API | Dedicated region or on-premise model |
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How S-PRO prices a bank AI agent
We build on Claude, Azure OpenAI or on-premise models. S-PRO is a Certified partner in the Claude Partner Network, and our team includes Claude-certified engineers and architects.
| Stage | What you get | Duration | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Design thinking pilot | Workshops, AI prototype, testing with users, agreed scope and success criteria | 2–4 weeks | from CHF 20k |
| Solution pilot | The full agent on a real process, connected to your systems, with evaluation set, human-in-the-loop interface, audit log and documentation for the production decision | up to 2–3 months | CHF 50–200k, depending on complexity |
| Production | Hardening, integrations, monitoring, model-risk and regulatory documentation | depends on scope | fixed price, estimated within a few days |
Production phase
Monitoring and observability, role-based access, model-risk documentation, EU AI Act and FINMA documentation, and a run and support model. We specialise in fixed-price delivery: you get an indication in the first meeting and an exact estimate within a few days.
Results, already in production
What production looks like
AI support agent for a leading German neobroker
The broker handles 300K+ support tickets a year. The agent drafts each reply from account history, order status and policies, and a support agent approves it.
Policy answers in 30 seconds for a Swiss bank
Employees of the Swiss subsidiary of an international bank search internal policies and procedures through a role-based AI assistant that shows the source of every answer.
AMINA Bank
A new digital banking experience for a FINMA-regulated crypto bank: custody, trading, staking and lending.
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An AI platform for one of Europe's most established venture capital firms: data aggregation and analysis, automated due diligence and risk prediction for investment decisions.
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Questions buyers ask us
Is the model (Claude or GPT) a large part of the cost?
Usually not. Model run costs depend on volume and are small compared with integration, data and approval work.
Can we reuse the pilot in production?
Yes, if it was built on the production data layer from the start. That is how we build pilots.
Who owns the code and prompts?
The client owns the code and the prompts.
How fast do we get a price?
You get an indication in the first meeting and an exact fixed-price estimate within a few days.
Why do most bank AI pilots never reach production?
Because they run on sample data, have no evaluation set, lack an audit trail and human-in-the-loop design, and start security and outsourcing approvals too late.
What are you building?
Contact
You will talk to engineers who build for banks, not to a sales script. Fill out the form and get an answer within one business day.
- Security and privacy firstISO 27001 and ISO 27701 certified.
- Claude Partner NetworkS-PRO is a Certified partner in the Claude Partner Network. Our team includes Claude-certified engineers and architects.
- Proven in regulated financeBanks, wealth managers and fintechs in Switzerland, the EU and the US.
Who you’ll talk to
Michael BarskyiHead of Banking & Fintech
Dustin SchulzeSenior Business AnalystClaude Certified Services Partner(Anthropic)Contact us
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