Artificial intelligence represents an essential growth lever for businesses, but its adoption often faces significant financial barriers. Discover how Daijobu AI’s innovative AI leasing model drastically reduces initial investments while ensuring optimal return on investment and true intellectual property ownership.
The AI Paradox: A Crucial but Often Inaccessible Investment
Artificial intelligence is no longer a luxury but a strategic necessity. According to a McKinsey study, companies that fully integrate AI see an average 20% increase in their EBITDA. However, many organizations, particularly SMEs and mid-sized companies, face a major obstacle: the prohibitive cost of developing customized AI solutions.
The figures are telling:
- 67% of AI projects fail due to budget constraints
- The average cost of developing a custom AI model can exceed €250,000
- ROI remains uncertain and difficult to predict, making financial justification complex
Faced with this reality, many companies turn to standardized solutions with monthly subscriptions. But this approach has major drawbacks: limited performance, lack of real customization, and most importantly, perpetual dependence on a supplier without acquiring proprietary technological assets.
Rethinking AI Financing: The Daijobu AI Leasing Model
Inspired by economic models that have revolutionized other technology sectors, Daijobu AI has developed an innovative approach: AI leasing. This model radically transforms the economics of artificial intelligence projects by intelligently distributing costs throughout the solution’s lifecycle.
Components of the AI Leasing Model
Our financial approach breaks down into four key elements:
- Upfront Payment
- Amount: Starting from €1,590 (excluding tax)
- Objective: Cover project startup costs and initial model adaptation
- Advantage: Reduces initial investment by 80-95% compared to traditional development
- Monthly Subscription
- Amount: Predictable fixed monthly fees
- Duration: Generally over 24 months
- Included: Hosting, maintenance, updates, and technical support
- Advantage: Transformation of investment costs (CAPEX) into operational expenses (OPEX)
- Pay-as-you-go Costs
- Principle: Billing based on actual usage (API calls, computing time, etc.)
- Pricing: Degressive based on volume (1-4 cents per call on average)
- Advantage: Perfect alignment between costs and generated value, budget optimization
- Purchase Option
- Principle: Possibility to fully purchase the model at the end of the contract
- Amount: Defined from the start
- Key advantage: Definitive acquisition of intellectual property and technological independence
A Concrete Illustration: Comparative Case Study
To better understand the financial impact of our leasing model, let’s compare two approaches for developing an AI classifier for document processing automation:
| Aspect | Traditional Development | Daijobu AI Leasing Model |
|---|---|---|
| Initial Investment | €135,000 | €12,500 |
| Monthly Costs | €2,800 (maintenance) | €250 (subscription) + usage |
| Total Cost over 2 Years | €202,200 | €41,700 (with purchase option) |
| Intellectual Property | Yes, from the start | Yes, after exercising purchase option |
| Estimated ROI | 15-18 months | 3-6 months |
| Accounting Impact | Mostly CAPEX | Mostly OPEX |
This comparison illustrates the considerable financial advantages of the leasing model, with a reduction of more than 79% in total cost over two years and accelerated ROI.
Strategic Benefits Beyond Financial Aspects
The Daijobu AI leasing model offers advantages that go far beyond simple financial optimization:
1. Drastic Reduction of Project Risk
By minimizing initial investment and spreading costs over time, our model significantly reduces the financial risk associated with AI projects. This approach allows:
- Lower cost testing: validating business value before major commitment
- Financial agility: ability to pivot or adjust strategy without significant investment loss
- Decision-making acceleration: reduction of budget approval cycles
2. Transformation of Accounting Treatment
The shift from a CAPEX-dominant model to an OPEX approach offers several accounting and tax advantages:
- Improvement of financial ratios: preservation of debt capacity and performance indicators
- Tax advantages: immediate deductibility of operational expenses
- Budget smoothing: balanced distribution of costs over the fiscal year
3. Progressive Acquisition of Intellectual Property
Unlike traditional SaaS solutions, our leasing model allows you to become the owner of your technology:
- Building technological assets: progressive establishment of AI assets
- Ultimate independence: elimination of perpetual dependence on a supplier
- Company valuation: increase in the intrinsic value of your organization
4. Perfect Alignment with Budget Cycles
The leasing structure naturally adapts to organizational budget constraints:
- Predictability: stable and plannable monthly costs
- Ease of approval: operational expenses are generally easier to get approved than investments
- Allocation flexibility: possibility to distribute costs among different profit centers
How the Leasing Model Adapts to Different Use Cases
Our financial approach adjusts to the specificities of each type of AI project:
Generative AI (conversational agents, content generation)
- Typical upfront: €8,000 – €15,000 (excluding tax)
- Monthly: starting from €99 per month
- Usage: a few cents per interaction
- Expected ROI: Reduction in customer service costs (30-50%), increase in customer satisfaction (15-25%)
Predictive AI (forecasting, anomaly detection)
- Typical upfront: €10,000 – €18,000 (excluding tax)
- Monthly: starting from €129 per month
- Usage: a few cents per prediction
- Expected ROI: Inventory optimization (15-25% reduction), improved sales forecasts (20-35% increased accuracy)
Operational AI (classification, automation)
- Typical upfront: €6,000 – €12,000 (excluding tax)
- Monthly: starting from €89 per month
- Usage: a few cents per processed document
- Expected ROI: Reduction in processing time (60-80%), decrease in errors (40-70%)
The Customer Journey with the Daijobu AI Leasing Model
The implementation of our leasing approach follows a structured process:
1. Initial AI Diagnosis
- Objective: Analysis of your needs and data environment
- Pricing: Starting from €490 (excluding tax) (often deductible from the initial payment if continuing)
- Deliverables: Identification of “quick wins,” design of the optimal AI solution, ROI estimation
2. Contracting and Setup
- Precise definition: Objectives, performance metrics, expected volumes
- Total transparency: Clear structuring of the 4 leasing components (initial, monthly, usage, purchase option)
- Commitment: Generally for 24 months
3. Development and Deployment
- Agile approach: Iterative development with user feedback
- Training included: Skills transfer to maximize autonomy
- Integration: Technical support for integration with your existing systems
4. Operation and Continuous Optimization
- Proactive maintenance: Regular updates and performance optimizations
- ROI monitoring: Continuous evaluation of generated value
- Retraining: Constant improvement of the model with new data
5. End of Contract and Options
- Exercise of the purchase option: Definitive acquisition of intellectual property
- Hosting choice: Possibility to migrate the model to your infrastructure
- Renewal: Option to continue with a lightened maintenance model
Comparison with Other AI Economic Models
To better understand the advantages of AI leasing, let’s compare it to common alternatives:
| Criteria | Generic SaaS Solutions | Internal Development | Classic External Service | Daijobu AI Leasing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Investment | Very low | Very high | High | Low |
| Total Cost over 3 Years | High (perpetual subscription) | Very high | High | Moderate |
| Customization | Limited | Complete | Complete | Complete |
| Intellectual Property | No | Yes | Yes | Yes (after purchase option) |
| Accounting Treatment | OPEX | CAPEX + OPEX | CAPEX | Mainly OPEX |
| Flexibility | Low | High | Medium | High |
| Required Expertise | Low | Very high | Medium | Low |
Conclusion: AI Accessible to All Companies
The AI leasing model represents a major financial innovation that democratizes access to customized artificial intelligence. By transforming prohibitive investment costs into controlled operational expenses, this approach allows even organizations with budget constraints to benefit from customized and high-performing AI.
More than just a financing solution, Daijobu AI’s AI leasing is part of a global philosophy: helping you progressively build your technological assets while generating immediate value.
In a world where AI is becoming a decisive competitive advantage, our innovative economic model allows you to no longer have to choose between customization and financial accessibility. You now benefit from the best of both worlds: AI perfectly adapted to your specific needs, without compromising your investment capabilities on other strategic priorities.
Would you like to evaluate how the AI leasing model could transform your financial approach to artificial intelligence projects? Contact our experts for a personalized simulation and discover the ROI potential for your organization.
