From First Contact to Validated Dataset.
Every Aeterna Data engagement follows a structured, contractually defined process. You know exactly what happens at every stage — before it happens.
The Process
Five Phases. No Surprises.
Every engagement — from a single paid pilot to a full Managed Pod — follows the same five-phase process. Each phase has a defined input, a defined output, and a defined contractual trigger before the next phase begins.
Discovery & Scoping.
Before any contract is discussed, we spend time understanding your project — the data type, the task complexity, the quality threshold you need, and the timeline you are working within.
This conversation costs you nothing and commits you to nothing. It takes 20–30 minutes by video call or async by email. At the end of it, one of two things happens: we are a fit, or we tell you honestly that we are not.
What you bring
- • A brief description of your annotation task
- • Your data type and approximate volume
- • Your annotation platform or tool — or we can advise on setup if you do not have one yet
- • Your target quality threshold if defined
- • Your timeline and urgency level
What we deliver in 48hrs
- → A scoping proposal with recommended approach
- → Estimated Average Handling Time per item
- → Recommended IAA threshold for your task
- → Recommended engagement model based on your dataset size and timeline
- → Draft SOW for review
Contracts First. Always.
No work begins — not even the pilot — until the appropriate contracts are signed. We introduce documents in stages to reduce legal review burden, but we never compress or skip steps.
Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA)
Mutual. Both parties protected from the first conversation. Every annotator assigned to your project signs their own individual NDA before accessing your platform. No exceptions.
DPA + Data Processing Agreement
A Data Processing Agreement governs how Aeterna Data processes, stores, and protects your dataset throughout the engagement. Required before any project data is discussed or shared.
MSA + Statement of Work
The Master Service Agreement governs the full engagement relationship. The Statement of Work fixes scope, hourly rate, IAA thresholds, delivery format, and rework obligations for this specific project. Nothing is left to verbal agreement.
Prove the Pipeline. Before You Commit.
Every new client engagement begins with a paid pilot — a fixed-scope, flat-rate project that proves our calibration, establishes our Average Handling Time on your specific task, and delivers a complete IAA quality report before any production commitment is made.
Annotators are briefed on your guidelines and calibrated on your specific task before the pilot begins. No cold starts.
Annotation runs inside your dashboard. Your data never leaves your environment throughout the pilot.
IAA is measured across the pilot batch. Cohen's Kappa and Fleiss' Kappa both calculated and documented.
A complete quality report is delivered with the pilot: IAA scores, class distribution, annotator consistency notes, and AHT (Average Handling Time) per item type.
You review the report and make a decision. If you proceed within 60 days, the pilot fee is credited in full to your first production invoice.
Production. Measured Every Batch.
Once the pilot is approved, production begins under the terms fixed in the signed SOW. Rate, scope, IAA threshold, delivery format, and rework obligations are all contractually defined before the first production batch starts.
IAA Every Batch
Cohen's Kappa ≥ 0.80 and Fleiss' Kappa ≥ 0.75 measured on every production batch. Not sampled. Every batch.
Rework Guarantee
Any batch failing either threshold is reworked before delivery at zero additional cost. Rework hours are never billed.
Quality Report
Every delivery includes a full quality report: IAA scores, class distribution, rework log, format compliance, and deviation notes.
Your Platform
Annotation runs inside your annotation platform throughout production. Your data stays in your environment. We work with the tool you already use.
Production is billed per annotator hour, fixed in the SOW. Invoices issued monthly in arrears (or in advance for dedicated team engagements). All invoices denominated in EUR or USD as agreed in the SOW.
Scale at Your Pace.
As your annotation needs grow, your engagement model evolves. You are never locked into a tier — you move through the model at your own pace, driven by your volume and timeline.
Paid Pilot
Flat-rate fixed scope. Proves the pipeline before any production commitment.
On-Demand Annotation
Flexible per-project or per-hour annotation. Rates fixed in SOW before work begins.
Volume Engagements
Structured pricing for teams with consistent ongoing annotation needs across multiple dataset versions.
Dedicated Team
A dedicated annotation team reserved exclusively for your pipeline. For teams that need a long-term partner.
How We Work
Your Platform. Your Data.
Aeterna Data works inside the annotation platform your team already uses. We do not ask you to migrate your data or adopt a new tool. If you do not have an annotation platform yet, we can advise on setup based on your task type and scale.
Before any data is shared, an NDA and Data Processing Agreement are signed. Your training dataset is proprietary — we treat it that way throughout the entire engagement.
Data Never Leaves Your Environment
Your raw data, your annotations, and your final labeled dataset remain in your infrastructure throughout the entire engagement.
No Platform Migration Cost
You do not need to move data, learn a new tool, or manage another SaaS subscription. When the engagement ends, everything stays where it is.
Formal Legal Framework
Your data is protected by a signed NDA and DPA before any project data is shared — not just by a privacy policy on a vendor website.
Deliverables
What Every Engagement Delivers.
Regardless of engagement tier, every Aeterna Data project delivers the same core set of outputs. You never receive labeled files without the quality documentation to validate them.
Annotated Dataset
Labeled data in your required format, delivered directly to your environment. Format specified in the SOW.
IAA Quality Report
Cohen's Kappa and Fleiss' Kappa scores per batch. Class distribution. Annotator consistency documentation.
Rework Log
Full documentation of any batches that required rework — what failed, why, and how it was resolved.
AHT Report
Average Handling Time per item type, established during the pilot and tracked throughout production.
Compliance Documentation
Signed contract stack available for your records: NDA, DPA, MSA, and SOW.
Deviation Notes
Any task-specific anomalies, edge cases, or guideline ambiguities flagged during annotation — documented for your team.
Timelines
What to Expect and When.
From first contact to first invoice, here is the realistic timeline for a standard engagement.
- First contact to discovery call
- Same day – 48 hoursAsync or video call
- Discovery call to scoping proposal
- Within 48 hoursDraft SOW included
- Scoping proposal to NDA signed
- Same day – 2 business daysStandard mutual NDA
- NDA to DPA signed
- 1 – 3 business daysSubject to review
- DPA to MSA + SOW signed
- 1 – 3 business daysAt pilot agreement
- Contracts signed to pilot start
- 2 – 5 business daysAnnotator briefing and calibration
- Pilot duration
- ~5 – 7 business daysDepends on item volume
- Pilot delivery to production start
- Client approval requiredWritten approval triggers production
- First contact to first invoice
- Typically 3 – 5 weeksFor standard engagements
Rush engagements (sub-5 day turnaround) are available at the upper end of the applicable hourly rate. Rush availability is subject to annotator capacity and must be specified in the SOW.
Ready to Start the Process?
The first step costs nothing and commits you to nothing. A 20-minute discovery call. A scoping proposal within 48 hours. A paid pilot to prove the pipeline.