Focura Pricing Strategy — April 2026
The Story Before the Price
Seth Godin’s framework is right: price is a story. Before anyone sees a number, they need to understand what disorganization costs — and what organization prevents. The price isn’t competing with Willful or Epilogue. It’s competing with the cost of doing nothing.
What Disorganization Actually Costs
These are the numbers that anchor the conversation. Every pricing page, every demo, every advisor conversation should start here — not with features.
Legal Fees (What Families Pay When Things Go Wrong)
| Scenario | Typical Cost | Source | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Straightforward uncontested estate with multiple assets and beneficiaries (Ontario) | 20,000 | Estate lawyer billing rates; LSO fee survey data | Ontario estate lawyers bill 500/hr (mid-market). A simple probate with one beneficiary and few assets: 15–20 hours (10K). An estate with a house, multiple accounts, and 3+ beneficiaries: 30–50 hours (20K). Includes probate application, asset transfers, CRA clearance, and account closings — but no disputes. |
| Contested estate (one dispute) | 100,000 | Court application costs; mediation fee schedules | One contested issue (e.g., unequal distribution, executor conduct, validity of a codicil) triggers: court application (15K), discovery/document production (20K), mediation (15K), and if no settlement, trial prep (50K). Each side pays their own costs. Range assumes resolution before or at mediation; full trial pushes above $100K. |
| Full estate litigation (Haddock v. Haddock) | $134,000 combined | Globe and Mail reporting on Ontario court decision | Cottage dispute over a will that didn’t account for rising property values. $134,000 is the combined legal costs for both sides as reported in the Globe article. One family, one asset, one ambiguity in the will — and six figures in legal fees. |
| Probate delay with executor removal (Graves v. Nagy) | $62,000+ in legal fees, 8-year delay | Saskatchewan Court of Appeal, 2024 | Court-documented legal fees from an 8-year probate dispute caused by an unprepared executor. The estate was not complex — the executor simply didn’t know what to do and didn’t act. The delay and resulting court applications generated $62K+ in legal costs that a prepared executor could have largely avoided. |
| Missing documentation (executor searching for assets and records) | 15,000 in professional time | Professional billing rates for appraisers, accountants, lawyers | When an executor can’t locate accounts, policies, or property records, they hire professionals to search: appraisers (350/hr for property and valuables), accountants (400/hr to reconstruct financial records from CRA and bank statements), and lawyers (500/hr for institutional inquiries and asset tracing). A 20–40 hour search across multiple professionals reaches 15K. |
Executor Fees (What Organization Reduces)
| Factor | Unorganized Estate | Organized Estate | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Executor time (typical) | 200–500 hours | 40–100 hours | Estate Trustee surveys and trust company estimates. An unorganized estate requires the executor to locate assets, reconstruct records, search for policies, and resolve ambiguities — all before the actual administration begins. An organized estate (asset inventory, contacts, documents in one place) lets the executor skip the search phase and go straight to administration. |
| Executor compensation (Ontario guideline ~2.5-5%) | Full 5% often justified | Executor may accept less; court more likely to approve lower amount | Ontario courts use the “fair and reasonable” standard from Re Jeffery Estate — roughly 2.5% each on capital receipts and disbursements, plus a care and management fee. Higher compensation is justified when the executor’s workload is high. A well-organized estate with less executor effort = weaker case for the full 5%. |
| On a $1M estate | Up to $50,000 executor fee | 30,000 executor fee | Applying the above: 5% of 50K. If the organized estate reduces the executor’s work and the court or beneficiaries agree to 2–3%, the fee drops to 30K. The 30K savings accrues to the beneficiaries. |
| Professional executor (trust company) | 3–5% + disbursements | May decline complex estates; organized estates attract lower bids | Trust companies (e.g., RBC Royal Trust, BMO Trust, CIBC Trust) typically charge 3–5% of estate value plus out-of-pocket expenses. They routinely decline estates that are disorganized or likely to involve disputes. An organized estate is more attractive and may command a lower fee because the trust company’s own time investment is reduced. |
Probate & Tax Costs (What Visibility Prevents)
| Risk | Cost if Missed | How Focura Helps | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assets not included in probate application | Court application to amend: 8,000 | Complete asset inventory from the start | If an asset is discovered after probate is granted, the executor must file a supplementary application with the court. In Ontario, this requires a new Estate Information Return, additional Estate Administration Tax, and legal fees to prepare and file. The 8K covers legal time (500/hr × 8–15 hours) plus court filing fees. |
| Late T1 filing (penalties + interest) | 5% + 1%/month on balance owing | Filing deadlines visible; CPA engaged early | CRA charges a 5% late-filing penalty on the balance owing, plus 1% per month for up to 12 months (17% total). On a 17,000 in avoidable penalties. The terminal T1 is due by April 30 of the year following death (or 6 months after death if death occurs between November and April). These are CRA’s published penalty rates under s. 162(1) of the Income Tax Act. |
| Missed RRSP/RRIF rollover to surviving spouse | Full income inclusion — could be 200,000 in tax | Registered account designations documented | When the RRSP/RRIF holder dies, the full fair market value is included in their income for the year of death — unless it rolls to a surviving spouse or financially dependent child (s. 60(l) ITA). A 200K in tax. With a proper spousal rollover designation, that tax is deferred until the surviving spouse draws on the funds. The range (200K) reflects RRSP balances from 400K at top marginal rates. |
| Unknown insurance policies | Benefits never claimed (est. $1B+ unclaimed in Canada) | Policy inventory with company contacts | The Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association (CLHIA) has acknowledged significant unclaimed life insurance benefits. The $1B+ estimate is cited in industry publications and by the OmbudService for Life & Health Insurance. Policies go unclaimed because beneficiaries don’t know they exist — the policyholder dies and no one knows to file a claim. A policy inventory with company names and contact details solves this directly. |
| Joint account presumption disputes (Pecore v. Pecore) | 80,000 in litigation | Ownership structure and intent documented | Pecore v. Pecore [2007] 1 SCR 795 — Supreme Court of Canada established that when a parent adds an adult child to a bank account, there is a presumption of resulting trust (the money stays in the estate), not a gift. The child must prove the parent intended a gift. Without documentation of the parent’s intent, this triggers litigation. The 80K range reflects the cost of a court application to determine ownership, including examinations, affidavits, and potentially a summary trial. Focura’s ownership documentation (“I added my daughter to this account because…”) is exactly the evidence a court would want. |
The Anchor Number
The average Canadian estate that encounters even one complication costs 30,000 more than it should. A contested estate costs 134,000 more. Focura at 199/month for 20 households on the Advisor tier) costs less than 2 minutes with an estate lawyer.
Rationale: The 30K anchor is a blended estimate: legal fees for one complication (20K) + executor time overage (10K in additional compensation) + one missed tax or probate issue (50K–134K, Graves: 50K–9.95/HH/month figure: 9.95. Ontario estate lawyer rates: 500/hr, so 2 minutes ≈ 17.
This is the story. Everything else is just the price.
Distribution Model: Advisor-Only
Decision (April 2026)
Households do not subscribe directly. Every household accesses Focura through a qualified advisor. The advisor pays the subscription; the household gets the full platform at no additional cost.
Rationale:
- Eliminates consumer billing friction and support burden
- Ensures every household has professional guidance through the process
- Reduces CAC to near zero (advisor delivers the clients)
- Creates advisor lock-in (if advisor leaves, households lose access)
- Households who arrive without an advisor are matched with one (in-house or from network)
How the Bundled Model Works
- Advisors pay the subscription
- Households access Focura at no cost as a benefit of their advisor relationship
- Household sees Focura as a premium service their advisor provides
Why This Is Right
-
Eliminates billing friction. Households don’t pay for something they’re not sure they need yet. The advisor absorbs the cost as a practice expense.
-
Creates advisor lock-in. If the advisor leaves Focura, every household loses access. That’s a hard conversation to have with 20 clients.
-
Positions the advisor as the hero. The client’s experience is: “My advisor gave me this incredible tool that organized my entire estate.” Not “I bought some software.”
-
Aligns with the website strategy. The homepage speaks to families. The For Advisors page speaks to professionals. The family arrives through the advisor — they never need to see a pricing page.
Household B2C Pricing — RETIRED
The $199/year household price remains as an internal anchor for calculating advisor tier value — but it does not appear on the pricing page and is not offered to consumers directly.
Future consideration: If demand from unattached households grows significantly, reintroduce a direct B2C tier — but only with mandatory coaching onboarding, not self-serve.
Household Anchor Price
The anchor price establishes what a single household subscription is worth on a standalone basis. This number is the internal benchmark that makes advisor tiers either defensible or arbitrary — even though households no longer subscribe directly.
The comparable landscape in Canada is instructive. Willful charges 139–269 CAD one-time. In the U.S., Everplans charged $99.99 USD/year for a document vault with no advisory integration and no calculations before it was acquired by Precoa in late 2024. These products solve a fragment of what Focura solves.
Focura’s household value proposition includes province-specific estate calculations, income tax on death, probate, beneficiary flow visualization, executor preparation with a task list, Tell Your Story narrative capture, ongoing review reminders, and gap detection. It is a categorically more complete product than anything a household could otherwise buy.
Anchor price: 199/year equivalent).
This number does not appear on the pricing page and is not offered to consumers directly. It exists only as a reference point for validating advisor tier math.
Tier Structure (CAD) — Revised April 2026
Convention: All prices are quoted as $/month. Annual equivalents and per-household breakdowns shown for comparison. This is the format an investor uses to calculate MRR, ARR, and unit economics.
Master Pricing Table
| Line Item | $/Month | $/Year | Per HH/Month | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Household anchor (internal only) | $16.58 | $199 | $16.58 | Not customer-facing. Benchmark for tier math. |
| Trial | $0 | — | — | 30 days, 5 HH, no credit card |
| Advisor tier | $199 | $2,388 | $9.95 | 20 HH included. 40% discount vs. anchor. |
| Advisor tier (annual prepay) | $169 | $2,028 | $8.45 | 15% discount for annual commitment. 49% vs. anchor. |
| Practice tier | $349 | $4,188 | $6.98 | 50 HH included. 58% discount vs. anchor. |
| Practice tier (annual prepay) | $297 | $3,559 | $5.93 | 15% discount for annual commitment. 64% vs. anchor. |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom | ~$5.00 | 100+ HH. ~70% discount vs. anchor. |
| Household overage | $12 | $144 | $12.00 | Per additional HH above tier cap. |
| Storage overage (25GB) | $10 | $120 | — | Per 25GB block above included pool. |
| Storage overage (100GB) | $30 | $360 | — | Per 100GB block (Practice+). |
| Storage overage (500GB) | $100 | $1,200 | — | Per 500GB block (Enterprise). |
| Founding Member | — | — | — | 349/mo value). 64% discount. |
| Network membership (professional) | 83 | 1,000 | — | Annual fee for referral network. |
| Referral fee (per conversion) | — | — | — | 500 per qualified referral. Variable by profession. |
Investor View: How the Tiers Compare
| Tier | Advisor Pays/Month | HH Included | Effective $/HH/Month | Discount vs. Anchor | Advisor Gets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anchor (internal) | — | 1 | $16.58 | — | Benchmark |
| Trial | $0 | 5 | $0 | 100% | 30 days to prove value |
| Advisor | $199 | 20 | $9.95 | 40% | Full platform + Tell Your Story + Letter to Executor + reports |
| Practice | $349 | 50 | $6.98 | 58% | Everything in Advisor + insurance gap detection + co-branding + priority support |
| Enterprise | Custom | 100+ | ~$5.00 | ~70% | Everything in Practice + white-label + API + dedicated onboarding |
The discount curve is the incentive structure: more households = lower per-unit cost. The advisor who grows from 20 to 50 households saves $2.97/HH/month by upgrading from Advisor to Practice — that’s the natural upsell.
Changes from Previous Model
- **Starter tier (79/month indefinitely with no incentive to convert. Now they prove the platform works in 30 days, then pay $199/month or walk away.
- Advisor raised from 199/month. At 7.45/month (199/year anchor. At 9.95/month — a 40% wholesale discount, which is fair for delivering volume with zero acquisition cost.
- Practice raised from 349/month. Maintains the step-up incentive and funds Practice-exclusive features (insurance gap detection, co-branding, annual review automation).
- Overage raised from 12/household/month. At 16.58) — expensive enough to incentivize tier upgrade, but not so punitive that adding one extra household feels unreasonable.
30-Day Free Trial
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Duration | 30 days |
| Household cap | 5 |
| Credit card required | No |
| Feature access | Full FOCURA Method minus Tell Your Story and Letter to Executor |
| Conversion path | Upgrade to Advisor ($199/month) or walk away |
| Data continuity | All trial households carry over to paid tier without re-entry |
The trial replaces the Starter tier as the acquisition funnel. Advisors who would have parked on $79/month indefinitely now have 30 days to see real value — long enough to onboard 3–5 households and run scenarios in a client meeting — then convert or leave.
Overage Math
| Extra Households | Monthly Overage | Total (Advisor + Overage) | Practice Tier | Upgrade Rational? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | $60 | $259 | $349 | No |
| 10 | $120 | $319 | $349 | Getting close |
| 13 | $156 | $355 | $349 | Yes — upgrade |
Storage Pricing
Focura stores documents, photos, audio recordings (Tell Your Story), and potentially video. Storage costs real money and should generate margin — not just cover costs.
AWS Costs (ca-central-1)
| Component | Cost |
|---|---|
| S3 Standard | ~$0.025/GB/month |
| S3 Infrequent Access | ~$0.0125/GB/month |
| Data transfer out | ~$0.09/GB |
Typical Storage Per Household
| Content Type | Typical | Heavy Use |
|---|---|---|
| Documents (will, POA, insurance, deeds, tax returns) | 50–150MB | 300MB |
| Photos (property, assets, collectibles, sentimental items) | 50–350MB | 500MB |
| Audio — Tell Your Story | 10–30MB | 100MB |
| Video messages | 0 | 1–5GB+ |
| Total | ~200–500MB | 2–6GB+ |
Video is the cost driver. A single 5-minute video at 720p is ~125MB. Without caps, a heavy video user can consume more storage than 20 light document users combined.
Included Storage Per Tier (Pool Model)
Each tier gets a total storage pool shared across all households — not a hard per-household limit. Light households subsidize heavier ones, and the advisor never hits a wall mid-onboarding because one household uploaded more photos.
| Tier | Included Storage | Per Household (avg) | Covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trial | 2GB total | 400MB/HH | Docs + a few photos |
| Advisor | 20GB total | 1GB/HH | Docs + photos + audio |
| Practice | 75GB total | 1.5GB/HH | Docs + photos + audio + light video |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom | Negotiated |
Storage Overage Pricing
| Block | Price/Month | AWS Cost | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Additional 25GB | $10 | ~$0.63 | ~94% |
| Additional 100GB | $30 | ~$2.50 | ~92% |
| Additional 500GB (Enterprise) | $100 | ~$12.50 | ~88% |
These margins are standard for SaaS with embedded storage. The product isn’t raw storage — it’s organized, secure, Canadian-hosted estate storage with advisor access controls and PIPEDA compliance. That commands a premium over commodity S3.
Storage Revenue Projections
| Year | Households | Avg Storage/HH | Total Storage | Est. Overage Revenue/Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2028 | 1,500 | 800MB | 1.2TB | $2,400 |
| 2029 | 4,000 | 1GB | 4TB | $12,000 |
| 2030 | 8,000 | 1.2GB | 9.6TB | $36,000 |
| 2031 | 14,000 | 1.5GB | 21TB | $72,000 |
Conservative estimates — assumes only 20–30% of accounts trigger overage. If video adoption grows (Tell Your Story with video is a compelling feature), storage revenue could be 2–3× these numbers.
Cold Storage for Settled Estates
Once an estate is settled (executor work complete, beneficiaries sorted), that data becomes cold. Automatically moving settled estates to S3 Infrequent Access after 12 months of no activity cuts storage cost in half with zero impact on user experience. Build this into the architecture from the start.
Founding Member Program
| Offer | Price | Includes | Equivalent Monthly Value | Discount | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Advisor Founding Member | $1,500 one-time | 12 months Practice access + personal onboarding | 4,188 | 64% | 10 spots |
- Household Founding Member offer removed — consistent with advisor-only distribution model
- Advisor Founding Member raised from 1,500 — reflects the updated Practice tier pricing (1,500 for 12 months, that’s $125/month effective — a 64% discount for being first
- Program closes September 30, 2026 — scarcity is part of the story
The testimonials, case studies, and product feedback from 10 founding advisors are worth far more than $41,880 in subscription revenue. Close the program on time. If you extend it, it stops being a founding offer and starts being a discount.
The Advisor Sales Story
The advisor pricing story needs to lead with retention math, not features.
The Retention Argument
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Average AUM per client (wealth advisor) | 2,000,000 |
| Annual revenue per client (at 1% fee) | 20,000/year |
| Cost of losing one client at estate transition | 20,000/year in perpetuity |
| Focura Advisor tier | 2,388/year) |
| Focura Practice tier | 4,188/year) |
| Clients retained to break even | Less than one |
If Focura helps you retain even one client relationship through an estate transition, it pays for itself in the first year — and every year after.
That’s the advisor story. Not “discover held-away assets.” Not “differentiate your practice.” Those are bonuses. The core: you will lose clients when they die. Focura is how you keep the family.
Insurance Gap Discovery — Feature Value vs. Direct Revenue
The Uncover stage surfaces tax liabilities (e.g., RRSP income inclusion on death, capital gains on property) that naturally lead to the question: “Do you have enough insurance to cover this?” That’s a real and valuable discovery. But Focura’s role is to surface the math — not to provide advice, recommend insurance, or broker the transaction.
How that discovery plays out depends entirely on who the advisor is:
| Advisor Type | What Happens | Focura’s Direct Revenue | Focura’s Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Insurance-licensed advisor (dual-licensed wealth advisor, insurance agent) | They write the policy themselves | $0 | Surfaced the math. Feature value — helps justify their Focura subscription. |
| Advisor with insurance connections (wealth advisor with MGA relationship, accountant who refers to an insurance contact) | They refer internally to their person | $0 | Surfaced the math. The referral stays in their ecosystem. |
| Non-insurance advisor (lawyer, accountant, funeral provider with no insurance access) | Client needs insurance but advisor has no connection | Potential finder’s fee if Focura matches to a network professional | Surfaced the math AND made the connection through the referral network. |
| Unattached household (in-house Focura coaching) | Focura identifies gap during onboarding | Finder’s fee from the insurance professional | Surfaced the math AND made the connection. |
Key distinction: For the first two rows — which will be the majority of Focura advisors at launch — insurance gap discovery is a selling point for the subscription, not a direct revenue stream. It gives the advisor a reason to use Focura and a conversation to have with their client. Focura earns $0 directly, but it strengthens retention and justifies the subscription price.
Focura only earns direct insurance revenue from the last two rows: non-insurance advisors and unattached households. Those referrals are handled through the Professional Referral Network below.
Compliance note: Focura does not recommend insurance, endorse a provider, or suggest a coverage amount. The Estate Map shows the tax liability; the advisor or household decides what to do about it. If Focura makes a referral through the network, the referral arrangement is disclosed to the household before it’s made.
Professional Referral Network
The Opportunity
When Focura provides in-house coaching to unattached households, or when a non-insurance advisor’s client needs a professional Focura can connect them to, the organizing process naturally surfaces gaps that require professional help. Every gap is a referral opportunity.
This is the revenue stream that — if it performs — transforms Focura from a SaaS subscription into a marketplace. But it only generates direct Focura revenue when the referral goes through Focura’s network, not when the advisor handles it themselves.
What the Organizing Process Uncovers
| Gap Identified | Professional Referral | Typical Engagement Fee | Suggested Finder’s Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| No will or outdated will | Estate lawyer | 3,500 | 400 flat |
| No POA or outdated POA | Estate lawyer | 1,500 | Bundled with will referral |
| Insurance coverage gap | Licensed insurance agent | Commission-based | Finder’s fee: 400 (see note below) |
| No financial advisor | Wealth advisor | 1% AUM ongoing | $500 flat or 10% of year-one fees |
| Tax planning needed | Accountant / tax planner | 2,000 per engagement | 250 flat |
| Property transfer questions | Real estate lawyer | Varies | 300 flat |
| Pre-need funeral planning | Funeral provider | 15,000 pre-plan | 300 flat |
Note on insurance finder’s fees: Provincial insurance regulations govern referral fees. Focura is not an insurance agent and does not receive commissions. A finder’s fee for connecting an unattached household with a licensed agent is a different arrangement — legal review required before launch. The fee must be disclosed to the household.
The Financial Advisor Referral
This is the highest-value referral in the network. An unattached household with 5,000–500 one-time referral fee or a 10% trail on year-one fees is very reasonable — and the advisor would pay significantly more.
Who Generates Referrals for Focura (and Who Doesn’t)
| Source | Est. % of Total HH | Generates Focura Revenue? | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Insurance-licensed advisors’ clients | ~30% | No | Advisor handles insurance in-house. |
| Advisors with their own professional connections | ~35% | No | Advisor refers within their network. |
| Non-insurance advisors’ clients (lawyers, accountants, etc.) | ~20% | Some — when the gap requires a professional outside the advisor’s network | Focura connects to a network professional. |
| Unattached households (in-house coaching) | ~15% | Yes — Focura handles the entire referral | Every gap is a potential referral fee. |
Realistic revenue estimate: Only ~35% of households (non-insurance advisor clients + unattached) are potential referral sources. Of those, perhaps half will need a professional referral that goes through Focura’s network. That’s ~17% of total households generating direct referral revenue.
Pricing Model Options
Option A — Per-referral fee only. Professionals pay a flat fee per qualified, converted referral. Low barrier to entry, easy to explain, but revenue is unpredictable and scales only with unattached household volume.
Option B — Network membership + referral fees (recommended). Professionals pay a small annual membership (83/month, i.e. 1,000/year) to be vetted and listed in the Focura referral network, plus a per-referral fee on conversion. The membership covers vetting, directory listing, and “Focura-Certified” designation. The referral fee covers actual leads. More predictable base revenue and signals commitment from the professional.
Revenue Projections (Revised — Realistic)
Previous projections assumed 15% unattached households generating 1.5 referrals each. The revised model accounts for the full referral source mix: ~17% of total households generate direct Focura referral revenue, with an average of 1.2 referrals each (lower because some gaps are handled by the household’s advisor).
| Year | Total HH | Revenue-Generating HH (~17%) | Referrals Generated (×1.2) | Avg Fee | Referral Revenue | Network Memberships (est.) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2028 | 1,500 | 255 | 306 | $250 | $76,500 | $15,000 | $91,500 |
| 2029 | 4,000 | 680 | 816 | $275 | $224,400 | $30,000 | $254,400 |
| 2030 | 8,000 | 1,360 | 1,632 | $300 | $489,600 | $60,000 | $549,600 |
| 2031 | 14,000 | 2,380 | 2,856 | $300 | $856,800 | $100,000 | $956,800 |
These numbers are speculative — they depend on organic B2C traffic, the referral network being built, and the matching process working. The projections are more conservative than previous versions because they account for the reality that most advisor-attached households will handle professional referrals within the advisor’s own network.
Note: Insurance referrals are now included in this table as one type of professional referral (not a separate revenue stream). The previous model counted insurance referrals separately at $527K by 2031 — that figure assumed Focura earned revenue on all insurance gaps, which was unrealistic. Insurance gaps surfaced for advisor-attached households are a feature benefit, not a Focura revenue event. Only insurance referrals that go through Focura’s network (non-insurance advisors + unattached households) are counted here.
Regulatory Considerations
- Disclosure required. All referral arrangements must be disclosed to the household. The household must know Focura receives a fee for the referral before it’s made.
- CIRO rules. Referral fees involving securities-registered advisors are regulated. Ensure compliance with CIRO referral arrangement requirements.
- Provincial insurance regulations. Insurance finder’s fees are subject to provincial licensing rules. Focura is not an insurance agent — a finder’s fee for connecting a household with a licensed agent is a different arrangement. Legal review required before offering.
- No advice. Focura surfaces math (tax liabilities, coverage gaps). It does not recommend insurance products, coverage amounts, or specific providers. The household chooses from vetted professionals; Focura doesn’t endorse or guarantee any professional’s work.
- Legal review required. Have legal confirm referral fee structures before launch, especially for cross-profession referrals (e.g., referring to both lawyers and insurance agents from the same platform).
Valuation Impact
The referral network is the marketplace signal. Insurance referrals are now folded into the professional referral network (not counted separately):
| Revenue Stream | 2031 Projection | Marketplace Signal |
|---|---|---|
| Professional referral network (includes insurance finder’s fees) | $957K | ✓ |
| Storage overage | $72K | — |
| Total non-subscription revenue | $1,029K |
At ~1.5M in subscription ARR, Focura has meaningful revenue diversification — roughly 40% of total revenue from non-subscription sources. That’s enough to push the valuation multiple above pure-SaaS territory, but the previous $1.6M estimate was overstated because it double-counted insurance referrals.
What’s NOT counted here but has real value: Insurance gap discovery for advisor-attached households. This generates $0 in direct Focura revenue, but it’s one of the strongest reasons advisors pay for the subscription. The indirect value (subscription retention, advisor satisfaction, reduced churn) is significant — it just doesn’t show up as a separate revenue line.
Revenue Model
Tier Mix Assumptions by Year
| Year | Trial (free) | Advisor ($199) | Practice ($349) | Enterprise (est. $500) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 15% | 70% | 10% | 5% |
| 2027 | 10% | 55% | 25% | 10% |
| 2028 | 8% | 45% | 35% | 12% |
| 2029 | 5% | 40% | 40% | 15% |
| 2030 | 5% | 32% | 45% | 18% |
| 2031 | 5% | 28% | 48% | 19% |
Blended ARPU (Paying Subscribers Only)
| Year | Blended ARPU/Month |
|---|---|
| 2026 | $228 |
| 2027 | $263 |
| 2028 | $283 |
| 2029 | $299 |
| 2030 | $314 |
| 2031 | $322 |
Revenue Projections
| Year | Advisors (YE) | Paying Advisors (YE) | Avg Paying | Blended ARPU | Annual Revenue | YE Run Rate ARR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 8 | 7 | 4 | $228 | $10,944 | $19,152 |
| 2027 | 30 | 27 | 17 | $263 | $53,652 | $85,212 |
| 2028 | 75 | 69 | 48 | $283 | $162,912 | $234,324 |
| 2029 | 150 | 143 | 106 | $299 | $380,328 | $513,084 |
| 2030 | 260 | 247 | 195 | $314 | $734,760 | $930,456 |
| 2031 | 400 | 380 | 314 | $322 | $1,213,296 | $1,467,840 |
Note: These are base subscription figures only. Additional revenue streams include:
- Household overage fees ($12/HH/month)
- Storage overage (est. $72K/year by 2031)
- Professional referral network, including insurance finder’s fees (est. $957K/year by 2031)
- Enterprise licensing
- Workshop and training revenue
Non-subscription revenue could reach ~1.6M+ were overstated because they double-counted insurance referrals — see the revised Professional Referral Network section for the corrected projections.
Unit Economics
Lifetime value. At a steady-state ARPU of 30,000 CAD**. At 20% churn (conservative SMB SaaS baseline), LTV drops to $18,000 CAD.
Customer acquisition cost. At ~1,360 per advisor**. LTV:CAC ranges from 13.2x (conservative) to 22.1x (base case) — well above the 3x minimum for a healthy SaaS business.
Payback period. At 1,360 CAC, payback is approximately 5.2 months.
Comparison to previous model:
| Metric | Previous Model | Revised Model | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steady-state ARPU | $200/month | $300/month | +50% |
| LTV (12% churn) | $20,000 | $30,000 | +$10,000 |
| LTV (20% churn) | $12,000 | $18,000 | +$6,000 |
| LTV:CAC (base) | 14.7x | 22.1x | +50% |
| Payback period | 8 months | 5.2 months | -2.8 months |
| 2031 ARR (base) | $1,032,000 | $1,467,840 | +42% |
Valuation Impact
Original Projections (March 2026 — pre-advisor-only model)
| Year | Total ARR | Multiple | Valuation Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $131K | 5.0× | 752K |
| 2027 | $383K | 5.5× | 2.4M |
| 2028 | $890K | 6.0× | 6.1M |
| 2029 | $1.9M | 6.5× | 14.4M |
| 2030 | $3.3M | 7.0× | 26.6M |
| 2031 | $4.8M | 7.0× | 38.4M |
What Would Change the Valuation?
Pricing adjustments have less impact than adoption velocity and retention. But two pricing-related moves shift the multiple:
1. Advisor Tier Price Increase (199/month)
| Year | Advisors (est.) | Old ARR ($149) | New ARR ($199) | Delta |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2028 | 75 | $214,560 | $286,080 | +$71,520 |
| 2029 | 150 | $447,000 | $596,000 | +$149,000 |
| 2030 | 260 | $715,200 | $953,600 | +$238,400 |
At a 7× multiple by 2030, the 1.7M to valuation.**
2. Professional Referral Network (Including Insurance Finder’s Fees)
The referral network is the multiple expander — but only the portion that flows through Focura’s network generates direct revenue. Insurance gap discovery for advisor-attached households is a feature benefit, not a revenue event.
| Year | Referral Network Revenue (all types incl. insurance) | Storage Overage | Total Non-Subscription |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2028 | $92K | $2K | $94K |
| 2029 | $254K | $12K | $266K |
| 2030 | $550K | $36K | $586K |
| 2031 | $957K | $72K | $1,029K |
By 2031, non-subscription revenue (~2.5M). That level of diversification nudges the valuation multiple upward, though not as aggressively as the previous estimate suggested.
Revised Valuation Scenario A: Subscription Only
This is the conservative floor — no referral network revenue, just the revised subscription pricing.
| Year | Subscription ARR | Multiple | Valuation Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $140K | 5.0× | 810K |
| 2027 | $430K | 5.5× | 2.7M |
| 2028 | $1.05M | 6.5× | 7.9M |
| 2029 | $2.4M | 7.0× | 19.3M |
| 2030 | $4.1M | 7.5× | 35.3M |
| 2031 | $5.9M | 7.5× | 50.9M |
Revised Valuation Scenario B: Subscription + Referral Network + Storage
This scenario includes all revenue streams with the corrected referral network projections. Multiples are modestly higher than Scenario A once non-subscription revenue exceeds 25% of total.
| Year | Subscription ARR | Non-Sub Revenue | Total Revenue | Multiple | Valuation Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $140K | $0 | $140K | 5.0× | 810K |
| 2027 | $430K | $10K | $440K | 5.5× | 2.8M |
| 2028 | $1.05M | $94K | $1.14M | 6.5× | 8.5M |
| 2029 | $2.4M | $266K | $2.67M | 7.5× | 23.0M |
| 2030 | $4.1M | $586K | $4.69M | 8.0× | 43.1M |
| 2031 | $5.9M | $1,029K | $6.93M | 8.0× | 63.7M |
Scenario Comparison (2031)
| Scenario | 2031 Total Revenue | Multiple | Valuation Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original model (pre-April 2026) | $4.8M | 7.0× | 38.4M |
| A: Subscription only (revised pricing) | $5.9M | 7.5× | 50.9M |
| B: Subscription + referral network + storage | $6.93M | 8.0× | 63.7M |
| Delta (Original → B) | +$2.13M | +1.0× | +25.3M |
What drives the jump from A to B:
- +$1M in non-subscription revenue (referral network + storage overage)
- +0.5× on the multiple (revenue diversification at ~40% non-subscription justifies 8.0× vs. 7.5×)
- The combination adds 12.8M in valuation over the subscription-only scenario
What changed from the previous version of this document:
- Insurance referral revenue is no longer counted separately — it’s folded into the professional referral network, and only the portion that flows through Focura’s network is counted
- Non-subscription revenue reduced from 1.0M by 2031
- Valuation multiple for Scenario B reduced from 9.0× to 8.0× (40% revenue diversification is meaningful but doesn’t reach marketplace territory — that would require 50%+)
- 2031 valuation range reduced from 78.1M to 63.7M
- These are more defensible numbers — the previous version overstated insurance referral revenue by assuming Focura earned directly on all insurance gaps, when in reality most advisor-attached households handle insurance within their own networks
Caveat: Scenario B depends on the referral network performing. These numbers are speculative — the referral network has no track record. Scenario A is the defensible floor; Scenario B is the upside case for investor conversations.
Risk Assessment
The bundled, advisor-only structure means household count is an operational metric, not a revenue metric. The business is entirely dependent on advisor ARPU and advisor count for subscription revenue.
Risk: If advisor adoption is slower than projected, there is no consumer subscription revenue to cushion the shortfall.
Mitigation:
- Households who arrive without an advisor are matched with one — either in-house (Focura-guided engagement) or from the advisor network. This converts organic B2C interest into advisor channel revenue without building separate consumer billing and support infrastructure.
- The professional referral network (including insurance finder’s fees) provides a second revenue stream for referrals that go through Focura — estimated at ~$1M/year by 2031.
- Insurance gap discovery for advisor-attached households doesn’t generate direct Focura revenue, but it’s one of the strongest subscription retention tools — advisors who find insurance business through Focura are unlikely to churn.
- The Founding Member program (15,000) provides early cash flow before recurring revenue scales.
Previous recommendation for a B2C “pressure valve” tier has been retired. The advisor-only model is cleaner, reduces support burden, and ensures every household has professional guidance. If B2C demand proves significant, it can be reintroduced later with mandatory coaching onboarding — not self-serve.
The Pricing Page Story
Seth Godin says: “Your job is to figure out what your client wants, what they’re afraid of, and what sort of story they are eager to buy.”
What they want: Peace of mind that their family will be OK.
What they’re afraid of: That the people they love will be left with a mess.
The story they’re eager to buy: “For less than the cost of one hour with an estate lawyer, I can keep my entire estate organized — all year.”
Suggested Pricing Page Structure
- Lead with the cost of doing nothing (the anchor numbers above)
- Then show the plans (the price feels small by comparison)
- Include a “What you prevent” column alongside features
The live pricing page is at Pricing Page.
Summary of Recommendations
| Decision | Recommendation | $/Month | $/Year | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Household anchor (internal) | Benchmark only — not customer-facing | $16.58/HH | $199/HH | — |
| Household direct pricing | Retired — households access through advisors only | — | — | Now |
| Trial | 30 days free, 5 HH, no credit card | $0 | — | Launch |
| Advisor tier | 20 HH included | $199 | 2,028 annual prepay) | Launch |
| Practice tier | 50 HH included | $349 | 3,559 annual prepay) | Launch |
| Enterprise | 100+ HH, custom | Custom | Custom | Launch |
| Household overage | Per HH above tier cap | $12/HH | $144/HH | Launch |
| Storage included | 2GB (Trial), 20GB (Advisor), 75GB (Practice), Custom (Enterprise) | — | — | Launch |
| Storage overage | Per block above included pool | 30/100GB, $100/500GB | — | Launch |
| Cold storage | Auto-move to S3 IA after 12 months inactive | — | — | Architecture |
| Founding Member | Advisor-only, 12 months Practice, 10 spots | $125 effective | $1,500 one-time | Now–Sept 2026 |
| Unattached HH matching | Match with advisor (in-house or network) | — | — | Launch |
| Referral network membership | Annual fee for vetted professionals | 83 | 1,000 | 2027 |
| Referral fee (per conversion) | Variable by profession | — | 500 per referral | 2027 |
| Referral disclosure & compliance | Legal review of referral fee structures | — | — | Pre-launch |
| Insurance revenue acceleration | Pursue MGA partnership — biggest valuation lever | — | — | 2027 |
| Pricing page story | Lead with cost of doing nothing, not features | — | — | Website update |
Seth Godin’s Reminder
“The most resilient slogan you can earn is: you’ll pay a bit more, but you’ll get more than you paid for.”
Focura at 15,000–$134,000 problem isn’t “a bit more.” It’s almost nothing. The challenge isn’t justifying the price — it’s making people believe the problem is real before it happens to them.
That’s what the blog posts, the case studies, and the advisor conversations are for. The price is already right. The story is what needs to keep getting told.
Sources: