specification: FinOps Framework
specificationVersion: '1.0'
schema: https://www.finops.org/framework/
provider: Klu
providerId: klu-ai
created: '2026-06-20'
modified: '2026-06-20'
reconciled: false
tags:
- AI
- LLM
- LLM App Platform
- FinOps
- Cost Management
- FOCUS
description: >-
  FinOps view of Klu spend. Klu bills a seat-based SaaS subscription (Starter free,
  Team per-seat, Enterprise custom) for the platform, while the variable cost of
  generations flows through the upstream LLM providers (OpenAI, Anthropic, and
  others) whose API keys are connected to a workspace. Cost optimization therefore
  spans two layers - Klu seats and upstream model token spend - with caching,
  smaller models, and evaluation-driven model selection as the main levers.
notes: >-
  reconciled false - seat pricing is taken from the public marketing site and the
  upstream token costs depend on the connected providers, not Klu. Verify figures
  and platform availability before relying on them; the product appears dormant
  (see review.yml).
sources:
- https://klu.ai
- https://docs.klu.ai/resources/api-basics
- https://focus.finops.org/focus-specification/v1-3/
alignedWith:
  framework: FinOps Foundation Framework
  frameworkUrl: https://www.finops.org/framework/
  dataSpec: FOCUS
  dataSpecVersion: '1.3'
  dataSpecUrl: https://focus.finops.org/focus-specification/v1-3/
publisherName: Klu
serviceCategory: AI and Machine Learning
billingModel:
  pricingCategory: Subscription-Based
  billingFrequency: Monthly
  billingCurrency: USD
  chargeCategories:
  - Usage
  - Purchase
  - Adjustment
focusColumns:
  ServiceName: Klu LLM App Platform
  ServiceCategory: AI and Machine Learning
  ProviderName: Klu
  PublisherName: Klu
  InvoiceIssuerName: Klu
  BillingCurrency: USD
  ChargeCategory: Purchase
  PricingCategory: Subscription-Based
meters:
- name: seats
  description: Billable platform seats on the Team tier, charged per seat per month.
  unit: seats
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - workspace
  - plan
- name: action_runs
  description: Action generations executed via the Klu Engine; track to attribute upstream token cost.
  unit: requests
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - workspace
  - app
  - action
- name: upstream_input_tokens
  description: Input tokens billed by the connected upstream LLM provider for generations.
  unit: tokens
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - workspace
  - model
  - provider
- name: upstream_output_tokens
  description: Output tokens billed by the connected upstream LLM provider for generations.
  unit: tokens
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - workspace
  - model
  - provider
- name: context_documents
  description: Documents and files ingested into Context libraries for retrieval-augmented generation.
  unit: documents
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - workspace
  - context
principles:
- name: Visibility
  description: Separate Klu seat spend from upstream LLM provider token spend; attribute Action runs to apps and teams.
- name: Allocation
  description: Tag Actions and API keys per app/team and map to internal cost centers; reconcile upstream provider invoices.
- name: Optimization
  description: Enable response caching, pick smaller models in Action model config, and use experiments/evals to select the cheapest model that passes quality bars.
- name: Accountability
  description: Assign owners per app and review combined seat plus upstream token spend monthly against budget.
maintainers:
- FN: Kin Lane
  email: kin@apievangelist.com