--- title: "Kertos and Axipro Partner to Streamline Compliance" description: "Kertos and Axipro partner to combine compliance automation with implementation expertise for European companies meeting GDPR, NIS2, DORA, and the EU AI Act." canonical: "https://axipro.co/kertos-and-axipro-partnership/" language: "en-US" modified: "2026-05-07T13:32:17+00:00" generator: "WordPress 7.1.4" --- [Home](https://axipro.co) / [All Blog](https://axipro.co/category/blog/), [News](https://axipro.co/category/news/) / Kertos and Axipro Partner to Streamline Compliance for European Companies # Kertos and Axipro Partner to Streamline Compliance for European Companies ![Picture of Pedro Dias](https://axipro.co/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/pedro-passport-picture-scaled.jpg) - Pedro Dias - April 30, 2026 Copy Link [Axipro](https://axipro.co), the cybersecurity and compliance consulting firm, and [Kertos](https://www.kertos.io), the European compliance automation platform, and have entered a strategic partnership that combines software automation with hands-on implementation support for organisations navigating Europe’s expanding regulatory regime. The agreement, effective April 1, 2026, names Axipro as an implementation partner for Kertos. Customers can now buy the Kertos platform through Axipro alongside consulting, implementation support, and broader compliance service packages spanning frameworks including [GDPR](https://axipro.co/gdpr-compliance/), NIS2, DORA, the EU AI Act, [ISO 27001](https://axipro.co/iso-27001), and [SOC 2](https://axipro.co/soc-2). The partnership lands as European companies face mounting regulatory pressure. The NIS2 Directive pulled around 28,700 additional companies into scope when it replaced its predecessor in October 2024. DORA became fully applicable in January 2025, binding around 22,000 EU financial entities to a single ICT risk management framework with penalties of up to 2% of global turnover. The [EU AI Act](https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/regulatory-framework-ai) adds another layer, with compliance costs for SMEs running between €50,000 and €500,000 per organisation depending on use case. **What the partnership delivers** Under the agreement, Axipro sells, implements, and operates Kertos for customers as part of integrated service packages. The same partner that scopes the gap assessment, defines the control framework, and runs the implementation also configures and operates the platform that holds the evidence. Engagements no longer hand off between separate vendors. For Kertos, the deal gives the platform deeper exposure to how compliance programmes run inside operating businesses, feeding back into product development. For Axipro, which already supports companies across more than 20 frameworks with services spanning penetration testing, internal audit, and end-to-end certification support, Kertos extends its offering with continuous evidence collection, control management, vendor management, and automated audit preparation. “Our ambition at Kertos is to build the leading compliance automation platform in the market, one that doesn’t just simplify compliance but fundamentally redefines how companies achieve and maintain it,” said **Dr. Kilian Schmidt, CEO of Kertos**. “Strategic partnerships like the one with Axipro are a key part of that journey. By working closely with experienced compliance experts, we gain invaluable real-world insights that directly shape and accelerate our product development.” Free migration to Kertos through Axipro As part of the partnership, Axipro is offering free migration to Kertos for companies currently using another compliance or GRC platform. The migration covers transferring existing controls, evidence, policies, and vendor records into Kertos, with Axipro consultants handling the rebuild of framework mappings for ISO 27001, SOC 2, GDPR, NIS2, and other applicable standards. The aim is to remove the cost and disruption that typically deters companies from switching platforms mid-program, even when their existing tooling no longer fits their regulatory scope. **DACH region as the starting point** Germany consistently leads European GRC adoption and accounts for the largest share of the region’s GRC platform market. It is also where regulatory pressure is sharpest right now, with the Federal Office for Information Security actively building out supervisory capacity ahead of the April 2026 NIS2 registration deadline for essential and important entities. “Compliance is only as strong as the tools and partners behind it,” said **Ali Hayat, CEO of Axipro**. “Our partnership with Kertos gives our clients in the DACH region access to a powerful data privacy and compliance platform, backed by Axipro’s hands-on expertise. Together, we make achieving and maintaining compliance seamless, faster, and more predictable for the businesses that need it most.” Both companies framed the agreement as a foundation for deeper collaboration as customer needs and regulatory requirements continue to evolve. ## About Axipro Axipro is a cybersecurity and compliance consulting firm helping high-growth companies achieve and maintain regulatory certifications across more than 20 frameworks including SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR, and NIST. Services span penetration testing, internal audit, and end-to-end support for companies pursuing first-time certification or maintaining existing ones. Axipro has offices in the UK, the USA, and Bahrain. ## About Kertos Kertos is a compliance automation platform that helps companies operating in Europe meet and maintain compliance requirements for frameworks including ISO 27001, SOC 2, GDPR, and NIS2. By automating evidence collection, control management, vendor management, and audit preparation, Kertos enables organisations to build and maintain robust information security and data protection programmes without the manual overhead of traditional approaches. ## [Read the full press release here](https://www.einnews.com/pr_news/908703285/kertos-and-axipro-partner-to-expand-integrated-compliance-and-cybersecurity-support-in-the-european-market) Reach SOC 2 Compliance in 6 Weeks or Less Schedule Your Free SOC 2 Assessment Today [Schedule](https://axipro.co/free-assessment/) Axipro Author ![Picture of Pedro Dias](https://axipro.co/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/pedro-passport-picture-scaled.jpg) ### Pedro Dias Pedro has been writing online for over 10 years. With experience in all things programming, cyber security, and compliance, he is our editor-in-chief at Axipro. - April 30, 2026 - [All Blog](https://axipro.co/category/blog/), [News](https://axipro.co/category/news/) Copy Link ## Blog Highlights ## Explore More Articles [Read More Blogs](https://axipro.co/blog/) - [EU AI Act](https://axipro.co/category/eu-ai-act/) - November 14, 2026 #### [Is Your AI Tool High-Risk Under the EU AI Act? An Annex III Guide Before December 2027](https://axipro.co/eu-ai-act-high-risk-annex-iii/) An AI system is high-risk under the EU AI Act when its intended purpose falls into one of the eight areas listed in Annex III, such as hiring, credit scoring, education or biometrics. The Article 6(3) filter can take some of these systems back out, but never a system that profiles people. The obligations for Annex III systems apply from 2 December 2027, after the AI Omnibus (Regulation (EU) 2026/1744) pushed the date from the original 2 August 2026. This guide covers how the classification test works, what the eight areas include in SaaS terms, who carries which obligations, what the Omnibus changed, and a 12-month plan to be ready before the deadline. Annex III high-risk in brief: eight areas, one narrow exit, one deadline An AI system is high-risk under Annex III if it is intended for one of eight listed uses, and it stays high-risk unless the provider documents that it meets an Article 6(3) exemption and does not profile people. Providers and deployers of these systems must comply from 2 December 2027, and breaching the high-risk requirements can cost up to €15 million or 3% of worldwide annual turnover, whichever is higher. Figure 1. The EU AI [Read more](https://axipro.co/eu-ai-act-high-risk-annex-iii/) - [SOC-2](https://axipro.co/category/soc-2-2/) - November 11, 2026 #### [Best SOC 2 Compliance Companies and Consultants in 2026](https://axipro.co/best-soc-2-compliance-companies/) Picking a SOC 2 company starts with knowing which job you’re hiring for. A readiness consultant builds and runs your controls, a licensed CPA firm examines them and signs the report, and a compliance platform collects the evidence in between. This guide ranks the strongest firms in each group for 2026, with Axipro first for readiness and Insight Assurance, Prescient Assurance, A-LIGN and Sensiba leading the audit firms. It also covers what each type of provider charges, who is legally allowed to issue a SOC 2 report, and the warning signs that got much harder to ignore after this year’s rubber-stamp audit allegations. The Short Answer: Best SOC 2 Companies by Role in 2026 Axipro is the top pick for SOC 2 readiness, with fixed fees from $4,000 and most clients audit-ready in six weeks, while Insight Assurance, Prescient Assurance, A-LIGN and Sensiba lead the licensed CPA firms for the audit itself. A Type 2 audit from a boutique or specialist CPA firm typically costs $15,000 to $50,000 in 2026, against Big Four fees that usually start around $60,000. Only a licensed CPA firm can sign the report, so every consultant and platform here still hands the final examination to [Read more](https://axipro.co/best-soc-2-compliance-companies/) - [PENTEST](https://axipro.co/category/pentest/) - November 10, 2026 #### [Web App Penetration Testing: Scope, Costs & Requirements](https://axipro.co/web-application-penetration-testing-scope-cost/) A web application penetration test is a manual, time-boxed attack on your application by a human tester, and its price is set almost entirely by scope: how many user roles, API endpoints and integrations the tester has to cover. Most manual web app tests in the US are quoted between $5,000 and $30,000. This guide sets out what a standard engagement covers, which scope items push the quote up, and what you need to hand testers before day one so you don’t pay for days lost to broken logins. What a Web App Pentest Covers, Costs, and Needs From You A manual web application penetration test usually costs $5,000 to $30,000 and takes 1 to 3 weeks, with complex multi-tenant SaaS platforms running past $50,000. The quote rises with each extra user role, API surface, tenant, and integration, and with add-ons such as source code review, out-of-hours testing, and attestation letters. Working test accounts for every role, API documentation, a stable staging environment, and allow-listed tester IPs are what keep the engagement on schedule. What a Web Application Penetration Test Covers A web application penetration test is a manual assessment in which a qualified tester attacks your application the way [Read more](https://axipro.co/web-application-penetration-testing-scope-cost/) WhatsApp us