AI Governance
for Startups
Ship AI products without a compliance team. A self-serve platform for ISO 42001, EU AI Act, and model registry — starting at $99 per month.
AI governance for startups is the minimum viable version of AI risk, compliance, and documentation — enough to answer enterprise questionnaires, satisfy EU AI Act obligations, and demonstrate that a small team takes responsibility seriously, without hiring a compliance function.
Why startups can no longer skip this
The first enterprise deal used to close on a demo and a handshake. Today it closes on a demo, a handshake, and a 200-question security-and-AI questionnaire. Buyers now ask about ISO 42001 status, EU AI Act classification, and model risk registers alongside SOC 2 and ISO 27001.
EU AI Act deadlines are also not one-off events. They phase in progressively, which means a system that was minimal-risk last year can become in-scope this year as new obligations activate. Governance is a continuous practice, not a launch checklist.
The lean AI governance setup
- Register every production model. Owner, version, training data pointer, deployment status. Zilonex Govern's Python SDK makes this a one-liner in your training script.
- Complete the ISO 42001 baseline. A short questionnaire covers the approximately 10 clauses. Mark current state honestly — gaps become tracked tasks, not blockers.
- Classify each model against the EU AI Act. A five-minute intent form per model returns the risk tier with a reasoning trail.
- Seed the risk register with 5 to 10 entries. Bias, drift, hallucination, prompt injection, data poisoning, IP leakage — assign owners, add mitigations.
- Export the pack. One PDF answers the AI section of any enterprise questionnaire that will land in the next 90 days.
Without hiring a compliance team
Startups usually get to their first hundred customers before their first compliance hire. Zilonex Govern is built for the founder-CTO or ML lead who is answering the questionnaire themselves between sprints. The workflows are self-serve. The language is engineer-first. There is no consulting engagement to book.
When you eventually hire a Head of Compliance, they inherit a live system with real data — not a legacy spreadsheet.
Pricing
Frequently asked questions
Do startups really need AI governance?
If you sell to enterprises, yes — the moment a security or procurement questionnaire lands on the desk of your first design partner, you will need answers. If you sell to consumers in a market touched by the EU AI Act, you need it whether an enterprise asks or not. If you sell to fellow startups only, you can delay, but the switch flips as soon as your buyers grow up.
What does a lean setup look like?
Three things: every production model registered with an owner, a baseline ISO 42001 questionnaire completed at the "current state" level, and a risk register with 5 to 10 entries covering the top AI-specific hazards for your product. That is enough to answer the first enterprise questionnaire.
How much does it cost?
Zilonex Govern Starter is $99 per month for 5 registered models. Growth is $299 per month for 25 models. Both plans include ISO 42001 assessment, EU AI Act classification, and the risk register. Scale is custom for larger teams.
Can we outgrow it?
The registry, controls, and risk register all export to standard formats (CSV, JSON, PDF). If you eventually hire a full compliance team and want to migrate to enterprise GRC, nothing is locked in.
Does this replace SOC 2 or ISO 27001?
No. Zilonex Govern is specifically the AI layer. If your buyers ask for SOC 2 or ISO 27001, you still need those on top of your data-security stack. The good news is ISO 42001 shares Annex SL with ISO 27001, so effort compounds.
How long to get to a first PDF pack?
A focused afternoon. Register your models, answer the ISO 42001 baseline questionnaire, seed the risk register with the built-in templates, and export the pack. From there it becomes a living workflow you update as models change.
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Self-serve AI governance built for startups. No sales call required.
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