How Askable used security and trust to unlock global expansion

Securing business at an international level takes more than ambition and a strong product - it requires the kind of trust that only robust security and governance can deliver.

Few understand this better than Scott Goleby, co-founder and director of AI-powered market research platform Askable.

Founded in 2017, the company has grown to become a leader in its field - delivering on-demand access to market insights while expanding its services from Australia into the UK and United States.

As Askable entered the global market, the need to demonstrate trust at scale became critical -something it was able to achieve with the support of Acumenis.

“There’s being secure, and there’s appearing to be secure, and Acumenis has really achieved both of those things for us.”

The result? For Askable, security and AI governance became a genuine strength and point of difference - not just a box-ticking exercise. Scott recognised that larger, global clients would expect to see robust controls in place, aligned to international standards, before committing. Meeting that bar meant partnering with Acumenis to build and embed practical systems alongside its own IT team, ultimately enabling Askable to win global customers its competitors couldn't reach.

Challenge

Proving trust on a global scale

Askable had already invested in strong security and privacy practices early in its growth, but as it began working with large enterprise clients and expanding internationally, the benchmark shifted.

Winning and retaining these global brands required more than just doing the right things; it required proving, consistently and at scale, that those practices were effective. Many customers embedded formal requirements directly into procurement, and in some cases, ISO certification became a non-negotiable entry point.

“Initially, it was the customers dragging us. It was the customers demanding that if you want to do business with us, you have to have this as a minimum gate.”

At the same time, certification alone wasn’t enough. Askable had to repeatedly demonstrate the depth and maturity of its controls across jurisdictions, regulatory environments and increasingly complex vendor assurance processes.

“Our clients didn’t just want to know that we had all our accreditations, they would then ask us to run through literally 600 security questions. So, re-proving ourselves all the time, even when our certificates were up to date, was definitely a challenge.”

Solution

Building credible, evidence-based assurance

With guidance from Acumenis, Askable took a staged approach—strengthening and formalising its existing practices into a set of globally recognised, interconnected management systems.

First, ISO 27001 accreditation established a robust, independently validated foundation for information security. This gave enterprise customers a clear and recognised benchmark for how Askable manages risk and protects data.

Askable then extended this into ISO 27701, embedding privacy as a core design principle as it supported large consumer-facing brands across multiple regions.

As AI became central to the platform, Askable extended again - aligning to ISO 42001 and positioning itself at the forefront of responsible AI governance in a rapidly evolving regulatory environment.

Throughout each stage, the focus remained on building real, operational capability - not just certification. According to Scott, this wouldn’t have happened without Acumenis' structured approach.

“Acumenis gave us both strategic and practical insight. If it's not done in a structured way, I can guarantee everyone will fail at it. You just don't have the breadth of experience that ISO brings. Acumenis helped us to achieve what we wanted to achieve in that space and it’s been invaluable.”

Independent validation reinforced this approach. Penetration testing and incident response simulations provided assurance that controls were working in practice.

“It definitely gave us the confidence that we were not just a paperwork exercise, but actually secure.”

Impact

Turning governance into competitive advantage

For Askable, the standards were never the end in themselves. They provided a measurable shift in how the business operates and competes.

Internally, security, privacy and AI governance are now embedded early in product development, strengthening the platform while reducing downstream risk.

“Privacy and data security is definitely a consideration now when we're building products, as opposed to when we built the product and then we’d go, 'Oh, can we now make it privacy compliant and security compliant?' So, it's definitely changed the order in which we build and release products. The consideration of these factors up front really has strengthened our business."

Externally, independently validated standards have become a powerful trust signal - helping Askable pass rigorous vendor assessments faster and with greater confidence.

That trust has translated directly into growth. In competitive global deals, Askable can demonstrate a level of governance maturity that many of its peers cannot.

“One of our largest customers told us we are the only vendor they've seen with ISO 42001. They then had the confidence to place over half a million dollars in orders with us as a direct result.”

The same pattern has played out internationally. Major US banks, a global airline, a UK public broadcaster, and a leading European insurer have all moved into commercial conversations with Askable because their security, privacy and AI controls held up to early vendor screening, often before competitors with a deeper local presence had made it past the first gate.

Overall, the partnership with Acumenis combined deep ISO expertise with a pragmatic, business-first approach. The work was sequenced so the business could grow without losing momentum. Acumenis remained directly involved through audits, penetration testing, and the ongoing customer assurance conversations that followed.

“When you start out on these journeys, it looks daunting, but Acumenis are very good at breaking it down into bite-sized pieces… I wouldn't ever put you in the area of consultants. You take the approach of becoming part of the security team, rather than just giving us advice from the outside.”