What Empowered Systems does

Empowered Systems is a UK-based, privately held governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) software vendor headquartered in London at 6 Lloyds Avenue. Founded in 1995 and operating as Empowered Systems Ltd. (England and Wales registered company 13416888), the company has built and maintained a single platform — Connected Risk — over roughly three decades. The platform is a modular, configurable GRC system of record with interconnected modules covering internal audit (AutoAudit), enterprise risk, operational risk, third-party risk, model risk, internal controls, policy and procedure management, regulatory change, and a tailored J-SOX compliance offering. Technical features include a no-code workflow builder with branching logic, embedded and self-service dashboards, role-based access control, version control with audit trails, and a RESTful API enabling bi-directional integration with identity systems, BI tools, regulatory content providers, document repositories, and data science platforms. Recent versions (v25.1–v25.3 in 2025 and v26.1 in 2026) have layered on an Empowered AI assistant, AI-powered permission-aware search across attachments, and collaboration features such as @mentions and a redesigned notification system.

The company sells to enterprise and mid-market organizations through a consultative, direct enterprise field-sales motion — prospects engage via 'Get a Demo' and 'Talk to an Expert' CTAs — on quote-based, multi-year subscription contracts, with no publicly disclosed pricing. Customer concentration is heavily skewed toward financial services, with named enterprise logos including Citigroup, RBC, Santander, TD Bank, MUFG, SMBC, ADCB, LSEG, Aegon, Nomura, Alfa Laval, and Qatar Charity. Distribution is augmented by an EmpoweredNEXT partner ecosystem that brings tier-one data, content, advisory, and implementation partners — Wolters Kluwer, Dun & Bradstreet, EY, RSM France, and GRCS — into the platform, with GRCS providing localized Japanese support including J-SOX. Marketing is primarily content-led through the Empowered Insights blog, whitepapers, a free GRC maturity assessment tool, LinkedIn, YouTube, and industry events. Ownership and capital structure are not publicly disclosed, and there is no evidence of institutional venture or private equity investment in the available source material.

Name

Empowered Systems

Legal name

Empowered Systems Ltd.

Website

https://empoweredsystems.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Empowered Systems is a London-based GRC software vendor whose Connected Risk platform provides modular audit, risk, compliance, and controls management to global financial institutions and regulated enterprises via multi-year enterprise SaaS subscriptions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

GRC (Governance, Risk & Compliance) Software

NAICS

Software Publishers (513210)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) Platforms (BPAEAPAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Compliance, GRC Workflow & Audit Automation Platforms (HDAEAHAL), Model Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) Platforms (HDAAAKAA), Enterprise AI Governance, Risk & Compliance Platforms (Model Risk, Audit, Policies) (HDAEANAE), Audit Management, Controls & SOX Compliance (BPAEAPAH)

Keywords

• GRC software platform
• Audit management software
• Enterprise risk management
• Compliance management software
• Regulatory change management

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Connected Risk SaaS Platform: Subscription-based access to the Connected Risk GRC platform with modular capabilities for audit, risk, compliance, and controls management. Revenue generated through recurring software licenses typically sold as annual or multi-year contracts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Empowered Systems sells Connected Risk, a modular, configurable GRC (Governance, Risk & Compliance) SaaS platform that unifies audit, risk, and compliance workflows into a single system of record. The platform is sold via module-based subscriptions covering Internal Audit, Enterprise Risk, Operational Risk, Third-Party Risk, Model Risk, Internal Controls, Policy Management, Regulatory Change Management, and J-SOX Compliance. It targets enterprise financial services and regulated organizations with quote-based, multi-year subscription contracts.

Product overview

Empowered Systems offers Connected Risk, a modular GRC (Governance, Risk, and Compliance) platform designed for audit, risk, and compliance teams. The platform provides a unified system of record with interconnected modules including AutoAudit for audit management, Enterprise Risk Management, Internal Controls Management, Model Risk Management, Operational Risk Management, Policy Management, Regulatory Change Management, and Third-Party Risk Management. Additional specialized solutions include J-SOX Compliance Management. The platform can be extended through the EmpoweredNEXT partner ecosystem. Core capabilities include role-based access control, workflow automation, embedded dashboards, and audit trails. Recent versions have introduced AI capabilities including Empowered AI assistant and AI-powered search.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Connected Risk: The company's flagship GRC platform that brings audit, risk, and compliance programs together into a single connected foundation.
• AutoAudit
• Empowered AI
• EmpoweredNEXT

Products and services

• Connected Risk Modular, configurable GRC (Governance, Risk & Compliance) SaaS platform that brings teams, data, and processes into one system of record, serving as the central foundation for audit, risk, and compliance management with interconnected modules and RESTful API for bi-directional integration.
• AutoAudit Industry-leading audit management solution for internal audit teams that covers the full audit lifecycle from planning, risk-based auditing, findings management, evidence management, control testing, and audit reporting.
• AutoAudit Desktop Standalone desktop edition of the AutoAudit audit management solution for organizations preferring on-premise deployment for internal audit planning, risk-based auditing, findings management, and reporting.
• Enterprise Risk Management Module Connected Risk module providing a real-time view of risk across the business, enabling organizations to manage enterprise-wide risk exposure through risk registers, assessments, and monitoring.
• Internal Audit Management Module Connected Risk module enabling audit teams to prioritize risk, track findings, and deliver audit value through comprehensive audit lifecycle management from planning through reporting.
• Internal Controls Management Module Connected Risk module that centralizes, tests, and manages internal controls — including SOX/J-SOX compliance, control testing, and control certification — so nothing falls through the cracks.
• Model Risk Management Module Connected Risk module that governs model development and validation with structure and traceability, including model inventory management, independent validation, and regulatory alignment with BoE SS1/23, OSFI E-23, and SR 11-7.
• Operational Risk Management Module Connected Risk module enabling organizations to quickly identify, capture, and manage multiple sources of operational risk across the enterprise with integrated risk assessment capabilities.
• Policy Management Module Connected Risk module that manages organizational policies and procedures, maps obligations to regulations, and keeps organizations aligned with evolving regulatory requirements through centralized policy administration.
• Regulatory Change Management Module Connected Risk module that manages regulatory change at the speed of regulatory evolution, providing a single source of truth for tracking and responding to regulatory updates.
• Third-Party Risk Management Module Connected Risk module that streamlines vendor onboarding, monitors vendors continuously, and manages risk exposure across the third-party ecosystem.
• J-SOX Compliance Management Module Tailored J-SOX compliance solution within Connected Risk that streamlines the J-SOX compliance journey with a unified, integrated platform for attestation and control management.
• Empowered AI AI assistant integrated into the Connected Risk platform that combines pre-configured prompts with real-time GRC data to generate personalized, contextual responses — for example, drafting complete remediation plans for audit findings and summarizing policy documents.
• EmpoweredNEXT Partner Ecosystem Partner application ecosystem program that allows organizations to extend Connected Risk with additional partner-built applications and integrations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 45% reduction in time spent control testing
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

AI capability6 records

Feature10 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Wolters KluwercoreTechnology or IntegrationPlatform partner providing integration capabilities within the Connected Risk ecosystem. Listed on the Platform Partners page alongside other ecosystem members.
• Dun & BradstreetcoreTechnology or IntegrationPlatform partner providing data and intelligence integration within the Connected Risk ecosystem. Listed on the Platform Partners page alongside other ecosystem members.
• EYcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerMajor accounting and consulting firm partnership for implementation and advisory services related to Connected Risk deployments. Listed as a Platform Partner.
• RSM FrancecoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAccounting and consulting firm partnership for implementation services in France and French-speaking markets. Listed as a Platform Partner.
• GRCScoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerJapanese partner providing sales and implementation support for Connected Risk in Japan. GRCS co-brands the audit management solution page in Japanese and provides localized support for Japanese organizations including J-SOX compliance.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• LogicGate Risk Cloud: LogicGate offers a configurable, workflow-based GRC platform competing for the same risk and compliance modernization budgets. It targets similar mid-market and enterprise buyers with no-code workflow builders comparable to Empowered's Workflow Builder.
• NAVEX Global: NAVEX Global is a leading provider of ethics, compliance, and risk management software, including whistleblower, policy, and third-party risk modules. It overlaps with Connected Risk's policy, regulatory change, and third-party risk management capabilities for regulated enterprises.
• RSA Archer (Regnology): Archer, now part of Regnology, is a long-standing enterprise GRC platform with strong adoption in banks and regulated industries. It competes across operational risk, regulatory compliance, and enterprise risk management use cases directly served by Connected Risk.
• Diligent (Galvanize / ACL): Diligent's Galvanize/ACL GRC suite competes head-to-head with Connected Risk across audit, risk, and compliance workflows for enterprise and financial services customers. It overlaps directly in internal audit and enterprise risk management use cases.
• AuditBoard: AuditBoard is a leading cloud-native audit, risk, and compliance platform widely used by mid-market and enterprise audit teams. It directly competes with Empowered's AutoAudit and Connected Risk audit modules for the same internal audit buyer, with a comparable SaaS delivery model.
• Wolters Kluwer TeamMate: TeamMate is one of the most established internal audit solutions globally and a Wolters Kluwer flagship. Empowered already partners with Wolters Kluwer for regulatory content, and TeamMate competes with AutoAudit for the same audit team budgets, particularly in banking and professional services firms.

Broad incumbents

• ServiceNow GRC (IRM): ServiceNow's Integrated Risk Management offering extends its enterprise workflow platform into GRC, competing for risk and compliance budgets at large enterprises. As a broad incumbent with global scale and IT-service-management adjacency, it pressures Empowered in accounts already standardized on ServiceNow.
• SAP GRC: SAP's GRC and risk management suite is widely deployed in large enterprises and competes for SOX, audit, and access-control budgets. Like ServiceNow and IBM, it is a broad incumbent rather than an audit-specialist, but reaches buyers Empowered also targets.
• IBM OpenPages: IBM OpenPages is an enterprise GRC platform with deep penetration in global financial institutions, overlapping with Connected Risk across operational risk, model risk, and regulatory compliance. Its scale, Watson AI capabilities, and IBM services footprint make it a frequent competitive incumbent.

Emerging players

• OneTrust: OneTrust started in privacy and has expanded into broader GRC, ESG, and trust intelligence. While still building depth in audit, it competes for compliance budgets at large enterprises and represents an emerging, fast-scaling adjacent player in the same customer conversations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@empoweredgrc
• Facebookfacebook.com/empoweredgrc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/empoweredgrc
• Instagraminstagram.com/empoweredsystems
• Xx.com/EmpoweredSystms

Compliance10 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Empowered Systems