ShareVault Sets AI Trust Standard with ISO 42001 Certification

LOS GATOS, CA – February 02, 2026 – In a significant move to build trust in artificial intelligence, secure document platform ShareVault has achieved ISO/IEC 42001:2023 certification, the world’s first international standard for responsible AI management systems. The company announced it is now one of only two virtual data room (VDR) providers globally to earn the distinction, establishing a new and rigorous benchmark for AI governance in the high-stakes world of corporate transactions and due diligence.

The certification signals a pivotal shift in the enterprise software market, where the rapid integration of AI has often outpaced the development of formal governance and ethical oversight. For customers in highly regulated sectors like life sciences, finance, and law, this third-party validation provides a critical layer of assurance that AI-powered tools are being deployed safely and ethically.

The New Gold Standard for AI in Due Diligence

ISO/IEC 42001 is not merely another compliance checkbox; it represents a comprehensive framework for building, deploying, and managing AI systems responsibly. Achieving the certification requires organizations to establish a dedicated Artificial Intelligence Management System (AIMS) that addresses a wide spectrum of risks and responsibilities. This includes rigorous risk assessments, formal processes for ensuring data quality, models for mitigating algorithmic bias, and clear protocols for human oversight.

While many software vendors have rushed to brand their products as "AI-powered," ShareVault's certification indicates a more deliberate strategy. “While many companies rushed AI features to market, we took a different approach,” said Steven Monterroso, CEO of ShareVault, in a statement. “In due diligence, innovation only matters if customers can actually use it. ISO 42001 ensures every AI capability we deliver is secure, governed, and ready for real-world use, so our customers can move faster with confidence.”

The standard demands continuous improvement and accountability. Certification is not a one-time event but a commitment to ongoing governance, including annual independent audits and quarterly internal reviews. This ensures that the company's AI systems and the policies governing them evolve in tandem with emerging technologies and regulatory expectations, elevating AI governance from a technical issue to a strategic, board-level concern.

Beyond the Hype: Audited Governance in Practice

The ISO 42001 certification applies directly to the AI-driven features that ShareVault customers use for critical workflows. This includes Optical Character Recognition (OCR) for making scanned documents searchable, AI-powered redaction for protecting sensitive information, advanced document chat and search capabilities, and automated translation services.

Each of these capabilities underwent a formal, independent validation process to assess and mitigate risks. The audit scrutinized the systems for potential bias, verified the safeguards for ensuring accuracy, and confirmed that mechanisms for human oversight were robust and effective. This level of verification provides customers with confidence that the AI tools are not a "black box" but are instead governed by transparent and audited controls.

Critically, the certification audit also encompassed ShareVault’s “content-blind” architecture. This foundational design principle ensures that the company cannot access, view, or use customer document contents for any purpose, including the training of its AI models. In an era where data privacy is paramount, this audited assurance directly addresses a primary concern for enterprises adopting AI: the security and confidentiality of their most sensitive proprietary data. By design, customer information cannot be inadvertently exposed or repurposed.

Navigating a Complex Regulatory Maze

The timing of ShareVault's certification is particularly strategic as governments worldwide race to regulate artificial intelligence. With frameworks like the EU AI Act, and the continuing relevance of GDPR, HIPAA, and SOX, organizations face a daunting and fragmented landscape of compliance obligations. Proving that a third-party vendor's AI systems are compliant can be a time-consuming and resource-intensive process for legal, security, and procurement teams.

The ISO 42001 certification acts as a powerful tool for simplifying this challenge. It provides what the company calls “ready-to-use, defensible evidence of AI governance” that aligns with the principles of these major regulatory frameworks. For a company conducting due diligence for a merger or seeking regulatory approval for a new drug, using a certified VDR can significantly reduce the vendor risk management burden and shorten internal approval cycles.

This proactive approach to compliance allows customers to adopt powerful AI-enabled workflows without taking on undue organizational risk. Instead of conducting exhaustive, bespoke audits of their vendor’s AI practices, compliance teams can rely on the internationally recognized standard as a trusted baseline for ethical and secure AI deployment.

A Competitive Edge in a Crowded Market

The virtual data room market is highly competitive, with major players like Datasite, Intralinks, and Ansarada all heavily promoting their own AI-driven features designed to accelerate deals and provide deeper insights. These platforms offer sophisticated tools for automated document categorization, predictive analytics, and intelligent redaction. However, the industry's marketing has largely focused on the functional benefits of AI—speed, efficiency, and accuracy.

ShareVault's certification shifts the conversation from AI features to AI governance. While publicly available information does not readily identify the other certified VDR provider, ShareVault’s achievement places it in a near-unique position. It creates a clear differentiator in a market where trust is the ultimate currency. By submitting its entire AI management system to the scrutiny of an independent, international standard, the company is making a definitive statement about its commitment to responsible innovation.

This move effectively raises the bar for the entire VDR industry. As enterprises become more sophisticated in their procurement of AI-enabled software, the demand for verifiable, audited proof of responsible AI practices is expected to grow. Competitors may soon find that simply offering AI features is no longer enough; demonstrating that those features are governed by a trustworthy and transparent framework may become the new standard for entry. This shift transforms AI governance from a defensive compliance measure into a proactive and powerful competitive advantage.