ISO 27001 Certification for European Tech Startups
Know exactly what it will take before you commit.
Most companies jump into 6-12 month implementations without knowing where they stand, what gaps need closing, or what it will really cost.
Don't commit blindly. Get the full picture first.
YOUR INVESTOR OR ENTERPRISE CUSTOMER WANTS ISO 27001 CERTIFICATION
What you need to know first:
Where you actually stand today
What gaps need to be closed
How much work is really involved
What it will cost in time, money, and resources.
What ISO 27001 really costs
Most companies underestimate ISO 27001 costs. Here's what founders who went through it told us:
"We spent approximately €300K getting certified when you factor in internal team time, vendor upgrades to enterprise agreements, and process changes. And that's doing it properly." — CTO, 50-employee B2B SaaS Company
The Hidden Cost of DIY: Team Burnout
"We achieved SOC 2 certification. It cost us 3 team members. Not worth it. 70+ hour weeks for 9 months. Total cost: ~$500K including recruitment. We destroyed the team that maintains it." — CISO, Fintech Company
Most companies underestimate ISO 27001 by 3-5x:
▪︎ 200-400 hours of internal team time ▪︎ Vendor upgrades that cost 2-4x more than current contracts ▪︎ 6-12 months of distraction from building product ▪︎ High risk of failed audit without expert guidance.
Meanwhile, every month without certification means lost enterprise deals.
OUR APPROACH:
TWO PHASES. COMPLETE CLARITY. NO SURPRISES.
PHASE 1: GAP ANALYSIS
Know exactly what you're signing up for.
Investment: €6,500
Timeline: 5-7 business days
What's included:
✓ Current State Assessment: Complete review of your existing policies, procedures, and controls 4-5 hours of stakeholder interviews across IT, HR, and management
✓ Control-by-Control Gap Analysis: All 93 Annex A controls mapped to your current state: Implemented / Partially Implemented / Missing / Not Applicable
✓ Certification Roadmap: Realistic timeline based on YOUR starting point, resource requirements, and dependencies. Clear ownership for each action
✓ Budget Planning: Honest assessment of what certification will require.
No hidden costs, no surprises later.
After the Gap Analysis, you can: - Proceed with our Compliance Lead service - Implement yourself with our roadmap - Use another provider - Make a fully informed decision
PHASE 2: COMPLIANCE LEAD
Hands-on implementation until you're audit-ready.
Investment: €4,500/month
Typical duration: 5-8 months (depends on starting point). This is not advisory. This is hands-on implementation.
What's included:
✓ Policy Development: We write the policies, procedures, and documentation you need: not templates, actual policies tailored to your business
✓ Control Implementation: Guidance, Technical and organizational control deployment. Evidence gathering and documentation.
✓ GRC Platform Setup (if applicable): Drata or Vanta implementation and configuration. Automated evidence collection.
✓ Audit Preparation: Pre-audit readiness assessment. Auditor selection guidance Support during Stage 1 and Stage 2 audits.
✓ Ongoing Support: Weekly status calls, Slack access for questions.
We're with you until you pass. The engagement ends when you get certified. Clear end point.
YOUR PATH TO ISO 27001
Starting Point
Gap Analysis +
Already SOC 2 certified?
€6,500
4-5 months
€24,500 - €29,000
Starting from scratch?
€6,500
6-8 months
€33,500 - €42,500
TOTAL INVESTMENT
Compliance Lead =
Compare to:
DIY: ~€300K (internal time + vendor upgrades + 12 months)
Big 4 consulting: €50-100K+ (junior consultants, 9-12 months)
Our approach: 90% savings vs DIY, senior expertise, 5-8 months.
This service is for companies that:
✓ Have a real deadline: Investor requirement, customer contract, or partnership driving certification
✓ Are 30-200 employees: Scaling but no dedicated security team
✓ Sell to enterprise customers: Fortune 500, regulated industries, or companies that require certification
✓ Want hands-on support: Not just advisory — actual implementation help
✓ Are ready to commit: This takes 5-8 months of focused effort.
IS THIS RIGHT FOR YOU?
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE CERTIFICATION?
Getting ISO 27001 is just the beginning:
"We are still working on it as we need to show major improvements every year in renewal audits to retain the certificate."
— 50-employee SaaS
"Questionnaires dropped from 100-500 to 10-50 questions after certification. But they didn't stop.”
— Series B Company
Company Post-certification work includes:
Annual renewal audits requiring demonstrated improvements
Continuous monitoring and evidence collection
Vendor management and compliance maintenance
Our vCISO Services provide strategic security leadership, compliance guidance, and comprehensive program development beyond the certification.
FAQs
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No. We need to understand your starting point to give you an accurate timeline and identify gaps. The Gap Analysis is required.
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Great — we'll work with your existing platform. Many clients come to us after buying a GRC tool and realizing the tool is only 30% of the work.
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We can't guarantee audit outcomes (that's up to the auditor), but we have a 100% track record of getting clients to certification when they follow the process.
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The retainer continues month-to-month until certification. We're incentivized to get you certified efficiently — the engagement ends when you pass.
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Yes. The Compliance Lead service covers both ISO 27001 and SOC2. If you need both, we can do them in parallel or sequence.
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Gap Analysis is a one-time engagement. Compliance Lead has a 3-month practical minimum — that's the shortest timeframe to make meaningful progress.
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Every company's starting point is different. A fixed fee either overcharges companies that are further along, or loses money on companies starting from zero. Monthly retainer aligns our incentives — we get you certified as efficiently as possible.