When a rising number of businesses started struggling to control who sees what data in their organizations, Collibra saw an opportunity.
The Brussels-based data governance leader has just snapped up the acquisition of Raito, a newer contender in the data access world, reinforcing its commitment to smarter data management at a time when companies scramble to prepare for the AI-centric workplace.
Unlike traditional workplace solutions that lean on sluggish, manual methods for data permissions, Raito approaches the problem differently. Raito’s technology automates access controls, making it easier for data teams to keep pace with demands from employees and digital agents that need data for AI-based tasks.
Felix Van de Maele, Collibra’s chief executive, pointed out that the issue of managing access has ballooned as data flows accelerate across industries. The old approach, based on fixed policies and heavy administrative effort, simply can’t keep up—too rigid, too slow.
Collibra already provided its own privacy-centric product, but the company believes Raito’s automation tools will transform how customers handle sensitive information.
Rising Demand for Smarter Data Access
Raito’s edge comes not only from its technology but from its team, including several people who once worked at Collibra. The startup’s strong familiarity with modern cloud environments also made it a natural fit, says Van de Maele, especially when compared to older platforms that still dominate the field.
Legacy giants like SailPoint and SecureAuth continue to serve companies that need access controls. Still, newer approaches are winning attention as organizations overhaul their systems for the era of machine learning and workflow automation.
Pressure to modernize isn’t unique to Collibra. Other major players, such as Salesforce, have recently moved to acquire data management firms. In May alone, Alation and ServiceNow announced similar deals, all aiming to conquer the sprawl of single-solution offerings that cropped up as data exploded in the past decade.
Van de Maele explained that industry leaders have become acutely aware of how messy their management strategies have become, especially with so many isolated products. Raito’s tech will now become a piece of Collibra’s vision of one unified platform—handling not just privacy but all aspects of governance in this new technological landscape.
Collibra, founded in 2008, has seen its profile skyrocket with nearly $600 million in investments from some of the world’s most prominent venture backers. Global brands like SAP, Heineken, and Credit Suisse rely on its software.
Now, with Raito part of the fold, Collibra finds itself at the center of a high-stakes race to build the backbone for enterprise AI.
