Now is the time to change the global operating model for audit delivery - a $260bn services market that will be transformed within a few years.
Demand is higher than ever as businesses face growing volumes of regulation and an increasingly complex risk environment. But the current ways of working no longer scale. The industry faces challenging talent shortages. Mid-sized firms are regularly having to turn business away.
Auditors at firms of all sizes are seeking technology to streamline workflows and automate the manual work that exists throughout the audit lifecycle: from scoping and preparation to risk assessment, data collection, evidence analysis and reporting. But the right partner should reinforce their trusted position and measure up to their standards for quality, consistency, and professional oversight.
We see Cortea emerging at the forefront of this industry transformation. We met Valentin and Philipp, experienced and multi-functional operators, early in 2025. They had an ambition to build the AI operating system for the industry and - in a vertical where trust and accountability are paramount - a determination to build a solution that works with auditors for auditors. A system that enables auditors execute high-quality work with greater consistency, capacity and confidence. A system that ensures quality at scale.
Cortea was already delivering substantial day one value for clients. Their agents were transforming customers’ delivery capacity in IT use cases, halving the time and resources needed to deliver an audit. The auditors we spoke with were now able to spend more of their valuable time on numerous issues that require human judgement - and with significantly more context at hand to support decisioning.
Client demand for financial audit use cases has rapidly followed along with international expansion, and the attention of the Big 4.
We’re delighted to be leading Cortea’s round - and we’re in good company. Heavyweight industry executives joining us in the round include Larry Bradley, former Senior Partner and Global Head of Audit for KPMG, Simon Collins, former Senior Partner and UK Chairman of KPMG and Davor Tremac, founder and CEO of Fonoa.