Collibra Acquires Munich-based trail ML to Automate AI Governance

Founded in 2023 by Anna Spitznagel, Nikolaus Pinger, and Sven Hölzel, trail ML brings agent-powered automation to Collibra’s enterprise control plane. While Collibra provides the necessary context for data, models, and applications, the acquisition introduces specialized agents capable of analyzing governance evidence, identifying compliance gaps, and triggering automated workflows.

For GRC teams, this integration addresses the friction caused by scaling AI systems. Instead of relying on point-in-time checks, organizations can now operationalize requirements for frameworks like the EU AI Act, ISO 42001, and the NIST AI Risk Management Framework. Furthermore, trail ML’s runtime capabilities allow Collibra to intervene when agents attempt actions that violate established policies, effectively blocking non-compliant behavior before it occurs. Felix Van de Maele, CEO of Collibra, noted that the goal is to remove manual bottlenecks, allowing firms to maintain safety without sacrificing the speed of AI adoption.