AI Governance as competitive
strategy.
Expectations are moving from 'cool demo' to credible system. Investors, buyers, and users want evidence, not promises.
We help you embed that evidence into how you build.
By AI Governance we mean the the regulatory burden
on your product design and operations.
We work hands-on and prioritise teams ready to implement. Following your consultation request, we will respond with next steps, typically a short call. After that, we will confirm a clear yes/no promptly.
Result
Build credibility early
Turn EU governance into tangible product decisions
now – so you do not pay for retrofits later.
- › Clear risk posture you can explain
- › Evidence plan that fits your roadmap
What we do
Stop treating governance as a blocker; treat it as a quality signal.
Designed For
Readiness Assessment
A fast, practical assessment that clarifies your risk posture and the shortest path to EU-ready credibility.
- › Risk-tier hypothesis + assumptions
- › Evidence plan (what to show, not what to write)
- › Prioritised roadmap for high-stakes areas
Portfolio Clinics
Due diligence support and risk mapping that makes governance legible across a pipeline or portfolio.
- › Decision questions + red flags per use case
- › Portfolio heatmap and priority actions
- › Buyer/procurement trust signals to strengthen
Team Enablement
Workshops and working sessions to embed governance into product operations without slowing delivery.
- › Templates your team will actually use
- › Review points and ownership (lightweight cadence)
- › Definition of done for higher-stakes features
How we work
We work in tight loops with the people who own product decisions. You leave with a clear risk posture, a practical plan, and a lightweight governance spine that fits your delivery cadence - without turning your team into a documentation factory.
Fit
Align decision owners, constraints, and what ‘good’ looks like for your product.
- › Scope and success criteria
- › Exposure hypothesis
- › Engagement plan
Map
Map your use cases to EU AI Act logic and the expectations you'll meet in diligence or procurement.
- › Risk-tier hypothesis
- › Decision log structure
- › Evidence plan
Build
Embed templates, routines, and review points into product operations - built for momentum.
- › Documentation skeletons
- › Evaluation and monitoring checkpoints
- › Definition of done (high-stakes features)
Sustain
Keep it current as your product and expectations evolve - light-touch steering when it matters.
- › Governance cadence
- › Quarterly refresh
- › On-demand decision support
Who we are
AIffect is a Europe-based advisory where AI governance meets business reality. We assist founders, investors, and (public) innovators translate regulatory constraints, such as the EU AI Act, into strategic frameworks – turning external rules into clarity, credibility, and momentum.
Dr Gert Hilgers
FOUNDING PARTNER, STRATEGY & OPERATIONSStrategic translator at the intersection of technology, policy, and geopolitics. Works across Europe's public-sector innovation ecosystem, turning complex policy and technical constraints into decisions teams can implement. Track co-lead at the UN's Global Initiative for Virtual Worlds and AI. Founder & Principal Advisor at Interveo.
Dr Ivy Yang
FOUNDING PARTNER, OPERATIONS & STRATEGYSenior Responsible AI Strategist bringing a global strategic perspective to regulatory challenges. Focuses on making governance operational through practical assurance, risk mapping, and documentation aligned with how teams actually build and deploy systems.
Notes
Legal advice protects your liability; we strategise your viability. While legal focuses on regulatory interpretation and contract defense, we focus on strategic alignment. We build the roadmap to navigate through them without losing momentum. Our service is about operational strategy: defining how your organisation makes decisions, prioritises risks, and structures itself and its products and services to gain a competitive advantage.
Because trust is becoming measurable. In Europe, the Brussels Effect shapes expectations beyond the EU - and investors and buyers increasingly reward teams that can explain their systems, show credible controls, and reduce unpleasant surprises.
Yes - especially teams shipping into Europe or aligning early with Europe-shaped expectations. The goal is to build once, scale with fewer retrofits, and speak credibly to EU investors and buyers.
We take a small number of engagements at a time to stay hands-on. We look for a clear use case, a decision owner, and a team willing to implement. If it's a fit, you will know quickly.
Make trust a competitive advantage.
Senior-led guidance for teams building and shipping AI in a Europe-shaped market - turning governance into decisions, evidence, and routines you can sustain.
Start a conversationBy application – small capacity, high-touch delivery.