Smartbox.ai is a regulatory technology (regtech) company which operates a rapidly growing data analysis and compliance platform.
The idea behind the business first came in 2019 when founders Ben Gowers and Mark Callahan looked at the way UK organisations responded to Subject Access Requests (SARs). An SAR is a formal inquiry made to an organisation by someone, asking which of their data and personal information has been collected, stored, and processed. The implementation of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 strengthened SARs, removing fees for enquirers and cutting response deadlines.
Organisations currently have a legal requirement to respond to SARs “without undue delay” within one month, extendable by a further two months for more complex cases. The Smartbox founders discovered that, at the time, work related to complying with SAR requirements was manual, slow and expensive, with existing software on the market being costly.
In response, the Smartbox platform launched in September 2020 and has since expanded beyond SARs into other areas where organisations must disclose information on request, and by a deadline, for regulatory and legal reasons. These areas include Freedom of Information requests, court and evidence disclosures, investigations, mergers & acquisitions and breach response disclosure.
Award-winning AI platform
As of today, Smartbox.ai is a disclosure platform designed to solve some of the most complex challenges in data privacy, compliance, and information security. The platform automates the whole disclosure process from request to release, helping clients to detect, analyse, review, redact, and disclose sensitive information contained within documents, audio and video files, by a required deadline.
Smartbox.ai uses advanced AI to identify structured and unstructured data, including handwritten documents, ensuring that no sensitive information is missed. This makes it ideal for enterprises, law firms, public sector bodies, and security-conscious organisations facing increasing volumes of regulatory requests. The company says that unlike generative AI, it gives the same answer every time and proves it, so every decision stands up to a regulator or a court. Building on the success of Smartbox “Classic”, the Gen 2 version is currently in development and set for general release in January 2027.
Adding to the company’s credibility, Smartbox.ai is ISO/IEC 27001 certified, meeting the international standard for information security management systems, and has the Cyber Essentials Plus designation, the highest tier of the UK government-backed Cyber Essentials scheme. Further demonstrating its achievements, Smartbox was the British Data Awards Technology Company of the Year in 2024.
Increasing burden
Demand for Smartbox.ai’s services is growing, driven by increasing regulatory requirements and levels of data protection complaints. The direction of travel is clear: more deadline-bound, auditable obligations landing on more organisations, which is precisely the problem Smartbox.ai’s platform exists to solve.
To give some statistics, 76,743 data protection complaints were received by the regulator, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), in 2025/26, up 81% from 42,315 in 2024/25. What’s more, 72.6% of complaints in 2025/26 were not assessed and responded to within the ICO’s 90-day target, compared with 70% in 2024/25. 30 days is the new statutory deadline for organisations to acknowledge a data protection complaint, in force since 19th June 2026 as a result of the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025.
Reflecting the potential consequences of not managing obligations properly, in 2022 the UK's Ministry of Justice (MoJ) was served an enforcement notice by the ICO for failing to address and respond to a growing backlog of SARs. At its peak, it was believed the MoJ’s SAR backlog had grown as high as 7,753, with exposure to a penalty of up to £17.5 million or 4% of turnover, whichever is higher, had the notice not been complied with. While the fine was ultimately not given, there were still operational and reputational consequences for the MoJ.
Established client base and growing pipeline
Smartbox.ai has seen good growth in recent years and now counts c.80 organisations as clients across sectors including global technology, consumer goods, aviation brands, major UK retailers and local authorities. Major contracts include a UK central government defence contract worth more than £2 million, and the company’s largest contract to date: over £3.5 million across five years with a US enterprise customer.
Key strategic partners include Microsoft, with Smartbox being listed on the Azure Marketplace, funding Smartbox’s Azure migration and running a joint “Better Together: Purview & Smartbox.ai” programme. Other strategic partners include Xerox, which has been a global partner since 2022; HP/Apogee, which is targeting to seed Smartbox in its 45 NHS Trust clients, worth up to £3 million at full take-up; and Ricoh, SCC and Northdoor, which are putting 150+ reseller salespeople in front of customers every day.
Sales traction has been building, with management accounts for the financial year to end April 2026 showing revenue of £3.2 million, with the sales target for the current year set at £5.26 million. The pipeline looks healthy, standing at £10.4 million, including a £4 million UK central government tender.
Fundraise
Smartbox.ai’s parent company, Gravicus Technologies Limited, is currently raising the final £1.5 million of a £5 million round at a price of £7.75 per share, valuing the business at £30.5 million pre-money. Amongst other things, the funds will be used for further development of the Gen 2 Smartbox product, a marketing programme to promote its launch and a planned expansion into the potentially lucrative US market.
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