Holistic AI

End-to-end AI governance platform for the EU AI Act, NIST and ISO 42001

IBM watsonx

Enterprise AI platform with built-in governance, trust, and transparency

Holistic AI

Strong

17/25

IBM watsonx

Excellent

24/25

Score Breakdown

DimensionHolistic AIIBM watsonx

Data Residency

Where is your data stored and processed?

Holistic AI: UK-headquartered vendor; specific data-hosting region not publicly disclosed. UK holds an EU adequacy decision, enabling EU data transfers. A US office exists, so EU/UK data residency should be confirmed contractually during procurement.

IBM watsonx: Comprehensive multi-region data hosting across US, EU, Asia Pacific, and support for on-premise deployment. FedRAMP High authorization for US government data. Exceptional data residency flexibility.

4/5

UK-headquartered vendor; specific data-hosting region not publicly disclosed. UK holds an EU adequacy decision, enabling EU data transfers. A US office exists, so EU/UK data residency should be confirmed contractually during procurement.

5/5

Comprehensive multi-region data hosting across US, EU, Asia Pacific, and support for on-premise deployment. FedRAMP High authorization for US government data. Exceptional data residency flexibility.

Legal Jurisdiction

Which laws govern the company and your data?

Holistic AI: UK-incorporated (Holistic AI Ltd) and headquartered in London, operating under UK GDPR. A US office in San Jose exists but the company is UK-domiciled; no US CLOUD Act exposure was identified.

IBM watsonx: Incorporated in New York, US. FedRAMP authorization and long-standing government contracts demonstrate compliance with stringent US regulatory frameworks. DPA and SCCs available for EU data transfers.

4/5

UK-incorporated (Holistic AI Ltd) and headquartered in London, operating under UK GDPR. A US office in San Jose exists but the company is UK-domiciled; no US CLOUD Act exposure was identified.

4/5

Incorporated in New York, US. FedRAMP authorization and long-standing government contracts demonstrate compliance with stringent US regulatory frameworks. DPA and SCCs available for EU data transfers.

Data Retention & Training

Is your data used for model training?

Holistic AI: As a governance platform it processes AI-system metadata and assessment evidence rather than training on customer data. Detailed retention and DPA terms were not publicly documented; enterprise controls assumed but should be verified.

IBM watsonx: Granular data retention controls with configurable lifecycle management. Comprehensive data processing agreements and audit-ready documentation available for enterprise customers.

4/5

As a governance platform it processes AI-system metadata and assessment evidence rather than training on customer data. Detailed retention and DPA terms were not publicly documented; enterprise controls assumed but should be verified.

5/5

Granular data retention controls with configurable lifecycle management. Comprehensive data processing agreements and audit-ready documentation available for enterprise customers.

Certifications

ISO 27001, SOC 2, Cyber Essentials, etc.

Holistic AI: No independent security certifications (SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001) were publicly confirmed for Holistic AI itself at time of research. The platform helps customers achieve ISO 42001, but that is not the same as the vendor holding it. Verify directly with the vendor.

IBM watsonx: Industry-leading certification portfolio including FedRAMP High, SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001/27017/27018, PCI-DSS, CSA STAR, and HIPAA. Among the most comprehensively certified AI platforms available.

1/5

No independent security certifications (SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001) were publicly confirmed for Holistic AI itself at time of research. The platform helps customers achieve ISO 42001, but that is not the same as the vendor holding it. Verify directly with the vendor.

5/5

Industry-leading certification portfolio including FedRAMP High, SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001/27017/27018, PCI-DSS, CSA STAR, and HIPAA. Among the most comprehensively certified AI platforms available.

Regulatory Fit

Suitability for regulated industries and professional services

Holistic AI: Purpose-built for AI governance and compliance across regulated EU/UK industries, with control mapping to the EU AI Act, NIST AI RMF, and ISO 42001. Strong fit for regulated sectors; UK jurisdiction is a minor consideration for EEA buyers.

IBM watsonx: Exceptional regulatory fit across all major regulated industries. Dedicated watsonx.governance toolkit aligns with EU AI Act requirements, NIST AI RMF, and sector-specific financial and healthcare regulations.

4/5

Purpose-built for AI governance and compliance across regulated EU/UK industries, with control mapping to the EU AI Act, NIST AI RMF, and ISO 42001. Strong fit for regulated sectors; UK jurisdiction is a minor consideration for EEA buyers.

5/5

Exceptional regulatory fit across all major regulated industries. Dedicated watsonx.governance toolkit aligns with EU AI Act requirements, NIST AI RMF, and sector-specific financial and healthcare regulations.

Total Score

17/25

24/25

Best For

Holistic AI

Best for EU-headquartered organisations needing maximum data sovereignty; regulated industries (ICO, FCA); privacy-conscious teams who need strong data retention controls.

IBM watsonx

Best for organisations requiring broad certification coverage (SOC 2 Type II, SOC 3, ISO 27001); regulated industries (FedRAMP, BaFin); privacy-conscious teams who need strong data retention controls; organisations that need self-hosted or on-premise deployment.

Detailed Comparison

Holistic AI vs IBM watsonx: Trust & Compliance Comparison

Holistic AI (Holistic AI, GB) scores 17/25 overall with a Silver (Strong) trust badge. End-to-end AI governance platform for the EU AI Act, NIST and ISO 42001. IBM watsonx (IBM, US) scores 24/25 with a Gold (Excellent) trust badge. Enterprise AI platform with built-in governance, trust, and transparency.

Dimension-by-Dimension Breakdown

#### Data Residency

IBM watsonx leads with 5/5 vs 4/5.

●Holistic AI (4/5): UK-headquartered vendor; specific data-hosting region not publicly disclosed. UK holds an EU adequacy decision, enabling EU data transfers. A US office exists, so EU/UK data residency should be confirmed contractually during procurement.

●IBM watsonx (5/5): Comprehensive multi-region data hosting across US, EU, Asia Pacific, and support for on-premise deployment. FedRAMP High authorization for US government data. Exceptional data residency flexibility.

#### Legal Jurisdiction

Both score equally at 4/5.

●Holistic AI (4/5): UK-incorporated (Holistic AI Ltd) and headquartered in London, operating under UK GDPR. A US office in San Jose exists but the company is UK-domiciled; no US CLOUD Act exposure was identified.

●IBM watsonx (4/5): Incorporated in New York, US. FedRAMP authorization and long-standing government contracts demonstrate compliance with stringent US regulatory frameworks. DPA and SCCs available for EU data transfers.

#### Data Retention & Training

IBM watsonx leads with 5/5 vs 4/5.

●Holistic AI (4/5): As a governance platform it processes AI-system metadata and assessment evidence rather than training on customer data. Detailed retention and DPA terms were not publicly documented; enterprise controls assumed but should be verified.

●IBM watsonx (5/5): Granular data retention controls with configurable lifecycle management. Comprehensive data processing agreements and audit-ready documentation available for enterprise customers.

#### Certifications

IBM watsonx leads with 5/5 vs 1/5.

●Holistic AI (1/5): No independent security certifications (SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001) were publicly confirmed for Holistic AI itself at time of research. The platform helps customers achieve ISO 42001, but that is not the same as the vendor holding it. Verify directly with the vendor.

●IBM watsonx (5/5): Industry-leading certification portfolio including FedRAMP High, SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001/27017/27018, PCI-DSS, CSA STAR, and HIPAA. Among the most comprehensively certified AI platforms available.

#### Regulatory Fit

IBM watsonx leads with 5/5 vs 4/5.

●Holistic AI (4/5): Purpose-built for AI governance and compliance across regulated EU/UK industries, with control mapping to the EU AI Act, NIST AI RMF, and ISO 42001. Strong fit for regulated sectors; UK jurisdiction is a minor consideration for EEA buyers.

●IBM watsonx (5/5): Exceptional regulatory fit across all major regulated industries. Dedicated watsonx.governance toolkit aligns with EU AI Act requirements, NIST AI RMF, and sector-specific financial and healthcare regulations.

Certifications at a Glance

Certification	Holistic AI	IBM watsonx
CSA STAR	No	Yes
FedRAMP High	No	Yes
ISO 27001	No	Yes
ISO 27017	No	Yes
ISO 27018	No	Yes
PCI-DSS	No	Yes
SOC 2 Type II	No	Yes
SOC 3	No	Yes

Overall Verdict

IBM watsonx has a clear trust advantage, scoring 24/25 compared to Holistic AI's 17/25. IBM watsonx particularly excels in data residency, data retention & training, certifications, regulatory fit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better for EU compliance, Holistic AI or IBM watsonx?

Holistic AI has a TrustKit score of 17/25 while IBM watsonx scores 24/25. IBM watsonx currently rates higher across data residency, legal jurisdiction, data retention, certifications, and regulatory fit.

How do Holistic AI and IBM watsonx compare on data residency?

Holistic AI scores 4/5 for data residency (UK-headquartered vendor; specific data-hosting region not publicly disclosed. UK holds an EU adequacy decision, enabling EU data transfers. A US office exists, so EU/UK data residency should be confirmed contractually during procurement.), while IBM watsonx scores 5/5 (Comprehensive multi-region data hosting across US, EU, Asia Pacific, and support for on-premise deployment. FedRAMP High authorization for US government data. Exceptional data residency flexibility.).

Are Holistic AI and IBM watsonx GDPR compliant?

Both tools are assessed across five compliance dimensions. Holistic AI has a regulatory fit score of 4/5 and IBM watsonx scores 5/5. Check the full comparison above for a detailed breakdown.

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