This Startup Makes Learning Legal Compliance Feel Like a Breeze – Ontoris Startup Review

In today’s corporate world, managing legal, risk, and compliance can feel overwhelming. Legal teams, compliance officers, and risk managers constantly face new regulations while aiming to keep operations efficient. But with mounting pressure to adapt, many organisations find themselves stuck with inflexible tools that don’t fully meet their needs.

But what if there was a way to transform this challenge into an opportunity? That’s where Ontoris steps in. Founded by a team of industry veterans, Ontoris offers a flexible platform designed specifically for these professionals. Their user-configurable solution adapts to the specific needs of each organisation, making it easier to manage compliance effectively.

In an exclusive interview, we talked to Simon Hänggi, one of Ontoris’s founders, to uncover how their platform is changing the compliance game. Let’s dive in and explore how Ontoris is turning the daunting task of compliance into a streamlined process.

What is Ontoris?

Ontoris is a flexible platform tailored for corporate legal, risk, and compliance operations. Designed for legal teams, compliance officers, and risk managers, it helps streamline the increasingly complex landscape of regulatory requirements. You might grapple with managing various compliance rules and deadlines. With Ontoris, this challenge shifts from a burden to manageable tasks.

The heart of Ontoris lies in its user-configurability. You can adapt the platform to fit your specific needs, rather than forcing your processes into a rigid, one-size-fits-all system. For example, if your organisation faces sudden regulatory changes, you can easily adjust settings to comply without extensive downtime. This flexibility optimises operational efficiency, saving precious time in what can often feel like a whirlwind of compliance demands.

What sets Ontoris apart from its competitors is its collaborative approach. Many platforms offer basic solutions, but Ontoris focuses on customer partnership. It provides ready-to-use modules while allowing expansion and customisation as needed. This creates a tailored experience that evolves with your organisation, ensuring that compliance remains straightforward and efficient.

Ontoris Founders

Simon Hänggi stands as a key figure in the foundation of Ontoris. With years of industry experience under his belt, Simon has navigated the intricate world of legal, risk, and compliance operations. Alongside him are Jean-Philippe Berset and Andrea Marsiglietti, both seasoned professionals who shared a common journey before embarking on this venture together. Their complementary expertise provides Ontoris with a robust foundation, built on years of networking and collaboration.

The trio’s background is rooted in a shared commitment to innovation. Having worked together at a previous company, they recognised the acute challenges that organisations face when dealing with compliance complexities. This understanding wasn’t theoretical. They had witnessed first-hand how rigid compliance solutions often left businesses struggling. The idea to form Ontoris emerged from these experiences, turning their collective frustrations into a visionary project.

In the early days, Ontoris faced its own set of challenges. Crafting a platform that was both adaptable and user-friendly required relentless iteration. Engaging with early adopters played a pivotal role in refining the platform. They leveraged insights from companies ready to embrace change, using feedback to shape a solution that could flex as needed. This iterative process highlighted their dedication to continuous improvement, using initial setbacks as stepping stones to develop a genuinely user-configurable system.

The inception of Ontoris wasn’t a fleeting idea but rather a response to a clear market need. Each founder brought a unique perspective but shared a singular vision. They were determined to create a platform that would seamlessly adapt to the evolving regulatory landscape. By focusing on flexibility and user experience, they sought to build more than just software; they aimed to cultivate collaborative partnerships with their clientele.

Interview with Simon Hänggi, Founder of Ontoris

We had the opportunity to interview Simon Hänggi, a driving force behind Ontoris. Here’s how he explains the vision and strategy behind this ambitious platform:

Q: Could you introduce yourself and your role at Ontoris?
A: I’m Simon Hänggi, founder of Ontoris. My background is in legal, risk, and compliance, where I’ve spent years navigating the complexities of corporate governance. Ontoris reflects a solution-focused approach to some of the biggest challenges legal teams face today.

Q: Tell us about Ontoris in a nutshell. What gap does it fill in the market?
A: Ontoris provides a flexible platform specifically tailored for corporate legal, risk, and compliance operations. We target corporate legal teams, compliance officers, risk managers, and general counsels. These roles constantly face evolving regulations and complex workflows. Our platform simplifies that complexity by adapting to specific needs and streamlining operations, rather than forcing a rigid system on them.

Q: How exactly does Ontoris solve the compliance problem?
A: We designed Ontoris to be a user-configurable platform. What that means is you don’t have to compromise your processes to fit our tool. Instead, Ontoris adapts to you. We solve the problem of managing complex legal, risk, and compliance operations by allowing organisations to make real-time adjustments as regulations change, without downtime. This adaptability helps our users stay efficient, even in a fast-changing regulatory environment.

Q: What led you and your co-founders to start Ontoris?
A: My co-founders, Jean-Philippe Berset and Andrea Marsiglietti, and I worked together in our previous roles. Over time, we saw first-hand how rigid compliance tools could stall businesses, forcing them to work around the software instead of with it. We realised that there was a better way. We wanted to create something that responded to real needs in the market—a platform that could evolve with regulatory changes rather than against them. Ontoris was born out of this shared frustration and vision.

Q: What were some of the early challenges in building Ontoris?
A: Creating a platform with both flexibility and ease of use is tough. We knew that many businesses would need tailored solutions without the hassle of complex customisation. Early on, we engaged closely with early adopters. Their feedback was essential in refining Ontoris. We went through several iterations to ensure our platform was not only functional but adaptable. This process was challenging, but it ultimately shaped Ontoris into a system that truly adapts to different organisational needs.

Q: How does Ontoris stand out from the competition?
A: Many platforms in this space offer one-size-fits-all solutions. Ontoris is different. Our focus is on unmatched flexibility and user-configurability. Users don’t need to make sweeping changes to their operations to use our tool. Instead, they can customise our platform to fit their unique processes. We also offer ready-to-use modules that can be expanded as needed, making Ontoris scalable without sacrificing functionality. Our approach is about partnership, not just software. We work with our clients, helping them navigate compliance and risk management efficiently.

Q: Where do you see Ontoris headed in the future?
A: We’re working on expanding the platform with additional modules to cover a broader range of legal, risk, and compliance functions. AI-driven features are a big focus, too. We want to enhance automation and decision-making, making our platform even more proactive. Ontoris also has plans to scale internationally, so more organisations worldwide can access a flexible compliance solution that genuinely helps them keep up with evolving demands.

Q: Finally, what advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs?
A: Focus on solving a real problem. Stay adaptable. Surround yourself with people who share your vision and bring valuable experience. Embrace feedback from your users and don’t be afraid to iterate. Persistence and a clear understanding of your industry go a long way in overcoming challenges.

Feedough’s Take on Ontoris

Ontoris is making positive strides in a challenging space where legal, risk, and compliance operations often feel overwhelming. Their platform’s flexibility allows companies to adapt to regulatory changes with minimal disruption. This adaptability is key in today’s fast-paced corporate environment. It’s a game-changer for legal and compliance teams bogged down by complexity.

On the collaboration front, Ontoris excels by fostering partnerships with users. This approach not only enhances user experience but encourages growth through ongoing feedback.

However, as they expand, maintaining this level of personal touch while scaling could be demanding. To stay ahead, Ontoris should keep innovating, particularly in AI features for automation. This focus will ensure they remain relevant and continue to meet the evolving needs of their clients. Expect Ontoris to lead the way in making compliance not just manageable, but efficient.