Vaival is an AI-enabled operating leverage company

The internal engineering function behind Vaival's own AI, Operational Intelligence, and AI 360.

We don't build AI. We use it well. AI Labs runs the AI Vaival uses every day, productizes Operational Intelligence and AI 360, and audits both under ISO/IEC 42001:2023. The methodologies ship through Managed Operating Pod variants. AI Labs itself is not sold separately.

Talk to us about AI governance Read Trust and Governance

Internal AI: Vaival's own AI capability, including CostSage in the ISO/IEC 42001:2023 cert scope.
Operational Intelligence: Productized methodology for single-business multi-unit operators. Delivered through the Operational Intelligence Pod.
AI 360: Portfolio management system in development for multi-business operators. Delivered through the Portfolio Operations Pod. Architecture under NDA.

ISO/IEC 42001:2023 ISO/IEC 27001:2022 ISO 9001:2015 Verify certifications →

Who this page is for

Two readers usually land here.

Reader 1

Procurement or risk reviewer doing a vendor-AI assessment.

You need to understand how Vaival uses AI, what is in the cert scope, what is not, and how AI access is approved, audited, and revoked. Trust carries the contractual posture; this page explains the engineering function underneath: how AI Labs runs Vaival's own AI under ISO/IEC 42001:2023, how the Operational Intelligence and AI 360 methodologies are productized for delivery through Vaival's services wing, and how the same engineering composes toward AI 360.

Reader 2

Operator curious about how AI fits in a Vaival engagement.

You want to know whether Vaival is an AI agency selling models. We are not. AI Labs is Vaival's internal AI engineering function; it builds the AI Vaival uses every day and productizes the Operational Intelligence and AI 360 methodologies. The methodologies are delivered through Vaival's services wing as Managed Operating Pod variants. We don't build AI. We use it well.

The three-product mandate

Three products. One discipline.

AI Labs builds three things. The AI Vaival uses internally. The Operational Intelligence methodology that productizes single-business multi-unit operations. The AI 360 system in development for multi-business portfolio operations. All three run under ISO/IEC 42001:2023. All three are governed by the AI Go-Live Gate. The Operational Intelligence and AI 360 methodologies are delivered through Managed Operating Pod variants, not licensed as software.

Product 1

The AI capability Vaival uses every day.

AI Labs builds and runs the AI systems Vaival's own teams work on. CostSage is the named instance, in the scope of the ISO/IEC 42001:2023 certificate Vaival audits its AI Management System against. Internal automation, methodology improvements, and AI tooling all live here. We use what we build, then we productize what we have proven.

Product 2

Operational Intelligence methodology.

Productized measurement and visibility methodology for single-business multi-unit operators. Vaival Unit Scorecard, six operating dimensions, gates, evidence grades, and decision support across scale, stabilize, protect, restructure, incubate, and pause. Delivered through the Operational Intelligence Pod, a three-month variant of Managed Operating Pod. Starts from $75,000 per quarter. Not licensed as software.

Product 3

AI 360 portfolio management system.

For investors, family offices, and operators of multi-business portfolios. AI 360 composes operating intelligence across multiple businesses to produce a true picture of each and recommend direction across grow, invest, risk, reposition, and expand. Operating Intelligence is one of the frameworks inside AI 360, alongside others not named publicly. Delivered through the Portfolio Operations Pod. Starts from $150,000 per year. Architecture under NDA. Not generally available today.

CostSage explained

Named in the cert. Not a standalone SaaS.

CostSage is the AI product named in the scope of Vaival's ISO/IEC 42001:2023 certificate. AI Labs builds it. Vaival's own teams use it every day inside Vaival's operating workflows. CostSage is the named operating instance through which Vaival's AI Management System is audited under MQA Certification UK Ltd. The services wing uses CostSage inside select client engagements where the workflow shape fits, governed under the same engagement letter as the rest of the work.

CostSage is not a standalone SaaS product sold to operators. AI Labs is not commercialized separately either. Every AI capability that appears inside Vaival engagements, whether CostSage or anything else AI Labs has built, runs under the same management system and the same nine-element AI Go-Live Gate.

Verify on MQA directory →

Cert scope at a glance

What the certificate covers.

Standard: ISO/IEC 42001:2023 (AI Management System)
Certificate number: 2026-00622-PK-42K
Issuing body: MQA Certification UK Ltd. (IAF Code 33)
Scope statement: AI product CostSage and respective services
Validity: Active to 22 February 2027

The durable layer

Models change. The operating technology around them does not.

Foundation models commoditize. Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, and the next provider after them are replaceable. The integration patterns, governance rails, evaluation methodology, and operating technology around them are not. AI Labs builds AI systems, not AI models. We integrate what exists, govern how it runs, and operate it inside Vaival's own work and inside the productized methodologies our services wing delivers. The four traits below name the test every AI capability passes before it ships. ISO/IEC 42001:2023 audits the discipline. The nine-element AI Go-Live Gate clears every AI-assisted task.

Trait 1

Useful.

The capability solves a workflow problem an operator already feels.

Trait 2

Governed.

Named human owner, approval rule, exception path, audit trail. AI Go-Live Gate cleared.

Trait 3

Adopted.

The team uses it inside the workflow, not as a side experiment.

Trait 4

Measurable.

The number the workflow is supposed to move, against the baseline.

See the nine elements of the AI Go-Live Gate on Implement → Read Trust and Governance →

What AI Labs is not

Four explicit negations.

Stating these in writing keeps the mandate honest. AI Labs is the internal engineering function inside Vaival, not a separate commercial surface, and not a vendor type we are confused with.

Not us

Not a client-funded research lab.

We do not sell experimentation to operators. AI Labs work is funded inside Vaival's own R&D, not billed as a separate engagement.

Not us

Not an AI agency.

We do not build custom AI deliverables for clients as a standalone offer. AI work inside Vaival's services-wing engagements lives under Audit, Sprint, Program, and Pod, governed by the AI Go-Live Gate, not as a separate AI build.

Not us

Not a tool catalog.

We do not maintain a public list of model providers, prompt libraries, or automation recipes. Sub-processors are disclosed in engagement letters, not in marketing pages.

Not us

Not a custom AI build or fine-tuning shop.

AI Labs evaluates models for accuracy and failure-mode, integrates them into Vaival's own work, and governs them under the AI Go-Live Gate. We do not build AI models. We do not sell fine-tuning as a service. We do not deliver bespoke AI as a standalone product for a single client. AI 360 is composition of internal-IP layers and frameworks for the multi-business operator market, not a custom build-out for one buyer.

How the work reaches operators

AI Labs builds. The services wing delivers. Pod variants run the methodology.

AI Labs sits inside Vaival as the internal engineering function. The services wing sits beside it as the only client-facing commercial unit. Two distinct units inside one Vaival operating group, sharing brand, ISO triple-stack governance, and accountability. AI Labs builds and governs; the services wing delivers.

Operational Intelligence and AI 360 are productized inside AI Labs and delivered to operators by the services wing as variants of Managed Operating Pod. The Operational Intelligence Pod is a three-month variant for single-business multi-unit operators. The Portfolio Operations Pod runs continuous operating intelligence across a multi-business portfolio. Same governance, same engagement letter, same nine-element AI Go-Live Gate as the standard Managed Operating Pod.

You engage with the services wing. The methodology behind your engagement was productized inside AI Labs, audited against ISO/IEC 42001:2023, and governed under the AI Go-Live Gate. You read AI Labs to understand the engineering substance. You read Trust to understand the contractual posture. You start with an Operating Leverage Audit.

Where to read more

Three pages carry the depth.

Trust for the contractual posture, sub-processors, breach response, and revocation procedures.
Implement for the nine elements of the AI Go-Live Gate as installed inside Sprints and Programs.
Operate for how continuous AI access is governed inside Managed Operating Pods and their Pod variants at every weekly operating review.

Common questions

Six questions procurement and operators ask.

Which model providers does Vaival use inside engagements?

Enterprise-tier AI providers with training-on-customer-data disabled. Anthropic and OpenAI are primary. Sub-processor list is disclosed in the engagement letter at scope confirmation, with right of refusal on changes. We do not maintain a public list because the right disclosure surface is the engagement letter, not the marketing page.

Are models trained on our data?

No. Vaival uses enterprise-tier provider configurations with training-on-customer-data disabled. Where a workflow benefits from custom evaluation, the evaluation runs inside Vaival's controlled environment, not on the provider's training pipeline. The sub-processor list and the contract clauses around training are in the engagement letter.

How does model revocation work?

Revocation is by written notice to the named Vaival owner. Within three business days, model access is disabled, processed-data artifacts (embeddings, fine-tuned weights, cached outputs) are deleted, deletion is certified to you in writing, and the model provider sub-processor is notified. The engagement continues; the workflow runs human-only until you and the named owner agree on a replacement approach. Trust carries the full procedure.

Is CostSage available as a standalone product?

No. CostSage is the AI product in the scope of the ISO/IEC 42001:2023 certificate. AI Labs builds it; Vaival's own teams use it every day. The services wing uses CostSage inside select client engagements where the workflow shape fits. It is not sold as a standalone SaaS product, and AI Labs is not commercialized separately either.

How is Operational Intelligence delivered, and what does it cost?

Operational Intelligence is productized inside AI Labs and delivered through the Operational Intelligence Pod, a three-month variant of Managed Operating Pod for single-business multi-unit operators. The engagement carries the Vaival Unit Scorecard, six operating dimensions, gates, evidence grades, and decision support across scale, stabilize, protect, restructure, incubate, and pause. Same governance, same engagement letter, and same nine-element AI Go-Live Gate as the standard Managed Operating Pod. Engagements start from $75,000 per quarter. The methodology is not licensed as software.

What is AI 360, and when can we buy it?

AI 360 is a portfolio management system AI Labs is composing for investors and operators of multi-business portfolios. It coordinates multiple layers and frameworks to produce a true picture of each business in the portfolio and recommend direction across grow, invest, risk, reposition, and expand. Operating Intelligence is one of the frameworks inside AI 360. AI 360 is not generally available today. Architecture is available under NDA in a real procurement conversation. Engagements start from $150,000 per year, delivered through the Portfolio Operations Pod. If you operate a single business in the $15M to $100M revenue band, the four direct offers are the right entry point; AI 360 is not for you yet. If you operate or invest across a multi-business portfolio and want to be among the early-access conversations, mention AI 360 in your first call.

AI governance as engagement model

AI governance lives in the engagement letter, not the marketing page.

Trust carries the contractual posture. The Operating Leverage Audit is the entry point into a Vaival engagement; the Operational Intelligence Pod is a Pod variant reached through that funnel. AI 360 is an early-access conversation outside the standard offer architecture; if you operate or invest across a multi-business portfolio, mention AI 360 on the first call.

Talk to us about AI governance Read Trust and Governance