From standstill to sales: How Dembrane turned compliance into their competitive advantage

When compliance blocks your revenue

Dembrane builds software to facilitate conversations at scale and turn an audience into a community. But without the right compliance credentials, those conversations with customers simply didn't happen.They all required ISO 27001 certification to prove that Dembrane handles data securely and responsibly.

Like many startups, they had been muddling through without really understanding it. Excel sheets, fragmented documentation, and a general sense of "where do we even start?" dominated their reality.

The situation was urgent. Every delayed conversation with a prospect meant delayed revenue. The pressure was mounting, and they needed a solution fast.

We couldn't get through the sales process without ISO 27001 certification. Our revenue was severely limited until we fixed it.

Bram Delisse

Co-founder & CEO | Dembrane

Finding the right partner

Through a referral from their investor de Brabantse Ontwikkelings Maatschappij (BOM), Bram connected with Tidal Control. The introductory call with Dennis felt different straight away, and there was an immediate click. It quickly felt like the right fit to work together.

The vision aligned immediately. Especially the approach to compliance with a technology layer that does a lot of the work for you, like automatic status checks in GitHub and all the other tools.

Bram Delisse

Co-founder & CEO | Dembrane

What struck Bram most was the concrete guidance. In the beginning, like any other startup, they had no idea what to do or how. Tidal as a system gave them specific tasks and clear direction throughout the process.

I want to give credit to the personal support from Tidal. Dennis often took the time to explain things to me personally. I really appreciate that accessibility and personal support, especially because it was a stressful situation. I also appreciated being able to walk into the office spontaneously with questions.

Bram Delisse

Co-founder & CEO | Dembrane

A breath of fresh air

Tidal became more than just software for Dembrane. It became their compliance home, creating clarity and calmness

Bram looked at a number of options for getting certified, and by his account it was a mess of Excel sheets and Confluence pages. Tidal quickly stood out as the number one choice for Dembrane.

Three things made the difference for Dembrane with Tidal.

• First, no user licences, so everyone could be involved in the process.
• Second, what Bram likes in particular is Tidal's complete policy center. It has automated version control with history table for policie. Everything is neatly in one place with automatically linked controls.
• Third, the automation layer removed mountains of manual work. Status checks, documentation tracking, and audit preparation tasks that normally require constant human attention now happen automatically in the background.

The transformation: from standstill to sales

Today, Dembrane looks completely different from those stressful pre-certification days. They haven't just achieved ISO 27001 certification, they've fundamentally improved their processes. Onboarding new team members in Dembrane used to take 2 weeks. Now it takes 45 minutes, with work and personal profiles neatly separated. The security layer is baked into their processes from day one.

ISO now helps them to regularly pause and reflect on important security matters. Now that they understand it, they constantly factor it into decision-making. The certification process and its various layers keep it actively top of mind. Most importantly? The deals are finally flowing. The company now has a dedicated team member for compliance, and revenue is moving again.

It gives me peace of mind that everything is neatly in Tidal for the annual audits. Tidal is a place where compliance lives in a healthy way.

Bram Delisse

Co-founder & CEO | Dembrane

Lessons learned and advice for other startups

Looking back, Bram is honest about the journey. It's a tough process, especially when you knew nothing about it going in. If they had to do it again now, it would take 70% less effort, as Bram shares.

His advice for other startups facing the same problem is pragmatic:

We had little money at the time, so 250 or 500 euros a month felt like a lot. But figuring it out yourself also costs so much time, and working through Word and Excel sheets is inefficient for setting up an ISMS. Eventually, it ends up costing more money in lost time. What you need is a clear system to store everything in and someone who can properly introduce you to the frameworks.

Bram Delisse

Co-founder & CEO | Dembrane

When we asked what surprised him most, Bram comes back to that word: clarity. Going into the audit feeling like they really understood the software and had everything neatly documented in Tidal genuinely gave him peace of mind.

We would never be a compliant Dembrane without Tidal. The peace of mind is worth far more than the direct costs I paid, and I would definitely recommend it to fellow software companies to go with Tidal.

Bram Delisse

Co-founder & CEO | Dembrane

Ready to make compliance your advantage?

Compliance doesn't have to be a revenue blocker. With the right approach and the right tools, it becomes the foundation that lets you grow with confidence. Book a call with our team to discover how automated compliance can unlock your growth instead of holding it back, or take a quick scan to see where you stand right now.