Grant Thornton sells qm.x audit platform to AI firm Tellen

LONDON, ENGLAND — Grant Thornton has entered into a strategic partnership with artificial intelligence (AI) platform Tellen, including the sale of its qm.x audit quality application and a multi-year commercial agreement for the firm to continue using the solution post-acquisition. 

The transaction will see Tellen assume ownership of the cloud-enabled platform launched in 2022 and integrate it into its AI ecosystem as Tellen QM, serving existing users across more than 20 Grant Thornton member firms and other audit practices worldwide.

“This partnership allows us to work directly with firms around the world as they modernize audit work and adopt AI in a practical way,” said Deepak Lalit, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Co-Founder of Tellen.

Combined platform delivers end-to-end audit quality

The acquisition of qm.x represents a significant expansion of Tellen’s technological footprint within the audit sector, directly absorbing a proven quality management solution with an established international user base. 

With Tellen as the long-term product owner and technology partner for all existing qm.x users, it will be rebranded Tellen QM and integrated into Tellen’s larger AI platform. 

The idea behind this integration is to establish an integrated environment that enables accounting firms to execute audit work and manage quality without relying on isolated, single-purpose tools.

As Tellen invests in a roadmap for continuous capability growth for Tellen QM, existing users at both Grant Thornton and other companies will not experience any disruption in pricing or services.

Adding the platform to the architecture helps Tellen facilitate more AI-enabled processes during the audit, including planning and testing, as well as documentation and review. 

Grant Thornton will still use the improved platform. They will also continue to contribute to its formulation so that the solution remains within the practical requirements of a massive, multinational network operating across more than 150 global markets.

Meeting demand for unified AI and quality management

The partnership directly responds to a growing demand within the accounting profession for integrated platforms that can apply AI consistently across all engagements, rather than through fragmented applications. 

As firms increasingly explore how AI can support core audit activities, Tellen’s strategy focuses on providing a common environment for these workflows, with existing capabilities like QualityScan AI already supporting post-engagement analysis. 

With the introduction of Tellen QM, companies can now combine these AI-based audit tools with a full-scale quality management solution on a single platform, making it easier to roll out new technology in a practical, phased approach.

As Lalit notes, “Our focus is on providing a single platform that supports AI-enabled workflows across audit quality and execution.”

This technological convergence comes with increased attention from global regulators to firmwide systems of quality management, with the standards International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board’s (IAASB) ISQM 1, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants’ (AICPA) SQMS 1, and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board’s (PCAOB) QC 1000 bearing the weight. 

These regulatory frameworks highlight the necessity of consistent, scalable, and sound oversight of evolving audit practices, underscoring the need for a platform that delivers these features. 

The strategic fit between Tellen and Grant Thornton positions the new integrative platform to assist the firms in complying with these regulatory requirements by providing greater visibility and control over audit quality and using AI to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of their practices.

“The qm.x platform will reach new heights under Tellen’s dedicated team — and its users, many of whom are global Grant Thornton firms, will benefit from fast innovation, strong alignment with audit quality, and a modern foundation for a future focused on AI,” said Jeff Hughes, Audit & Assurance Partner at Grant Thornton, who led the initial creation and launch of qm.x.

Grant Thornton ranked #34 in the OA500 2025, an objective index of the world’s top 500 outsourcing companies. The 2026 edition of the OA500 is expected to be released in March. (Read the OA500 2026 methodology paper here.)