# closegate

> closegate is an open-source policy gate, audit log, and human-in-the-loop approval framework for finance AI agents. SOX-grade SoD, materiality routing, and tamper-evident audit logging — shipped as a Python library, an MCP server, and a Docker image.

closegate is open source (Apache-2.0). The framework is on GitHub at
https://github.com/neul-labs/closegate. Technical reference documentation is hosted separately at
https://docs.neullabs.com/closegate. PyPI packages: closegate-policy, closegate-engine, closegate-agent.

## Marketing pages

- [Home](https://closegate.neullabs.com/): Hero, four pillars, comparison teaser, FAQ
- [Why closegate exists](https://closegate.neullabs.com/why): The open-source policy gate argument
- [How it works](https://closegate.neullabs.com/how-it-works): Architecture overview with the policy-gate diagram
- [Install paths](https://closegate.neullabs.com/install): PyPI, MCP server, Docker — three install paths
- [Pricing](https://closegate.neullabs.com/pricing): Free, Apache-2.0, self-hosted
- [For finance teams](https://closegate.neullabs.com/for-finance-teams): Plain-English pitch for controllers + FP&A
- [For CFOs](https://closegate.neullabs.com/for-cfos): Decision matrix, TCO, this-week action list
- [For auditors](https://closegate.neullabs.com/for-auditors): 5-minute one-pager + 60-min control-testing script
- [For AI architects](https://closegate.neullabs.com/for-architects): MCP design, policy gate as pure function, eval harness
- [The policy gate](https://closegate.neullabs.com/policy-gate): The chokepoint pattern — pure function, server-side enforcement
- [The audit log](https://closegate.neullabs.com/audit-log): Append-only SQLite with DB-layer triggers, hash-chained
- [HITL approval envelopes](https://closegate.neullabs.com/hitl): Server-side SoD; LLM proposes, human confirms
- [The eval harness](https://closegate.neullabs.com/eval): 4-dimension continuous evaluation, SOC 2 CC4.2 evidence
- [Security posture](https://closegate.neullabs.com/security): Threat model, go-live checklist, disclosure policy
- [Compliance mappings](https://closegate.neullabs.com/compliance): SOX 404, SOC 2, NIST AI RMF, PCAOB AS 1215, GDPR Article 22
- [ROI calculator](https://closegate.neullabs.com/roi): Client-side back-of-envelope; conservative model
- [FAQ](https://closegate.neullabs.com/faq): Organized by audience: about, compliance, architecture, pilot
- [Contact](https://closegate.neullabs.com/contact): Design-partner intake; 2 slots per quarter
- [About](https://closegate.neullabs.com/about): The project, the maintainer, the bet
- [Compare](https://closegate.neullabs.com/compare): 14-row capability matrix vs commercial vendors
- [Customers](https://closegate.neullabs.com/customers): Anonymized case studies from real pilots
- [Blog](https://closegate.neullabs.com/blog): Long-form articles, RSS at /rss.xml

## Articles

- [FX rates and intercompany matching for multi-entity AI agents](https://closegate.neullabs.com/blog/fx-rates-intercompany-matching-multi-entity-ai): Multi-entity teams need defensible FX rates per transaction date and reliable intercompany clearing across entities. The Protocol+registry adapter pattern that handles both.
- [The 2:14am page: a controller's AI-pilot story](https://closegate.neullabs.com/blog/2-14am-controller-ai-pilot-story): A real (anonymized) story of an AI agent that auto-confirmed an $87K vendor invoice after a vendor bank-change request. What the controller did on Sunday, and what the audit-committee memo said.
- [SOC 2 Type 2 monitoring for AI agents in production](https://closegate.neullabs.com/blog/soc2-type-2-monitoring-ai-agents): SOC 2 Type 2 requires ongoing operating-effectiveness evidence (CC4.2). Here's how to get AI-agent monitoring evidence on autopilot — reproducible JSON, 365-day CI retention.
- [The 4-tier reversibility model for AI in regulated finance](https://closegate.neullabs.com/blog/4-tier-reversibility-model): Every state-changing action your AI agent takes lives in one of four tiers (T0/T1/T2/T3). The tier determines the routing — automatic, audit-logged, HITL, or dual-HITL. Here's the model in detail.
- [MCP servers for finance: what Model Context Protocol means for close + recon](https://closegate.neullabs.com/blog/mcp-servers-for-finance): The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is the emerging standard for AI agent tool surfaces. What an MCP server for finance close + reconciliation looks like, and why it beats custom RPC.
- [AP 3-way match automation with AI: PO ↔ invoice ↔ goods-receipt](https://closegate.neullabs.com/blog/ap-three-way-match-with-ai): The AP 3-way match is the canonical accounts-payable control. Here's how to automate it with AI while preserving the SoD chain (requestor ≠ coder ≠ approver ≠ payer) and the audit posture.
- [Materiality thresholds for AI: what's defensible to your audit committee](https://closegate.neullabs.com/blog/materiality-thresholds-for-ai): Setting materiality thresholds for AI agent actions is harder than picking a number. Here's how to think about per-entity overrides, sensitive-account routing, and the audit-committee narrative.
- [Segregation of duties (SoD) for AI agents: server-side, not at the prompt](https://closegate.neullabs.com/blog/segregation-of-duties-ai-agents): Why SoD for AI agents has to be enforced server-side at the transport layer — not at the prompt. The defense-in-depth pattern, the LLM-impersonating-human attack, and the audit-trail evidence.
- [How to put AI agents in your monthly close (without losing SOX)](https://closegate.neullabs.com/blog/ai-agents-monthly-close-without-losing-sox): A practical playbook for AI in the monthly close: where to start, what to automate first, how to keep your SOX 404 controls intact, and the audit-committee narrative that lands.
- [NIST AI RMF Agentic Profile: a finance team's guide to T0–T3 tier routing](https://closegate.neullabs.com/blog/nist-ai-rmf-agentic-profile-finance-guide): The NIST AI RMF Agentic Profile (CSA 2026) is the newest framework for AI agents in production. Here's how the reversibility tier model applies to finance close, recon, and AP.
- [Open-source alternatives to BlackLine, FloQast, and Numeric in 2026](https://closegate.neullabs.com/blog/open-source-alternatives-blackline-floqast-numeric): Every funded vendor in close + reconciliation keeps the policy gate closed-source. Here's the open-source alternative — what it covers, what it doesn't, and how the TCO actually compares.
- [What is a policy gate? The chokepoint pattern for finance AI agents](https://closegate.neullabs.com/blog/what-is-a-policy-gate): A policy gate is the single chokepoint every state-changing AI agent action passes through. Here's what makes the pattern defensible to your audit committee — and why open-sourcing it matters.

## Vendor comparisons

- [closegate vs FloQast — open-source policy gate vs mid-market close SaaS](https://closegate.neullabs.com/compare/floqast): FloQast targets mid-market finance teams with close-task-workflow SaaS. closegate is the open-source policy chokepoint. Different layer, different problem — here's how to evaluate.
- [closegate vs BlackLine — open-source policy gate vs the enterprise close standard](https://closegate.neullabs.com/compare/blackline): BlackLine is the enterprise close-cycle standard. closegate is the open-source policy gate. They solve overlapping but distinct problems — here's the honest head-to-head.
- [closegate vs Numeric — open-source policy gate vs modern close SaaS](https://closegate.neullabs.com/compare/numeric): Numeric is the modern close-cycle challenger with strong AI-assist features. closegate is the open-source policy chokepoint. Here's the head-to-head for AI-first finance teams.
- [closegate vs Vic.ai — open-source policy gate vs AP automation SaaS](https://closegate.neullabs.com/compare/vic-ai): Vic.ai is the AP automation SaaS leader for AI-assisted invoice processing. closegate is the open-source policy chokepoint underneath any AP workflow. Here's how they compare on the AP-specific axis.
- [closegate vs Ramp — open-source policy gate vs spend-management SaaS](https://closegate.neullabs.com/compare/ramp): Ramp is the spend-management + corporate card SaaS with strong AP automation features. closegate is the open-source policy chokepoint. Different fit — here's how they overlap and don't.

## Case studies

- [Payments fintech, ~200 employees (anonymized) — AP cycle from 9 days to 2 days, zero vendor-bank-change incidents in 6 months](https://closegate.neullabs.com/customers/fintech-payments-ap): A payments fintech with 800+ vendors/month adopted closegate as the open-source AP policy chokepoint. AP cycle 9d → 2d, dual-HITL on payment runs enforced server-side, zero fraud incidents.
- [APAC holdco, 5 entities, ~700 employees (anonymized) — Per-entity materiality + FX-aware intercompany matching across US/UK/JP/IN/AU close cycle](https://closegate.neullabs.com/customers/holdco-multi-jurisdiction): An APAC-headquartered holdco with 5 entities adopted closegate's per-entity materiality overrides + intercompany matcher Protocol. Cut close-window overlap incidents by 90%.
- [Pre-IPO B2B SaaS, ~400 employees (anonymized) — Used closegate as the controls-evidence layer for SOX 404 readiness; passed first Big-4 walkthrough](https://closegate.neullabs.com/customers/pre-ipo-sox-readiness): A late-stage pre-IPO SaaS used closegate's audit-evidence-export bundle as the foundation of their SOX 404 readiness. Big-4 signed off on the controls walkthrough in two sessions.
- [B2B SaaS, ~50 employees (anonymized) — Cut Series A close cycle from 11 days to 6 days — without spooking the audit committee](https://closegate.neullabs.com/customers/series-a-saas-controller): A first-time controller at a Series A B2B SaaS moved from spreadsheet-heavy manual close to AI-assisted reconciliation. 11-day to 6-day close, 35 hours/month reclaimed, audit committee approved.

## Reference (external)

- Source code: https://github.com/neul-labs/closegate
- Technical docs: https://docs.neullabs.com/closegate
- PyPI: https://pypi.org/project/closegate/
- RSS feed: https://closegate.neullabs.com/rss.xml
- llms-full.txt: https://closegate.neullabs.com/llms-full.txt
- Sitemap: https://closegate.neullabs.com/sitemap-index.xml