PARK CITY, Utah, July 16, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ModelOp, the Enterprise AI Command Center for Fortune 500 and Global 2000 organizations, today announced a technology partnership with Kong Inc., a leading developer of API and AI connectivity technologies, that puts Kong’s API Gateway at the center of runtime enforcement for enterprise AI governance. The integration further closes the longstanding gap between AI governance and network security, giving organizations a way to make governance decisions instantly enforceable at the point where AI actually runs: the gateway.
As enterprises rapidly deploy machine learning, generative AI, agentic AI, and third-party AI, most still run governance and enforcement as two disconnected systems. A governance platform decides whether a model or agent is approved for production. A separate API gateway controls who and what can actually reach it. When those systems don’t talk to each other, approvals become paperwork, and policy violations go undetected until something breaks.
The integration closes that gap by wiring additional governance intent directly into Kong’s API Gateway. ModelOp evaluates whether an AI model or agent meets required controls, risk thresholds, and lifecycle policies. Kong then combines that insight with API Gateway’s ability to define, apply, and enforce governance policies consistently across API gateways, ingress controllers, and meshes and then acts on that decision in real time, allowing, denying, or modifying access to the AI endpoint the moment the decision changes, with no person in the loop.
For example, once a model or agent clears every required control in ModelOp, Kong’s Gateway can automatically expose the endpoint for production traffic. If risk status changes, a control lapses, or a policy is violated, Kong enforces the restriction immediately, closing the gap between decision and action.
“Kong strives to enable organizations to securely connect, manage, govern, and monetize APIs and AI at scale,” said Ken Kim, Senior Vice President, Business Development, Kong. “By integrating with ModelOp, enterprises can establish an even stronger system where governance decisions automatically drive API access and runtime controls. Together, we are helping customers further bring discipline, automation, and trust to enterprise AI delivery.”
“Enterprises have told us repeatedly that they need governance that doesn’t stop at approvals and documentation—they need governance that’s enforceable in production,” said Dave Trier, CEO of ModelOp. “Kong gives us that enforcement layer. Together, we’re closing the last mile between AI policy and AI production.”
For Kong, the integration extends a straightforward idea: All companies need AI infrastructure and it begins at the connectivity layer. Kong proved this before with APIs in cloud-native software. It’s proving it again with AI, governing every request at the traffic layer so policy travels with the request instead of living in a separate system somewhere else.
For ModelOp, the integration extends its Enterprise AI Command Center—the system of record that unifies AI assets, workflows, and operational intelligence above MLOps, GRC, ITSM, and data management—into runtime, so governance decisions become immediately actionable.
As agentic AI and interconnected AI systems become the norm, runtime enforcement is foundational. The ModelOp and Kong integration gives customers one path across the full AI lifecycle, from intake and approval to deployment, operations, and enforcement, with Kong’s Gateway making sure policy holds at the point that actually matters: runtime.
Learn more about the partnership and integration on ModelOp’s blog here.
About Kong Inc.
Kong Inc., a leading developer of API and AI connectivity technologies, is building the connectivity layer of AI. Kong Gateway, the company’s core API gateway technology, is one of the most widely adopted API gateways in the world, and Kong AI Gateway extends that same connectivity and control to the models, tokens, and agents driving the next generation of enterprise AI. Trusted by the Fortune 500® and AI-native startups alike, Kong’s unified API and AI platform enables organizations to secure, manage, accelerate, govern, and monetize the flow of intelligence across APIs and AI traffic—on any model, any cloud. For more information, visit www.konghq.com.
About ModelOp
ModelOp is the award-winning Enterprise AI Command Center for CIOs, CTOs, and AI leaders used by the most complex and regulated institutions in the world, including major banks, insurers, regulatory bodies, healthcare organizations, defense, manufacturing, and global CPG companies. It provides a system of record that powers workflows and generates operational intelligence in one operating layer to industrialize the delivery of all AI: ML, GenAI, Agentic AI and vendor AI.
ModelOp is interoperable and sits above existing AI tech stacks, MLOps, GRC, ITSM, security, data management, connecting and extending those investments. It enables the world’s enterprises to accelerate AI from idea to production and deliver AI rapidly, safely, and profitably.
Gartner, Forrester, and IDC recognized ModelOp for its end-to-end AI lifecycle management and governance capabilities. It also has been recognized with multiple awards, including the “Best AI Governance Software Award” from Netty Awards; Business Intelligence Group’s “Artificial Intelligence Excellence Award”; and the Diamond Award for “Responsible AI Platform” in the Pinnacle Awards for Artificial Intelligence.
Follow ModelOp on LinkedIn or visit https://www.modelop.com/ to learn more or schedule a demo.
Media Contact
Ria Romano, Partner
RPR Public Relations, Inc.
786-290-6413
Kelley Flynn
[email protected]
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ae4f6d00-5664-49c6-b0af-99812e1527e2
