Ripjar, the AI-native provider of smarter screening solutions, has appointed Matt Mills as Chief Executive Officer to lead the company’s next stage of growth. Ripjar enables financial institutions and enterprises to transform anti-money laundering (AML) compliance and combat financial crime through more accurate and efficient customer screening and an integrated, dynamic view of risk.
Matt Mills brings over fifteen years of experience scaling high‑growth technology companies in banking, payments, automation and security. Previously, he spent a decade at Featurespace as Chief Commercial Officer and General Manager, where he helped grow the organisation from twelve to more than four hundred employees before the company’s acquisition by Visa in 2024. Matt also led Innovation, Sales and Partnerships for Aurasma, later acquired by HP, where he expanded the business to over 10,000 commercial customers and partners during his three‑year tenure.
Illicit proceeds from criminal activity are estimated to account for 2-5% of global GDP, yet less than 1% of total funds from financial crime are seized or frozen by law enforcement agencies, according to the World Economic Forum. Regulatory scrutiny is also intensifying, driven in part by the roll out of the EU’s Anti-Money Laundering Authority (AMLA), which heightens the risk of regulatory penalties for companies that transact with financial criminals. This increased oversight places pressure on financial institutions and enterprises to screen customers against sanctions, politically exposed persons (PEPs) and other watchlists efficiently and with pinpoint accuracy.
Founded by former members of the UK Intelligence Services in 2013, Ripjar enables customers to deploy smarter screening in one enterprise-ready platform, built on National Security grade technology with specialised, explainable AI. Its data agnostic approach simplifies integration and powers a dynamic and customer-specific view of regulatory and reputational risk. Ripjar enables smarter screening for more than 200 businesses worldwide, including tier 1 banks and large corporations. Results include a 99% reduction in data requiring manual review with a 5% increase in risk identified.
Matt’s appointment follows Ripjar’s recognition in the Chartis RiskTech100 2026 Winners list, the industry’s most authoritative benchmark of the world’s top risk technology providers, and the completion of a follow-on majority investment from Long Ridge Equity Partners in November 2024.
Matt Mills said, “I have been an admirer of Ripjar and its important work across screening and intelligence for some time. Ripjar has consistently excelled at protecting countries, banks and corporate entities. Financial institutions and enterprises are the first line of defence against financial crime. Our screening technology empowers them to make smarter decisions that defend their businesses and disrupt the crime economy.”
“Matt brings a powerful combination of deep domain expertise and a proven track record of leading and scaling innovative, high-growth businesses,” said Jason Melton, Partner at Long Ridge, the majority owner of Ripjar. “Mills will accelerate Ripjar’s go-to-market strategy and global expansion to meet increasing market demand for smarter, more efficient customer screening solutions. We’re excited to welcome him onboard.”
