The ClearScore Group, which owns ClearScore, the UK’s leading credit marketplace, today announced that it has hit a milestone of over 1.5m users having enabled Open Banking functionality through its platform. This puts ClearScore as one of the largest enablers of Open Banking in the UK, in just six months.
In November 2021, ClearScore launched its unique Affordability Score. Based on analysis of transaction history, it gives users – for the first time – a clearer sense of the credit that they can afford in the context of their overall financial wellbeing. Plus, it gives an indication of how a lender will see their application from an affordability perspective.
ClearScore is partnering with more than ten financial institutions to allow users, with their permission, to share their bank account data with these lenders to secure better rates on credit cards and loans.
To support this rapid growth in Open Banking, the ClearScore Group is announcing a significant investment in Edinburgh, Scotland, to build an Open Banking centre of excellence. Over the next few years, the Group plans to employ over 100 people in Edinburgh, including developers, data engineers, data scientists and product and design professionals. Edinburgh has been selected given its excellent talent base and world-class universities.
As part of this expansion, the ClearScore Group is announcing the acquisition of Money Dashboard, the personal financial management and B2B data business, which completed earlier this year. This acquisition is an important step as the Group continues to execute on its growth strategy in its existing markets, driving further international expansion and product diversification.
Justin Basini, CEO and Co-founder of The ClearScore Group, said:
“Open Banking has the potential to transform the credit industry and give people the opportunity to actively take control of their financial wellbeing. The tremendous growth we have seen in consumers securely sharing their banking data to simplify their personal finances shows clearly that Open Banking is moving to the mainstream.
“Money Dashboard enhances ClearScore’s offer to customers and users, and we are delighted that Edinburgh is to be the location for ClearScore’s second UK technology hub. Scotland has a rich history of establishing and growing leading technology businesses, and we are privileged to now have access to a large, highly skilled talent pool, enabling us to continue to drive ClearScore forward to the benefit of our 16 million global users.”
ClearScore’s plans for Edinburgh have been welcomed by the Scottish Government. Digital Finance was identified as an area of opportunity in the Scottish Government’s Inward Investment Plan published in 2020 and Scotland’s international trade and investment agency, Scottish Development International, has been promoting the country’s fintech strengths in target markets across the world.
Scottish Government Cabinet Secretary for Finance & Economy Kate Forbes said: “The Scottish Government welcomes the expansion of the ClearScore Group into Edinburgh, this move will bring a significant number of secure, high-value jobs to the city and further strengthen Scotland’s position as a leading hub for Digital Financial Services.
“ClearScore’s decision to invest highlights the appeal of Scotland’s dynamic, vibrant Fintech ecosystem, highly skilled talent pool, and access to world-class universities.
“We look forward to supporting ClearScore’s ambitions in Scotland as the company scales up its offering to a growing user base.”
Money Dashboard is a market leader in Open Banking data, with a leading technology stack and categorisation engine. This acquisition will help the Group deliver further innovative services to users through the ClearScore and DriveScore apps. Furthermore, the acquisition provides an entry for ClearScore into the exciting and rapidly growing alternative data space.
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