Experian UK&I acquired Konfir, a London-based platform that verifies people's income and employment history, the companies announced on April 8, 2026. Terms were not disclosed.
Konfir combines Open Banking, payroll, tax and document data so that employers, landlords and lenders can confirm an applicant's income and up to six years of employment history. It is used by more than 6,000 UK businesses in background screening, tenancy verification and financial services.
Konfir joins Experian's verifications business. In a post announcing the deal, Konfir chief executive Chris Milligan told clients that the way they work with the company would not change and that it would keep delivering the same products.
What Konfir built
Konfir launched in 2022 to replace slow, manual reference checks with data that applicants consent to share, such as their bank account data. Its platform pulls from Open Banking, payroll records, HMRC tax data and document processing, and runs these sources in sequence until a check is complete.
Clients reach the service through an API, a web interface and a console, and Konfir says that in 2025 it helped hundreds of thousands of people change jobs, move home or get financial products. In 2023 the company counted KPMG, Tesco and Accenture among the organisations it had worked with.
The startup holds ISO 27001 certification and is registered with the Information Commissioner's Office, according to its website.
Its main customers are background screening firms, letting agents and lenders. When it raised its first round in 2022, the company said employment data was often shared insecurely by email, PDF or phone call, and that it was working with some of Europe's largest background checking providers.
“This is a significant moment for our business as it strengthens the next phase of our digital verification strategy.”
A partnership that became a purchase
The two companies were not strangers. Since 2023, Experian's Work Report payroll data has been part of Konfir's checks and was used in more than 30% of its verifications, adding details such as job title and pay frequency.
Konfir said that after the deal it plans to add more Experian data to its platform, including credit data, enhanced banking insights and richer payroll attributes. It expects this to raise verification rates, widen data coverage and give clients more detail for screening and risk assessment.
Experian said the deal would help clients run quicker checks, apply stronger fraud controls and operate more efficiently, and that it supports the company's strategy of using data that people give permission to share. Malin Holmberg, chief executive of Experian UK&I, said that having worked together since 2023, Konfir strengthens Experian's existing income and employment verification capability.
The founders and the funding
Chris Milligan founded Konfir and leads it as chief executive. In March 2022 the company raised a £1.6 million (about $2 million) pre-seed round led by Triple Point Ventures, which was backing Milligan for a second time. UK angel investors including Gumtree co-founder Michael Pennington and Duncan Tatton-Brown, a former board member at Zoopla, Trainline and Loveholidays, also took part.
In May 2023 Konfir raised a £2 million (about $2.5 million) seed round from Triple Point, Love Ventures, Portfolio Ventures and a group of fintech angels, bringing total funding to £3.6 million (about $4.5 million). It had 14 employees at the time; the current headcount was not disclosed.
Milligan said joining Experian would let the company accelerate its mission of helping people move through key life events more smoothly and securely.
Experian's verification push
Konfir is Experian's third acquisition focused on verification and security in recent months, according to Fintech Futures and others. Earlier deals included AtData, an email intelligence company, and KYC360, which added fraud prevention and financial crime compliance tools.
Experian describes itself as a global data and technology company. Its UK and Ireland business said the Konfir capability will be offered across the financial services, tenant and employment markets, and that it brings in a team with deep experience in the sector.
Experian said the purchase targets slow, manual verification steps that interrupt digital customer journeys. Holmberg said Experian was delighted to welcome the Konfir team and the expertise it would add to the business.
