Equifax Closes Acquisition of Kount

Rhea-AI Summary

Equifax has completed its acquisition of Kount, a leader in AI-driven fraud prevention. This strategic move, initially announced on January 8, 2021, enhances Equifax's capabilities in digital identity and fraud prevention, addressing the surge in online fraud due to COVID-19. Kount’s technology connects trust and fraud data across 32 billion interactions, making it a vital player in safeguarding digital transactions. The integration positions Equifax to drive growth and innovation while enhancing customer experiences worldwide.

Positive

• Acquisition of Kount strengthens Equifax's digital identity and fraud prevention offerings.
• Kount's AI-driven solutions improve fraud detection, leveraging signals from 32 billion interactions.
• Strategic positioning to capture the growing market of online fraud prevention and digital identity.

Negative

• Integration challenges may arise from merging Kount’s operations with Equifax.
• Potential dilution of focus on existing Equifax services due to the acquisition.

ATLANTA, Feb. 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Equifax® (NYSE: EFX) announced today that it has closed the acquisition of Kount, a provider of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven fraud prevention and digital identity solutions. The definitive agreement to acquire Kount was announced on January 8, 2021. With this acquisition, Equifax expands the company's worldwide footprint in digital identity and fraud prevention solutions, enabling global businesses to harness the power of AI to establish strong digital identity trust and better engage with their customers online.

"COVID-19 has driven customer interactions online in record numbers. As digital transformation accelerates, the risk of online fraud has also multiplied in a way that we believe will permanently alter the online landscape," said Mark W. Begor, CEO of Equifax. "The combination of Kount solutions with Equifax differentiated data assets and cloud capabilities will enable us to quickly take advantage of new fraud prevention and digital identity offerings to deliver for our customers and drive Equifax growth. Our strong 2020 financial performance and balance sheet allowed Equifax to reinvest our outperformance in Kount while continuing to look for attractive acquisitions to strengthen our data assets and solutions."

The Kount Identity Trust Global Network uses AI to link trust and fraud data signals from 32 billion digital interactions, 17 billion devices, and five billion annual transactions across 200 countries and territories. As more signals are collected and combined with Kount's AI-driven analytic insights, the Network becomes more predictive, helping to prevent digital fraud and protect against account takeovers in real time while enabling personalized customer experiences.

"The combination of Kount and Equifax will help more businesses around the world to better protect their digital presence and their customers against emerging threats while offering a frictionless customer experience," said Sid Singh, president of United States Information Solutions (USIS) at Equifax. "This acquisition further positions Equifax as a major global player in Digital Identity Trust, which is increasingly important as ecommerce and consumer finance converge, and both require establishing accurate trust levels in real time."

Kount, an Equifax company, is now part of the USIS business unit at Equifax. Kount CEO Bradley Wiskirchen has assumed the role of Senior Vice President and General Manager of the new Boise, Idaho-based division of Equifax USIS.

"By joining Equifax, Kount is teaming up with a trusted brand with a large global presence, enabling us to further accelerate growth, innovation and fraud protection across the entire customer journey," said Wiskirchen. "We are excited for how this new combination will elevate digital experiences and identity trust by offering Kount's industry-leading solutions alongside an expansive set of Equifax data, analytics and products."

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. All statements that address our performance and events or developments that we expect or anticipate will occur in the future, including statements relating to shareholder value, future operating results, and expected growth and performance, and similar statements about our outlook and our business plans are forward-looking statements. We believe these forward-looking statements are reasonable as and when made. However, forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from our historical experience and our present expectations or projections. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those described in our 2019 Form 10-K and subsequent SEC filings. As a result of such risks and uncertainties, we urge you not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date when made. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

ABOUT KOUNT

Kount's Identity Trust Global Network delivers real-time fraud prevention and account protection and enables personalized customer experiences for more than 9,000 leading brands and payment providers. Linked by Kount's award-winning AI, the Identity Trust Global Network analyzes signals from 32 billion annual interactions to personalize user experiences across the spectrum of trust — from ensuring frictionless experiences to blocking fraud. Quick and accurate identity trust decisions deliver safe payment, account creation, and login events while reducing digital fraud, chargebacks, false positives, and manual reviews.

ABOUT EQUIFAX INC.

At Equifax (NYSE: EFX), we believe knowledge drives progress. As a global data, analytics, and technology company, we play an essential role in the global economy by helping financial institutions, companies, employees, and government agencies make critical decisions with greater confidence. Our unique blend of differentiated data, analytics, and cloud technology drives insights to power decisions to move people forward. Headquartered in Atlanta and supported by more than 11,000 employees worldwide, Equifax operates or has investments in 25 countries in North America, Central and South America, Europe, and the Asia Pacific region. For more information, visit Equifax.com

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Kate Walker for Equifax USIS
mediainquiries@equifax.com

 

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SOURCE Equifax Inc.

FAQ

What are the details of Equifax's acquisition of Kount?

Equifax closed the acquisition of Kount on February 11, 2021, enhancing its AI-driven fraud prevention capabilities.

How will the acquisition of Kount impact Equifax's business?

The acquisition is expected to drive growth by expanding Equifax's digital identity and fraud prevention solutions.

What is Kount's role within Equifax after the acquisition?

Kount is now part of the USIS business unit at Equifax, with its CEO becoming Senior Vice President and General Manager.

How does Kount's technology benefit Equifax?

Kount's AI-driven solutions link trust and fraud data, helping to prevent digital fraud and enhance customer experiences.

What challenges might Equifax face after acquiring Kount?

Integration of Kount's operations may pose challenges, and there could be potential dilution of focus on existing services.