Experian acquires AtData to add email digital identity verification capabilities

Experian has acquired New York-headquartered email identity specialist AtData to expand its digital identity verification and fraud prevention capabilities.

The deal adds data from more than 10 billion email addresses from around the world to Experian’s portfolio of data and identity assets, according to the company announcement.

Real-time data signals from AtData will be integrated with Experian’s consumer data, analytics and decisioning platforms for more robust user identification, authentication and engagement, the companies say. They claim that verified, real-time email insights are among the most powerful digital identity signals.

“The email address is the central component of digital identity” AtData says on its website. The company has been providing data validation and verification for businesses for over 25 years, with clients including global brand names like Mazda, Sony, Staples, TransUnion and Oracle.

AtData was formed from the merger of TowerData and FreshAddress in 2021.

“Differentiated data and real-time identity signals are the ultimate advantage and increasingly important in the age of AI,” comments Jeff Softley, CEO of Experian North America in the announcement. “The acquisition of AtData is another step in our mission to build the most comprehensive and privacy-centric identity infrastructure. AtData brings deep email intelligence into our platform and further fuels our AI strategy. This isn’t just about adding capabilities, it’s about creating an integrated, durable identity solution that helps our clients deliver better experiences at every stage of the customer journey.”

AtData and Experian have been working together as partners for more than 15 years, so the integration should be fairly easy.

“Experian has consistently set the standard for using data to drive trusted outcomes for businesses and consumers,” says AtData CEO Tom Burke. “Joining Experian enables us to combine complementary strengths and deepen the intelligence capabilities that power confident, real-world decisions.”

The deal with AtData comes roughly four months after Experian acquired KYC360 to strengthen its fraud and financial crime prevention capabilities in the UK and Ireland.

Article Topics

acquisitions  |  AtData  |  digital identity  |  Experian  |  identity verification