On March 15th, 2018, Experian Plc., one of the leading companies in identity theft protection services, announced to acquire ClearScore, a U.K.-based financial technology company. Acquisition of ClearScore will help Experian Plc. extend its set of services for the U.K. customers. The company aims to provide convenience and wider choice to its customers willing to access personal financial products for the best price. Using the data, score and analytics from ClearScore, Experian expects to strengthen its position in the U.K. as well as South Africa, two of its major markets.

ClearScore offers free access to credit scores and other related reports and provides its consumers personal financial products and offers that are best suitable for their circumstances. Based on its analytics, the company offers credit cards, mortgages, loans, car loans and other financial services to its consumers. Till date, the company has nearly 6 Mn members across the U.K. ClearScore and Experian Plc. are well-known consumer brands, which makes the acquisition an important step to increase the consumer base.

Analyst View:

Experian Plc. has a significant history of acquisitions and partnerships which has helped the company attain a promising position in the market. Acquisition of CSIdentity Corporation in August 2016 was one of the biggest milestones in the company’s history. The Company is also inclined towards strategic partnerships and alliances with other companies to strengthen its market presence. The company has a special focus towards capturing small & medium sized businesses, which form among the most lucrative end-user segments. The acquisition is expected to help the company expand its service portfolio with improved financial products, based on the data acquired from ClearScore. Thereby, such acquisitions and partnerships may help the company expanding its consumer base in the U.K. as well as abroad.