DirectID Soars To The Top Of The Credit & Risk Space, Unveiling A Slick New Visual Identity
UK ”“ 21 July, 2022 – DirectID takes another leap forward in their year-on-year growth, launching a new website and unveiling a refreshed visual identity.
Scotland-born fintech, DirectID, has always been at the forefront of open banking technology and are the earliest pioneers in the space. They rallied to the UK government for the launch of PSD2 – the world’s first open banking programme. The fintech then went on to build the first open banking integration in the world. Now, DirectID has attained super-aggregator status with 13,000+ connections in 45+ countries across the globe ”“ providing the highest coverage in the market.
The leadership team have been working with credit & risk data for over a decade and have more than 100 years of combined experience in senior roles at organisations such as FICO, Experian & TransUnion.
DirectID have brought open banking technology to some of the world’s biggest brands. Their partnership wall hosts logos from the likes of Deliveroo, XE, Nasdaq, Target, and many more. The new visual identity reflects their status as the leading provider of open banking data to the credit & risk space.
DirectID recruited Edinburgh-based maclean creative agency to launch an exciting, fresh technology brand that pays homage to the experience and specialist knowledge contained within the team.
The branding, visuals & messaging can be found on the new website at direct.id.
The rebrand launch is another marker of the growth of open banking technology in the credit & risk space.
James Varga, Founder & CEO, said:
“In the last few years we have seen an exponential growth in the use of open banking data
“With the current economic pressures, we are seeing demand for alternative data continue to grow and DirectID is set to reach a new peak in terms of revenues and market share. I am proud of our accomplishments, our new visual identity, and of our role in driving open banking data in to a global trend – putting our data at the heart of advanced credit & risk decisioning.”
and I, personally, am proud to be at the forefront of this movement having lobbied to the government for PSD2. The last few years have been a real catalyst for change and highlighted how essential real-time credit and risk data is to decision makers.
Clare McCaffery, Chief Commercial Officer, said:
“Having worked in credit & risk for > 20 years, and with alternative data for the past 12, I immediately recognised the potential within DirectID.
“Open banking fills a critical gap for decision makers who struggle to risk assess consumers with limited credit history and is proven to provide significant uplift to predictive models in both consumer and SME risk. This visual refresh and new website reflects DirectID’s focus on providing advanced data for risk decisioning, data for a new generation of consumers.”
East Lothian entrepreneur announced as Great British Entrepreneur Awards 2022 finalist
East Lothian based serial entrepreneur Sheila Hogan, founder and CEO of death tech company, Biscuit Tin, has been recognised as one of the best in the business after being named as a finalist in the Great British Entrepreneur Awards.
Biscuit Tin is the UK’s first digital legacy vault’, securely holding valuable information such as account details, important documents, post-life wishes and memories all in one place. These are then released to nominated family members in the event of death. Biscuit Tin aims to help people prepare for their deaths, with the aim of leaving family members left behind with peace of mind and minimal stress, following their bereavement.
Sheila Hogan, founder & CEO of Biscuit Tin is one of the shortlisted business leaders from across the UK to have been selected out of over 5,300 entrants – the most the awards has ever had.
The Great British Entrepreneur Awards, in partnership with Starling Bank, acknowledges and champions the hard work and uplifting stories of business owners across the UK, with an emphasis on their journey and resilience over financial achievements.
Twelve awards will be given out per region for categories including Disruptor of the Year, Entrepreneur for Good Award, and the Great British Entrepreneur of the Year. Notable winners from previous years include Social Chain founder Steven Bartlett, who went on to become the youngest ever investor on BBC’s Dragon’s Den.
Sheila Hogan said:
“I’m absolutely delighted to shortlisted for this prestigious award, and to be recognised on a UK-wide level is just fantastic. This has given the team and I a real boost and we are very much looking forward to the finals in November.”
This year’s awards will also feature a brand-new award highlighting the organisations investing in the training and development of young people. The John Caudwell Blaze Your Own Trail Award looks to recognise outstanding examples of businesses offering apprenticeships, vocational training, and diversity and inclusion initiatives, all in the name of improving young people’s access to work.
The winners will be announced at a Grand Final, held at the Grosvenor Hotel in London on 21st November.
This year is the 10th anniversary of the Great British Entrepreneur Awards. The alumni has collectively generated over £30 billion in revenue and employed more than 450,000 people.
To mark the milestone year for the programme, entrants will have the chance to win over £30,000 worth of marketing support and a tree will be planted for every application submitted with the support of Ecologi.
Founder of the Great British Entrepreneur Awards, Francesca James, said the quality of this year’s entrants exemplified the strength of entrepreneurship across the UK: “The quality of applications is consistently excellent year on year, but we have been especially blown away by the innovation, drive and determination demonstrated this year. Shortlisting from so many inspiring contenders has been more challenging than ever, with many deserving cases put forward and an ever-growing business community thriving across the country.
“From the pandemic to the ongoing cost of living crisis, business owners haven’t had it easy over the past few years, but it’s a testament to the tenacity and perseverance of these entrepreneurs that they have continued on their path and refused to give in.
“This year’s finalists should be so proud of what they’ve already achieved both in business and in being shortlisted for an award – we’re looking forward to seeing everyone at the Finals and unveiling the winners!”
Anne Boden MBE, Founder of Starling Bank, headline partner of the Awards, said: “Congratulations to all those businesses who have made the shortlist. It’s great to see the passion, resilience and amazing ingenuity from entrepreneurs across so many categories.”
To book your place at the Grand Final in London on 21st November, you can go to greatbritishentrepreneurawards.com
For the full list of finalists, visit greatbritishentrepreneurawards.com
interview with a FinTech intern
who am I?
My name is Jack Barclay, I am an s6 pupil at Portobello High School who is currently working as an intern at FinTech Scotland. I have been given the opportunity to write a short blog post discussing my thoughts and opinions towards the FinTech and tech industry, as well as my aspirations and plans for my internship.
Are you interested in working in tech?
Yes absolutely. Technology is such a huge part of the current landscape and the influence it has will only increase each year and that’s why I’m interested in it. In my mind it is one of the few industries that will only continue to grow, develop and evolve as we use it to solve issues and problems we face in everyday life.
Do you feel curriculums include enough tech subjects?
Yes and no. I feel that when I went to primary (school) the consensus was not one that overwhelmingly supported technology in the learning environment but moving into secondary school the general attitude seemed to have changed. The school (Portobello High School) was incredibly supportive of technology, going as far as to provide an iPad to every pupil. This came with an education too, teaching us how to use a variety of systems and software’s such as the Microsoft family of products (OneNote, teams, PowerPoint and excel.) As well as this we are given the opportunity to study various subjects relating to the technology umbrella, such as computing. I studied computing and the skills taught were quite wide, such as python, html, CSS, and JavaScript. So overall I would say my experience is that schools now more than ever are striving to educate students on technology and get them excited about it at a younger age.
Had you ever heard of FinTech prior to this internship?
Prior to this internship I had not, the whole industry is quite new to me. But I am excited to learn more. And use my existing knowledge to adapt to a new climate, full of unfamiliar problems and new experiences.
What do you think it is about?
Well, the current consensus I am getting is that fintech is an industry full of innovation & collaboration that has one main goal, which is to support growth and evolution of new technologies in the financial sector. I absolutely connect with that.
What skills do you think are needed?
I would imagine one skill that would be useful is problem solving, being able to produce solutions quickly and efficiently to problems you may never have faced before. As well as this I think having an open mind would be incredibly useful, being open to the latest ideas and innovations. Also, collaboration, I think the ability to work in a team is necessary within not just fintech but in the technology sector, the ability to listen to others, give feedback, and evolve ideas as a community is a super useful skill to have.
Do you think your female friends would be interested in a job at fintech?
I would certainly think so, but they probably don’t represent the majority. I imagine the majority wouldn’t, It is an industry overwhelmingly populated by men and does not necessarily market itself toward women. More must be done to advertise the technology sector to girls/women.
Why did you want to get work experience at FinTech Scotland?
Well the team reflected a number of the ideals that I have, And the company’s mission to make a better world for all through innovation, collaboration and inclusion really resonated with me.
What do you hope to learn?
I hope to learn skills that will enhance and develop my ability in the workspace, I want to gain experience from those who are enthusiastic and knowledgeable about the industry. and I want to improve the skills and ability I have by using them and in an atmosphere I have not worked in before. And i
am optimistic about what I can get out of the internship as I have already started learning. Over my first week I learned that there are so many ways to get jobs/roles in this industry. You do not need to spend 4yrs of your life getting a degree, there are other routes, and each route will suit every person differently.
If nothing else I hope this blog post works as a lite introduction into my mind. As well as my skills, abilities, and my ambitions for my time here at FinTech Scotland.