SmartSearch, an Ilkley-based digital compliance specialist, and Credas Technologies have confirmed the completion of an acquisition that brings the two RegTech businesses together to expand their digital compliance capabilities for regulated firms.
The acquisition is designed to strengthen SmartSearch’s end-to-end compliance offering by combining its established screening and monitoring platform with Credas’ digital identity verification technology. While the financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, the transaction supports SmartSearch’s broader growth strategy and ambition to deliver more flexible and innovative compliance solutions across multiple regulated sectors.
SmartSearch provides automated compliance solutions for regulated firms, supporting sanctions, politically exposed person (PEP), ultimate beneficial owner (UBO), and adverse media screening. The company currently serves more than 7,500 UK customers across financial services, legal, accountancy, property, and insurance, helping organisations manage risk while meeting KYC and AML obligations through a single digital platform.
Credas specialises in digital identity verification, offering technology that enables businesses to verify customer identities securely and efficiently. Its platform is widely used by regulated firms seeking to streamline onboarding processes while maintaining robust compliance standards in the face of rising financial crime and increasing regulatory scrutiny.
By integrating Credas’ technology into SmartSearch’s platform, the combined business aims to streamline onboarding and ongoing monitoring processes for regulated firms. The enlarged group will now serve more than 8,500 regulated organisations, expanding SmartSearch’s reach while accelerating product development and innovation across its digital compliance suite.
The acquisition also highlights the continued support of SmartSearch’s investor, Triple Private Equity, and reflects the execution of a long-term growth strategy focused on building one of the UK’s most comprehensive digital compliance platforms. Backed by this investment, SmartSearch has continued to scale its offering and market presence, gaining industry recognition for its growth and innovation.
In 2025, SmartSearch was named a Long-Term Growth Champion by the Financial Times and Statista, reinforcing its position in the UK RegTech market. The addition of Credas is expected to further strengthen the company’s ability to support regulated firms as regulatory requirements evolve and compliance pressures intensify.
SmartSearch CEO Phil Cotter said, “This acquisition enables us to streamline onboarding and monitoring for regulated firms, combining complementary technologies to deliver greater efficiency and accelerate product development.”
Credas CEO Tim Barnett said, “With financial crime on the rise, digital identity verification is more critical than ever. Joining SmartSearch allows us to help more businesses protect themselves and maintain compliance.”
Triple head of value creation and founding partner Ben Shepherd said, “The acquisition of Credas reflects SmartSearch’s continued upward trajectory in the market for digital compliance solutions. We have no doubt that SmartSearch, with the addition of Credas, will continue to trailblaze in this fast-moving market.”
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