Latest news with #identityintelligence
Finextra
15-07-2025
- Business
- Finextra
Heka closes $14m round for real-time identity intelligence
Heka Funding has successfully closed a $14 million round to grow its real-time identity intelligence platform for banks and other financial institutions. 0 This content is provided by an external author without editing by Finextra. It expresses the views and opinions of the author. The Heka's $14 million milestone will help banks and lenders find fraud more easily, streamline compliance, and make decisions based on identity more quickly, all with more confidence and automation. Windare Ventures, Barclays, and other institutional investors back Heka's AI engine as financial institutions seek stronger defenses against synthetic fraud and identity manipulation. Consumer fraud is at an all-time high. Last year, losses hit $12.5 billion – a 38% jump year-over-year. The rise is fueled by burner behavior, synthetic profiles, and AI-generated content. But the tools meant to stop it, from credit bureau data to velocity models, miss what's happening online. Heka was built to close that gap Inspired by the tradecraft of the intelligence community, Heka analyzes publicly available web data to help financial institutions actually understand their customer – beyond what static files can show. Its proprietary AI engine assembles digital profiles that surface alias use, reputational exposure, and behavioral anomalies. This helps financial institutions detect synthetic activity, connect with real customers, and act faster with confidence. At the core of Heka's web intelligence engine is an analyst-grade AI agent. Unlike legacy tools that rely on static files, scores, or blacklists, Heka's AI processes large volumes of web data to produce structured outputs like fraud indicators, updated contact details, and contextual risk signals. In one recent deployment with a global payment processor, Heka's AI engine caught 65% of account takeover losses without disrupting healthy user activity. According to the company, Heka's technology is already embedded in the workflows of leading banks, payment processors, and pension funds. Clients use Heka's intelligence to support critical decisions from fraud mitigation to account management and recovery. The $14 million Series A round, led by Windare Ventures with participation by Barclays, Cornèr Banca, and other institutional investors, will accelerate Heka's U.S. expansion and deepen its footprint across the UK and Europe. 'Heka's offering stood out for its ability to address a critical need in financial services – helping institutions make faster, smarter decisions using trustworthy external data. We're proud to support their continued growth as they scale in the U.S.,' said Kester Keating, Head of US Principal Investments at Barclays. Ori Ashkenazi, Managing Partner at Windare Ventures, added: 'Identity isn't a fixed file anymore. It's a stream of behavior. Heka does what most AI can't: it actually works in the wild, delivering signals banks can use seamlessly in workflows.' Heka was founded by Rafael Berber, former Global Head of Equity Trading at Merrill Lynch; Ishay Horowitz, a senior officer in the Israeli intelligence community; and Idan Bar-Dov, a fintech and high-tech lawyer. The broader team includes intel analysts, data scientists, and domain experts in fraud, credit, and compliance. 'The credit bureaus were built for another era. Today, both consumers and risk live online. Heka's mission is to be the default source of truth for this new digital reality – always-on, accurate, and explainable,' said Idan Bar-Dov, the Co-founder and CEO of Heka. With Heka Funding complete, the business is speeding up its efforts to change the way banks and other financial institutions handle identity with smarter, real-time intelligence tools.
Yahoo
17-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Strategic Growth in Motion: Accelitas Appoints Susan Bean to Accelerate North American Expansion
Enterprise Sales Leader to Help Scale Go-to-Market Efforts and Fuel Next Phase of Company Growth PETALUMA, Calif., June 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Accelitas, a leading provider of AI-powered identity intelligence and alternative credit solutions, today announces the appointment of Susan as Director of Business Development for North America. The hire marks a key milestone in Accelitas' strategic plan to scale operations and accelerate market penetration across the financial services industry. With over 15 years of experience in FinTech sales and enterprise growth, Bean will play a central role in expanding Accelitas' client footprint and driving revenue. She has a strong track record of scaling high-performing teams and delivering significant contributions to revenue pipelines. Bean's strengths in building long-cycle enterprise relationships and operationalizing go-to-market programs make her a valuable asset for companies positioned to scale. "We're executing on a deliberate strategy to scale – and Susan is a key part of that journey," said Jimmy Williams, Chief Revenue Officer at Accelitas. "Her ability to drive results, and connect with clients will help us bring our solutions to clients faster and more effectively." At Accelitas, Bean will lead business development initiatives in North America, focusing on strategic partnerships, client acquisition and sales optimization. Her efforts will be instrumental in advancing the company's mission to expand financial access while delivering faster, smarter bank account validation and credit decisioning tools. "Accelitas is in growth mode – and that's exactly where I thrive," said Susan Bean. "There's a tremendous demand for solutions that solve real onboarding and fraud challenges. I'm excited to help scale this business and take our go-to-market strategy to the next level." About AccelitasAccelitas® is reimagining financial access through the transformative power of data. Our AI-driven predictive analytics and alternative data sources deliver fast, fair, and frictionless ways to help companies drive growth and expand access to financial services. Powered by the real-time web services of our Accelerated Insight® Platform, our solutions help clients seamlessly screen leads, validate accounts, and reach more creditworthy consumers. The company is headquartered in Petaluma, Calif. Media Contact:Sabrina MouginAccelitas, Inc.1 (415) 842-7708smougin@ View original content: SOURCE Accelitas Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
