Data Firm AtData Acquired by Experian
Private equity firm TZP Group has exited its investment in AtData, a platform for email identity and fraud prevention. The company was sold to the global information services company Experian, marking a significant liquidity event in the identity verification sector.
- The acquisition follows a 15-year partnership between the two companies and is intended to bolster Experian's AI-driven identity and fraud prevention capabilities. - AtData was formed in 2021 through the merger of two email data companies, FreshAddress (founded in 1999) and TowerData (founded in 2001), creating a significant player in the email-based identity intelligence market. - The deal adds a proprietary database of over 10 billion email addresses and real-time activity signals to Experian's existing data assets, enhancing its ability to verify digital identities. - AtData's CEO, Tom Burke, who founded TowerData in 2001 and led the merger, will continue to lead the business within Experian. - The transaction was advised by Canaccord Genuity, with legal counsel provided by Winston & Strawn. - This acquisition is part of a broader trend of consolidation in the identity verification sector, with Experian also recently acquiring companies like KYC360 and NeuroID to expand its fraud detection suite. - Private equity firm TZP Group first invested in FreshAddress in March 2018, helping to scale its fraud prevention solutions before the 2021 merger and subsequent sale to Experian.
