What Ascert does

Ascert is a privately held software company founded in 1992 and headquartered in Sausalito, California, with a wholly owned UK subsidiary (Ascert Ltd, London) and additional regional presence in South Africa and Australia. The company develops automated end-to-end testing and certification platforms for mission-critical payment systems, with its flagship VersaTest product supporting functional, regression, stress, and certification testing across ATM, POS, EFT, EMV, ISO 8583, ISO 20022, and legacy 3270/6530 terminal interfaces. VersaTest is offered in multiple editions (VersaTest/AS, VersaTest/MP, VersaTest Automator) as a 64-bit Java application with SQL database storage, REST API control, and CI/CD integration with Jenkins, Bamboo, Azure, GitLab, and TeamCity. The company holds official Level 3 test-tool qualifications from Visa and Discover Financial Services, and serves over 100 enterprise clients globally, concentrated in financial services but also extending into retail, healthcare, telecommunications, and specialized mission-critical deployments such as air traffic control systems.

Ascert's product portfolio extends beyond VersaTest to include Relate and Relate EnSQL — data-maintenance products that provide SQL and JDBC access to HPE NonStop Enscribe databases — and VTERM, a virtual terminal simulation module for green-screen legacy testing. The Ascertified cloud platform delivers subscription-based access to VersaTest capabilities and powers the UK Faster Payments Scheme Accreditation service used by nine fintech companies. The Driver Framework Standard (DFS) allows customers to build custom drivers, increasing lock-in.

The company generates revenue through a combination of on-premise software licensing, recurring cloud subscriptions via Ascertified, professional services (implementation, training, customization), and ongoing driver update licensing. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, reflecting an enterprise sales motion with regional direct-sales teams in the US and EMEA, supplemented by a channel partner program. Ascert remains privately held under co-founders and Managing Partners Andrew Mould and Rob Walker, with no external funding rounds disclosed across its 33-year operating history.

Name

Ascert

Legal name

Ascert, LLC

Website

https://www.ascert.com/

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Ascert provides automated end-to-end testing and certification platforms for mission-critical payment systems, serving over 100 enterprise clients globally through its VersaTest platform, Relate database tools, and Ascertified cloud service.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Payment Systems Testing Software

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (541380), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

POS Certification, Testing & Compliance (EMVCo, PCI PTS/PCI DSS) (FSAMADAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

POS, SoftPOS & In-Person Acceptance Infrastructure (FSAGABAO)

Keywords

• Payment systems testing
• Automated testing platform
• EMV certification tools
• Stress testing software
• ISO 8583 testing

Headquarters

HQ city

Sausalito

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Software Licensing: On-premise software licensing for VersaTest, Relate, and related products. Customers install software on their own infrastructure for internal testing operations.
2. Cloud-Based Subscription Services (Ascertified): Subscription fee service providing cloud-based testing, certification, and API testing services. Offers affordable cost of user-ship and rapid start-up for new testing environments.
3. Professional Services: Consulting services augmenting customer testing teams including implementation, training, and customization of software for unique customer needs.
4. Training Services: Introduction to VersaTest Automator, VersaTest Automator Test Case, and DFS Driver Development training courses.
5. Driver Updates and New Drivers: Ready-to-run simulator modules for VersaTest including updates to VISA, Mastercard, Diners, AMEX, JCBI, BIC, DGN, APACS drivers and NDC Driver package changes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Ascert develops, sells, and supports automated end-to-end testing and certification software for mission-critical payment and financial transaction systems. Its flagship VersaTest platform simulates message-based interfaces used by ATM/POS devices, payment switches, host authorization processors, and green-screen terminals (ISO 8583, ISO 20022, EMV, EFT, IFX), and is complemented by the Relate/EnSQL data maintenance products for HPE NonStop Enscribe databases and the Ascertified cloud platform for subscription-based remote and Faster Payments certification testing.

Product overview

Ascert provides a comprehensive automated testing platform portfolio centered on VersaTest, a mission-critical testing solution for payment and financial systems. The core VersaTest platform offers multiple editions (VersaTest/AS, VersaTest/MP, VersaTest Automator) and supports testing across EFT, ATM, POS, EMV, ISO 8583, ISO 20022, and green-screen terminal interfaces. VersaTest is complemented by Relate data maintenance products for Enscribe databases including the EnSQL module for SQL access. The Ascertified cloud platform provides subscription-based access to VersaTest capabilities for certification, API testing, and on-demand automated testing. Add-on modules include VTERM for green-screen testing, Driver Framework Standard (DFS) for custom driver development, and specialized test packs for card networks (Visa, Mastercard, Discover, Diners, AMEX, JCB). The platform integrates with major CI/CD tools (Jenkins, Bamboo, Azure, GitLab CI, TeamCity) and supports both on-premise and cloud deployment options.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• VersaTest: Primary testing platform for automated end-to-end testing and certification of payments systems including EFT, POS, ATM, EMV, ISO 8583, ISO 20022, and terminal testing.
• Ascertified
• Relate
• VTERM

Products and services

• VersaTest Automated end-to-end testing platform for mission-critical payment systems. VersaTest simulates message-based interfaces used by ATM/POS devices, payments switches, host authorization processors, and green-screen terminals, and supports functional, regression, stress, and certification testing throughout the application lifecycle.
• VersaTest/MP VersaTest edition designed for high-performance and stress testing environments, capable of scaling across virtual nodes to deliver tens of thousands of transactions per second for top-tier financial institutions.
• Relate Data maintenance products for HPE NonStop Enscribe databases that allow users to easily query, manage, and compare Enscribe file data using SQL-like syntax. Includes Relate, Relate+, Relate/24, and Relate EnSQL editions.
• Relate EnSQL Extended Relate capability providing standard SQL syntax access to HPE NonStop Enscribe file data without replication or API interception, with a local CLI for TACL shell and JDBC support for local NonStop Java and remote Windows/Linux Java clients.
• Ascertified Cloud Platform Cloud-based testing platform powered by VersaTest technology that provides on-demand automated testing, certification testing, API testing, and UK Faster Payments Scheme accreditation via subscription, with hybrid deployment combining cloud and self-hosted options.
• FPS Hosted Accreditation Service Specialized cloud-hosted certification service operated via Ascertified.com that allows UK financial institutions and FinTechs to certify their implementations against the UK Faster Payments Scheme Central Infrastructure.
• VTERM Virtual Terminal Simulation Module Terminal simulation module for testing green-screen applications on HP NonStop 6530 and IBM 3270 terminal types, providing capture of manual test interactions and automatic test script creation for coordinated testing alongside payments networks and back-end hosts.

Quantifiable outcome

• Tens of thousands of TPS possible through rapid scaling
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Discover Financial ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 May 2025VersaTest DGN D-PAS DCI EMV L3 (host) Test Pack officially qualified by Discover as accepted Level 3 test tool for Discover D-PAS Connect platform. Discover included VersaTest in official list of qualified L3 testing tools and bundles tool with Discover D-PAS Connect functional test cases.
• TIC (Training and Integration Corporation)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 October 2019Services partnership to bring enhanced customized testing offerings to the NonStop Community. Joint venture providing platform migrations, automated green screen testing (HPE NonStop 6530 and IBM 3270 terminals), Enscribe file analysis and repair, certifications with external partners, migration from manual to automated testing, and test automation for DevOps implementation. Offers free Test Operation Health Check for diagnosing current test operations.
• U.S. Faster Payments CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 May 2019Founding member of FPC established to help realize vision of a payments system where Americans can pay anyone safely and securely with immediate funds availability. Advisory role based on Ascert's 25+ years experience testing transactional payment systems. UK subsidiary Ascert Limited provided original on-premise self-certification simulator for UK's Faster Payments Service in 2007.
• Channel Partners, OEMs, Technology Partners, Service ProvidersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFlexible partnership program recruiting resellers, distributors, OEMs, technology partners, and service providers. Benefits include joint marketing events, joint business planning, access to software, access to training, revenue sharing, technical support, joint selling campaigns, and dedicated relationship managers.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Paragon Application Systems: Paragon Application Systems provides EMV certification and payment testing tools (host simulators, terminal test tools) directly competing with VersaTest in the Level 3 certification space, serving similar acquirers, processors, and merchant integrators.
• UL Transaction Security (formerly Collis): UL's transaction-security business (built around the Collis acquisition) provides EMVCo consulting, test tools, and brand qualification services, directly competing with VersaTest for Level 3 certification work and payment-scheme consultancy.
• FIME: FIME offers EMV and payment-scheme certification, test tools, and consulting for issuers, acquirers, and merchants worldwide, overlapping directly with Ascert's certification testing and qualification offerings.
• Galitt: Galitt specializes in payment-scheme test tools, functional and certification testing for cards, terminals, and payment networks, putting it in direct competition with Ascert's VersaTest platform across EMV and scheme certification.

Broad incumbents

• Spirent Communications: Spirent is a broad incumbent in network and payment testing, offering functional, performance, and certification test solutions for banks, processors, and networks. It overlaps Ascert in payment certification while also serving a much wider testing portfolio.
• Bureau Veritas: Bureau Veritas is a global testing, inspection, and certification (TIC) incumbent with payment-device and scheme-related testing services. It overlaps Ascert at the certification layer while operating a much broader compliance portfolio across industries.
• Keysight Technologies: Keysight supplies electronic test and measurement instruments used to validate payment, communications, and semiconductor systems. It overlaps Ascert in protocol-level test capabilities but from a much broader electronic-testing portfolio.
• TÜV SÜD: TÜV SÜD is a global TIC incumbent offering payment and financial-services testing, certification, and security assessments. It competes at the certification layer while also serving automotive, industrial, and consumer-product testing.
• SGS: SGS is one of the largest global testing, inspection, and certification firms with payment and financial-services offerings. It intersects with Ascert at payment certification while operating a far wider industry footprint.

Emerging players

• Riscure: Riscure provides security testing and certification tooling for smart cards, mobile payments, and embedded devices, an adjacent niche intersecting Ascert's payment and EMV certification focus, particularly for security and side-channel analysis.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ascert
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/profile

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ascert