TalentWise

What TalentWise does

TalentWise is a background screening and HR technology platform originally founded in 2006 and headquartered in Bothell, Washington. Its TalentWise Hire product automates the hiring process for HR teams and candidates, and following integration with Sterling Check the offering now operates as part of Sterling — which was itself acquired by First Advantage (NYSE: FA) in 2024 for $2.2 billion. The combined platform delivers a full-lifecycle screening stack: identity-first verification (Digital Identity), pre-hire checks (criminal record checks, civil court records, SSN trace, credit checks, liens/judgments/bankruptcies, due diligence, executive investigations, drug and occupational health, employment and education verifications, motor vehicle records, fingerprinting, sanctions/risk compliance, social media screening), onboarding (E-Verify, Form I-9), and post-hire continuous monitoring (criminal and medical license monitoring). The platform also offers contingent workforce screening, candidate and client experience portals, reports and analytics, and compliance tools.

The technology stack is cloud-based and API-first, built around the Sterling API (apidocs.sterlingcheck.app) which exposes programmatic access to the screening portfolio for integration with applicant tracking systems, HRIS platforms, and human capital management systems. The platform maintains screening coverage across 200+ countries and territories with regional operations in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Singapore, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Latin America. Sterling/First Advantage reports that 100% of Fortune 500 companies use its background screening services as of 12/31/2024, and that U.S. criminal searches typically close in one day.

The business operates on a hybrid revenue model. Pre-hire background checks (criminal, identity, credit, drug, employment verifications) are billed on a transaction-fee or per-screen basis, often bundled into enterprise contracts; post-hire continuous monitoring (criminal monitoring, medical license monitoring) is sold as a recurring subscription or per-monitored-employee service; and Sterling API access plus enterprise integrations generate subscription-style revenue. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales targeting Fortune 500 and large organizations through dedicated account teams, verticalized solutions for staffing, healthcare, technology, construction, financial services, government, franchise, and gig economy customers, and OEM-style embedding via ATS/HRIS partnerships — with quote-based pricing and volume tiers rather than publicly disclosed list prices.

Name

TalentWise

Legal name

Sterling Check Corp.

Website

https://talentwise.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

TalentWise Hire is an online hiring automation platform offering background screening, identity verification, and compliance tools. Now operating within Sterling Check under First Advantage following a $2.2B acquisition in 2024, it serves enterprise HR teams across 200+ countries and verticals including healthcare, staffing, and technology.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Background Screening Software

NAICS

Employment Placement Agencies (561311), Employment Placement Agencies and Executive Search Services (56131), Employment Services (5613)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Talent Acquisition (Recruiting) & Applicant Tracking (ATS) (BPACAPAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Skills & Job-Specific Competency Testing (Hard Skills) (BPACAMAD)

Keywords

• Background screening services
• Hiring automation platform
• Pre-employment verification
• HR technology solutions
• Identity verification services

Headquarters

HQ city

Bothell

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Background Screening Services: Per-screen or bundled service fees for criminal background checks, employment verifications, credit checks, drug screening, and other pre-employment screening services. Pricing based on types of checks performed, volume, and geographic scope.
2. Global Screening Services: International background check services with regional expertise, generating revenue per country search or as part of global screening packages.
3. Monitoring Services: Recurring post-hire monitoring services including criminal monitoring and medical license monitoring, typically billed on subscription or per-monitored-employee basis.
4. Technology and Integration Services: API access and integration services for enterprise clients, potentially with volume-based or tiered pricing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

TalentWise Hire is an online platform that automates the hiring process for HR teams and candidates, integrating digital identity verification, criminal background checks, employment and education verifications, drug screening, E-Verify/Form I-9 compliance, and global screening services through Sterling Check's API-first infrastructure. The platform connects HR teams with Sterling Check's background screening capabilities across 200+ countries, supporting pre-hire screening, onboarding, and post-hire continuous monitoring for enterprise and mid-market employers.

Product overview

TalentWise connects to Sterling Check (now part of First Advantage) to provide a comprehensive suite of background check and identity verification services. The platform offers a modular portfolio organized across the hiring lifecycle: Identity-First services (Digital Identity) for pre-screening verification, Pre-Hire services including Criminal Record Checks, Global Checks, Credit Checks, Verification Checks, Drug Screening, and Social Media Screening, Post-Hire Monitoring services (Criminal Monitoring, Medical License Monitoring), and Onboarding tools (E-Verify, Form I-9). Additional offerings include Due Diligence, Executive Investigations, Contingent Workforce Screening, and API-based integrations for programmatic access. The company also provides Candidate Experience (Candidate Hub), Client Experience portals, Reports & Analytics dashboards, and Compliance Tools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Identity-First Services: Identity verification and digital identity solutions
• Pre-Hire Solutions
• Post-Hire Solutions
• Contingent Workforce

Products and services

• TalentWise Hire Online platform that automates the hiring process for HR teams and candidates, integrating with Sterling Check's background screening and identity verification services.
• Criminal Record Checks Criminal background check services enabling informed hiring decisions with confidence, speed and trust. US criminal searches close in 1 day.
• Digital Identity Identity verification solution protecting companies against inaccurate candidate data and identity fraud.
• Global Checks Global screening services enabling organizations to scale their screening program across multiple countries and territories with regional expertise.
• Drug & Occupational Health Screening Drug screening and occupational health testing services for workplace safety compliance.
• Verification Checks Employment and education verification services confirming candidate credentials and history.
• E-Verify & Form I-9 Electronic employment eligibility verification through the E-Verify system and Form I-9 completion and verification services.
• Criminal Monitoring Ongoing criminal record monitoring for post-hire continuous screening of employees.
• Medical License Monitoring Continuous monitoring of medical licenses for healthcare industry compliance and credential verification.
• Sterling API API enabling programmatic access to Sterling background check and identity verification services for developer integrations with ATS and HRIS platforms.
• Contingent Workforce Screening Screening services specifically designed for gig economy and contingent workforce hiring needs.

Quantifiable outcome

• US criminal searches close in 1 day
• +2 more outcomes

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• First AdvantagecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirst Advantage completed acquisition of Sterling Check for $2.2 billion. Sterling now operates as First Advantage, combining Sterling's background screening capabilities with First Advantage's global HCM technology platform. This represents a strategic merger creating one of the largest background screening and HR technology companies globally.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Market position

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TalentWise
• Facebookfacebook.com/TalentWiseHR
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/talentwise

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

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 TalentWise