RefNow
RefNow is a UK-based SaaS platform providing automated reference checking and pre-employment screening for HR teams. Serving 15,000+ companies globally across healthcare, education, retail, and recruitment, it offers reference automation, employment verification, DBS checks, and AI-powered CV screening.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What RefNow does
RefNow Ltd. is a UK-based HR technology company, founded in 2017 and headquartered in London, that operates a cloud-based SaaS platform for automated reference checking and pre-employment screening. The company serves HR teams primarily in the United Kingdom and United States, with a stated customer base of more than 15,000 companies spanning healthcare, education, retail, staffing and recruitment, logistics, financial services, FMCG, and consumer goods. Named enterprise and public-sector customers include the NHS, Experian, Hasbro, Robert Walters, River Island, Barchester, HCRG Care Group, Busy Bees Nurseries, GBA Logistics, Advinia Health Care, BPP, Halcyon Health & Social Care, Grace Foods, and Elysium Healthcare.
The platform is organized as five sub-brand products — RefNow Reference (automated reference checks for new hires), RefNow Respond (employment verification for ex-employees), RefNow Talent (automated recruitment), RefNow Verify (Right to Work and Basic/Standard/Enhanced DBS checks), and RefNow Screen (AI-powered CV screening, launching in 2026) — built on a centralised data management layer with ATS integrations, an audit trail system aligned to CQC requirements, automated referee reminders, and AI-driven fraud detection designed to flag fake references. The platform is GDPR compliant and claims a 95% reduction in reference checking time, an average of 32 hours to collect a reference (versus a traditional 2-3 weeks), and a 98% customer satisfaction rate, supported by 10,500+ Google reviews and 8,500+ Capterra reviews.
RefNow generates revenue through subscription-based SaaS contracts; pricing is not publicly disclosed but the company operates a dual go-to-market combining a self-serve free trial (no credit card required) for smaller customers at app.refnow.co with enterprise field sales ("Book a Demo") for larger deployments. The company has not disclosed any external funding rounds, parent company, or acquisition history, and operates as an independent private limited company registered in England and Wales (Company No: 12118557).
RefNow firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- RefNow
- Legal name
- RefNow Ltd.
- Website
- https://refnow.co
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- RefNow is a UK-based SaaS platform providing automated reference checking and pre-employment screening for HR teams. Serving 15,000+ companies globally across healthcare, education, retail, and recruitment, it offers reference automation, employment verification, DBS checks, and AI-powered CV screening.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
RefNow industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Pre-Employment Screening Software
- NAICS
- Employment Services (5613), Custom Computer Programming Services (541511)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Talent Acquisition (Recruiting) & Applicant Tracking (ATS) (BPACAPAD)
Keywords
Where RefNow is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
RefNow business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Subscription SaaS Platform: RefNow operates as a cloud-based SaaS platform providing automated reference checking services. Companies subscribe to access the platform for processing reference checks, with different tiers likely available for varying volumes. The platform processes references for new hires and ex-employees on a subscription basis.
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
RefNow product offering
Product offeringCore offering
RefNow sells a cloud-based SaaS platform that automates employment reference checking and pre-employment screening for HR teams. The offering includes automated reference collection for new hires, employment verification for ex-employees, Right to Work and DBS checks, AI-powered CV screening, and automated recruitment, delivered as a unified platform that integrates with Applicant Tracking Systems.
Product overview
RefNow is a unified HR technology platform offering a suite of products for pre-employment verification and screening. The platform consists of five core products: RefNow Reference (automated reference checks for new hires), RefNow Respond (employment verification for ex-employees), RefNow Talent (automated recruitment), RefNow Verify (Right to Work and DBS checks), and RefNow Screen (AI-powered CV screening). The products share a centralised data management system and are designed to integrate with ATS systems, allowing HR teams to streamline the hiring process from candidate sourcing through to onboarding.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- RefNow Reference: Automated reference checks for new hires.
- RefNow Respond
- RefNow Talent
- RefNow Verify
- RefNow Screen
Products and services
- RefNow Reference
Quantifiable outcome
- 95% reduction in reference checking time through automation
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use RefNow
Customer profileNamed customers14 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
RefNow technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability4 records
Feature6 records
RefNow partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators7 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights6 records
RefNow competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Xref: Xref is the closest direct competitor to RefNow, offering automated reference checking and HR analytics to enterprise and SMB customers across ANZ, UK, and US — a near-identical product proposition and go-to-market motion.
- Vitay: Vitay is a UK-based automated reference checking platform serving HR teams with similar functionality to RefNow Reference, including automated reminders and referee management.
- Referoo: Referoo provides online automated reference checks primarily to Australian and UK employers, overlapping directly with RefNow's reference and employment verification offerings.
- RefAssured: RefAssured is a US-based automated reference checking provider, competing head-to-head with RefNow on reference workflow automation and candidate verification for mid-market and enterprise employers.
- SkillSurvey: SkillSurvey delivers online reference checking and talent analytics used by healthcare, education, and staffing employers, making it a comparable peer to RefNow across regulated verticals.
Broad incumbents
- Checkr: Checkr is a well-funded US background-check incumbent that increasingly bundles reference checks into its screening suite; broader in scope than RefNow but a key competitive threat in US enterprise deals.
- Sterling: Sterling is a global background-screening incumbent that competes with RefNow Verify in DBS, right-to-work, and identity verification while offering broader enterprise screening services.
- HireRight: HireRight is a large global employment screening provider overlapping with RefNow in employment verification, background checks, and right-to-work for enterprise and staffing customers.
Emerging players
- Truework: Truework automates employment and income verification via API, overlapping with RefNow Respond and Verify in employer-led verification workflows, particularly in the US.
Regional players
- VinciWorks: VinciWorks is a UK compliance and HR-tech provider whose screening and onboarding tools overlap with RefNow Verify in regulated UK markets, particularly around right-to-work and DBS workflows.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
RefNow social profiles
Digital presenceRefNow compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
RefNow financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
RefNow leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
RefNow funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
RefNow M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about RefNow
What does RefNow do?
RefNow sells a cloud-based SaaS platform that automates employment reference checking and pre-employment screening for HR teams. The offering includes automated reference collection for new hires, employment verification for ex-employees, Right to Work and DBS checks, AI-powered CV screening, and automated recruitment, delivered as a unified platform that integrates with Applicant Tracking Systems.
Is RefNow a public or private company?
RefNow is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was RefNow founded?
RefNow was founded in 2017. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is RefNow based?
RefNow is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does RefNow make money?
One revenue line is on record: subscription SaaS Platform.
Who are RefNow's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Xref, Vitay, Referoo, RefAssured and SkillSurvey. Broad incumbents are Checkr, Sterling and HireRight. Truework is listed as an emerging player. VinciWorks is listed as a regional player.
Does RefNow have an API?
No public API is recorded for RefNow.
What industry is RefNow in?
RefNow's product category is Pre-Employment Screening Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACAPAD, Talent Acquisition (Recruiting) & Applicant Tracking (ATS). Its NAICS code is 5613 and its SIC code is 7372.