What SP Index does

SP Index, trading as Social Media Consulting Limited (registered in England No. 07358739), is a UK-based social media background screening provider founded in 2010 with headquarters in Ampthill. The company serves employers, government bodies and background screening partners seeking pre-employment and risk-management vetting of candidates' public online footprints across Education, Healthcare, Political, Finance, Law Enforcement, Pharmaceutical and Charity sectors. Its core proposition is objective, GDPR-compliant social media screening that avoids discrimination risk by disregarding protected characteristics and relying solely on publicly available information.

The technology stack consists of three proprietary pillars built on Microsoft Azure infrastructure: UNVEIL Smart-Search (a 3-layer matrix search engine covering 200+ social and professional networking sites and millions of web pages), DECORUM (behavioural analysis software producing benchmarked reports), and The Index (a proprietary database of 7 key behavioural indicators developed through an 18-month R&D phase and launched in 2012). The company is ISO 27001 certified, Cyber Essentials Plus certified, a PBSA member, and registered with the ICO. Products include Essential Online Check (£25+), Premium Online Check, Adverse Media Check, Advocacy Checks, plus sector-specific variants for Healthcare (NHS FPPT-compliant), Education, Political, and Animal Rights Screening. An API product enables programmatic integration for HR systems and background screening partners.

The business model is predominantly usage-based with pay-as-you-go check pricing and monthly invoicing, supplemented by API subscription tiers (£85–£250/month plus £510 setup) and £120/hour support services. Distribution runs through direct sales via the Decorum web portal, API integration for enterprise customers, and reseller partnerships with PBSA-member background screening organisations. The company operates across the UK, Europe, USA, Canada, Australia, Africa and LATAM, and has launched a wholly-owned subsidiary, right2socials, to serve the personal/consumer social media check market. No revenue, funding, or valuation figures have been publicly disclosed.

Name

SP Index

Legal name

Social Media Consulting Limited

Website

https://sp-index.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Media Background Screening

NAICS

Investigation and Personal Background Check Services (561611)

akta.pro primary industry

PEP & Adverse Media Screening / Watchlist Monitoring (FSAMAMAD)

Keywords

• Social media screening
• Background checks
• Pre-employment vetting
• Online risk assessment
• Adverse media monitoring

Headquarters

HQ city

Ampthill

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Social Media Background Checks: Pay-per-check model with prices starting from £25.00 per check. No commitment required; Pay As You Go with monthly invoicing. Additional revenue from API access fees (test environments: Basic £85/month, Mid-Range £110/month, Premium £250/month, plus £510 set-up fee) and additional support services (£120/hour).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

SP Index provides paid social media and online background screening checks for employers and screening-industry partners, using its proprietary UNVEIL Smart-Search engine and DECORUM behaviour analysis software to surface publicly available risks across a candidate's online footprint. Offerings are delivered as report-based checks (Essential, Premium, Adverse Media, Advocacy, Animal Rights, Healthcare, Education, Political variants) accessed via the Decorum web portal, an enterprise API, or through PBSA-member background screening resellers.

Product overview

SP Index offers a unified platform-plus-module architecture combining specialist software tools with core screening services. The product suite is built on three proprietary software pillars: Unveil (Smart-Searching technology for comprehensive web searching), Decorum (behaviour analysis and reporting tool), and The Index (benchmarking database with 7 key behavioural indicators). These tools power four core social media check products: Essential Online Check (3-year coverage), Premium Online Check (5+ years with additional integrity checks), Adverse Media Check (news/media screening), and Advocacy Checks (activist identification). The company also provides industry-specific variants including Healthcare Social Media Checks (aligned with NHS FPPT Framework), Education Social Media Checks, and Political Advocate Checks, plus Animal Rights Screening. An API product enables programmatic integration for partner organisations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• UNVEIL: Bespoke Smart-Searching technology that combines candidate information with augmented search databases to identify all conclusive links to an individual's online profile across a vast online landscape.
• DECORUM
• The Index
• API Integration

Products and services

• Essential Online Check Entry-level social media background check covering 3 years of a candidate's online footprint across the most popular apps, including First Impression Badge, Privacy and Content indicators, Social and Professional Weighting, and Network Risk metrics. Priced pay-as-you-go from £25 per check, aimed at employers running volume screening.
• Premium Online Check Comprehensive social media check encompassing the Essential Check plus an extended scope of 5+ years, a broader online landscape, additional behavioural findings and extra integrity checks. Sold pay-as-you-go for higher-risk or executive roles.
• Adverse Media Check

Quantifiable outcome

• 1 in 20 checks flagged for adverse content
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability7 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• MicrosoftcoreTechnology or IntegrationSP Index's information system is built on Microsoft Azure which is ISO/IEC 27001 certified. Uses Microsoft Teams (Modern Work) for internal communication. Infrastructure includes encryption, access management, network security, and monitoring. Microsoft Solutions (Ireland) provides hosting services for company data.
• Background Screening Industry PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSP Index works with partner organisations in the Background Screening industry who use SP Index checks as part of their portfolio of services. All partners are members of the Professional Background Screening Association (PBSA).

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Sterling: Large global background screening provider offering identity, criminal, and social-media screening to enterprise employers. Comparable to SP Index across end-customer segments (HR, healthcare, education) and screening workflow, but with a much broader portfolio and global footprint.
• Pinkerton (Corporate Risk): Long-established corporate investigation and risk services firm offering pre-employment screening including online/social-media checks. Broad incumbent with overlap in due-diligence style background work for enterprise clients.
• HireRight: Global employment background check provider serving enterprise and SMB customers with criminal, employment, and digital/social screening. Closest broad incumbent to SP Index by virtue of overlapping digital-footprint checks and channel partner model with screening resellers.

Emerging players

• Onfido: AI-driven identity verification and background screening provider, now part of Entrust, offering KYC, right-to-work, and digital-trust checks. Adjacent peer by API-first identity/employment screening workflow; less overlap on social-media behavioural scoring.
• Certn: Tech-forward background screening platform offering instant criminal, identity, and digital-reputation checks with developer-friendly APIs. Emerging peer with overlapping social/online presence screening and similar API-led go-to-market.
• RefNow: Reference and background check platform focused on fast, automated employment verification with candidate-friendly UX. Adjacent peer in modern, automated employment screening with API integrations targeting HR systems.

Direct peers

• Veremark: International background screening provider offering employment, criminal, and reference checks via an API-first platform. Comparable as a modern, internationally-distributed screening competitor targeting similar employer customers.
• Accurate Background: Mid-market and enterprise background screening provider with social-media screening integrated into its platform. Comparable by employment screening workflow and channel-partner model with HR tech platforms.
• Checkr: API-first, technology-led background screening platform serving US enterprises and gig-economy employers. Direct peer on modern API/developer integration, automated adjudication, and digital-footprint analysis, though primarily US-focused.

Regional players

• Veremark / First Advantage regional competitors (CVCheck): Australia-headquartered employment screening provider offering criminal, work-rights, and online reputation checks across APAC. Regional peer with comparable online-screening product offering but operating primarily outside SP Index's UK stronghold.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sp-index

Compliance4 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 SP Index