Kord
Kord is a London-based fintech that provides an integrated onboarding, AML compliance, and payments platform for UK regulated businesses, primarily estate agents, conveyancers, and law firms, combining identity verification, payment processing, and client money management through FCA-regulated subsidiaries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Kord does
Kord is a London-based fintech founded in 2020 that provides an integrated onboarding, compliance, and payments platform for UK regulated businesses in the property and legal sectors, primarily estate agents, conveyancers, and law firms. The company operates through a multi-entity group: Kord Platform Limited as the primary operating entity, Kord Pay Limited as an FCA-registered Small Payment Institution (FRN 929773), and Checkboard Limited as an FCA-authorised credit data services provider (FRN 950508), with ClearBank Limited acting as banking partner for client money safeguarding and UK payment scheme access. The platform comprises five integrated modules, Data (AML and KYC checks), Pay (payment processing), Custody (third-party managed accounts for client money), Reliance (outsourced CDD under MLR17), and Proof (audit-ready compliance reports), that together cover the lifecycle from client onboarding to fund disbursement.
The technical architecture combines identity verification (NFC passport chip reading via Yoti and ReadID with biometric liveness checks), AML screening (LexisNexis for PEPs, sanctions, and adverse media), credit and fraud data (Equifax, TransUnion, Cifas), and payment processing (ClearBank for Faster Payments, CHAPS, Bacs, and Confirmation of Payee; TrustPayments for card acquiring; GoCardless for Direct Debit). Functionality is exposed through a REST API and webhooks secured by a five-layer architecture including ECDSA signatures, idempotency keys, and per-endpoint rate limits. The differentiating concept is a closed-loop infrastructure that unites client identity and client funds within regulated rails, with cryptographically verified audit trails that prove compliance actions and timing to regulators.
Kord monetises through a mix of subscription plans, per-verification fees for KYC/KYB and AML screening, per-transaction payment processing fees across multiple UK schemes, and custom enterprise agreements. Go-to-market is sales-led, with enterprise field sales targeting UK regulated businesses, complemented by an API-first self-serve experience for developers and integration partners. Marketing emphasises regulatory-driven demand, including webinars around the SRA's TPMA requirements for law firms and HMLR Safe Harbour compliance for conveyancers. The company holds PCI DSS, ISO 27001, and ISO 9001 certifications in addition to its FCA authorisations.
Kord firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Kord
- Legal name
- Kord Platform Limited
- Website
- https://kord.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Kord is a London-based fintech that provides an integrated onboarding, AML compliance, and payments platform for UK regulated businesses, primarily estate agents, conveyancers, and law firms, combining identity verification, payment processing, and client money management through FCA-regulated subsidiaries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Kord industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Regulatory Compliance Software (RegTech)
- NAICS
- Investigation and Personal Background Check Services (561611), Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (522320)
- akta.pro primary industry
- KYC/KYB & Customer Onboarding (CIP, beneficial ownership, screening) (FSAGAFAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Fraud, Risk, KYC/AML & Compliance Platforms (BPAMAFAI), Customer Identity (KYC/CDD/EDD) & Onboarding (FSAMAMAA), Data, Evidence & Document Verification (IDV) for KYC (FSAMAMAN), Ongoing Monitoring & Periodic Reviews (KYC Refresh) (FSAMAMAL)
Keywords
Where Kord is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Kord business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Subscription Plans: Monthly or annual subscription plans for platform access, with different tiers likely based on usage volume and features. Requires upfront payment before service access.
- Per-Verify Fees: Per-verification fees for AML checks, ID verification, KYC/KYB checks, and other compliance screening services. Volume-based pricing model.
- Per-Transaction Payment Processing: Transaction fees for payment processing including card payments, Faster Payments, CHAPS, Bacs, and Direct Debit collections. Percentage fee or fixed per-transaction fee.
- Custom Pricing Agreements: Custom pricing agreements for enterprise clients with specific requirements. Includes potential per-seat fees and enterprise-level support options.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Subscription-based pricing with upfront payment |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Kord product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Kord provides a unified compliance and payments platform for regulated businesses, primarily in the UK property and legal sectors. The platform combines identity verification, AML screening, secure payment processing, and client money management in a closed-loop infrastructure with cryptographically verified audit trails. It enables law firms, conveyancers, and estate agents to onboard clients, verify identities, conduct AML checks, and move funds while meeting FCA, SRA, HMRC, and HMLR regulatory requirements.
Product overview
Kord is a unified compliance and payments platform for regulated businesses in the UK property and legal sectors. The platform comprises five core integrated modules: Data (client due diligence and AML checks), Pay (secure payment processing), Custody (closed-loop client money management), Reliance (third-party due diligence), and Proof (audit-ready compliance reports). These modules work together to help regulated businesses onboard clients, verify identities, conduct AML screening, manage client money safely, and maintain compliance audit trails. The platform targets estate agents, conveyancers, and law firms, offering both independent module usage and an end-to-end integrated solution. Additional services include KYC/KYB checks, PEPs and sanctions screening, electronic ID verification, source of funds checks, TPMAs, and HMLR Safe Harbour compliance.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Checkboard: Identity verification app used by clients to complete onboarding checks; NFC passport chip scanning and biometric verification for KYC/AML compliance.
Products and services
- Data AML software for UK regulated businesses enabling client qualification and onboarding, fulfilling regulatory requirements with biometric ID, address verification, AML screening, and ongoing PEPs, sanctions, and mortality checks.
- Pay Secure payment processing for regulated businesses, enabling swift and secure money movement, payment collection during onboarding, and clear audit trails with line-by-line reconciliation.
- Custody Closed-loop client money management enabling safeguarding of client funds in compliant managed accounts, reducing regulatory risk, improving reconciliation, and ensuring clear audit trail from onboarding to disbursement.
- Reliance Third-party customer due diligence enabling regulated firms to rely on Kord's CDD under MLR17, removing duplicate checks while satisfying SRA AML requirements. Includes outsourced due diligence and auditable evidence trail.
- Proof Audit-ready compliance reporting that converts onboarding and AML checks into cryptographically verified audit trails proving what was done and when, ensuring demonstrable compliance.
- Checkboard API Developer API and documentation hub providing identity verification, fund confirmation, payment processing, and document signing services via REST APIs with five-layer security architecture.
Quantifiable outcome
- Reduces onboarding time from weeks to minutes through KYC automation
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Kord
Customer profileNamed customers13 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Kord technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration10 records
AI capability5 records
Feature6 records
Kord partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- ClearBank LimitedcoreClearBank is Kord Pay's banking partner for embedded banking, client money, and safeguarding services. ClearBank is authorised by the PRA and regulated by the FCA and PRA (FSR: 754568). Kord Pay's Small Payment Institution services are enabled through ClearBank's infrastructure, including Faster Payments, CHAPS, Bacs, and Confirmation of Payee schemes. ClearBank also provides safeguarding for client funds under CASS rules.
- YoticoreYoti is the FCA-recognised digital identity provider powering biometric verification and NFC chip reading in Kord's Safe Harbour compliance solution. Yoti provides document template updates and chip-reading logic that are continuously maintained as passports are reissued.
- ReadIDcoreReadID provides NFC chip reading technology for passport verification alongside Yoti in Kord's biometric ID verification workflow, enabling HMLR Safe Harbour compliant identity checks.
- LexisNexis Risk SolutionscorePrimary AML data provider for Kord's compliance screening. LexisNexis provides PEPs, sanctions, and adverse media data for client risk assessment and AML compliance checks.
- EquifaxcoreCredit reference agency providing identity verification, credit checks, and fraud prevention data. Part of Kord's data ecosystem for customer due diligence.
- TransUnioncoreCredit reference agency providing identity verification, credit checks, and fraud prevention data. Shares data with other customers for verification and risk assessment purposes.
- CifascoreFraud prevention agency providing data for fraud detection and prevention checks in Kord's compliance workflow.
- TrustPaymentscoreCard processing partner for acquiring card payments through Kord Pay. Processes credit and debit card transactions for merchants using Kord's payment services.
- GoCardlesscoreThird-party processor for Direct Debit collections under the UK Bacs scheme, enabling recurring payment collection through Kord Pay.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Kord competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Veriff: Identity verification platform with strong biometric and document verification capability; competes with Kord's eIDV product across regulated verticals.
- ComplyAdvantage: AML and sanctions screening platform used by regulated financial institutions; comparable in PEPs/sanctions/adverse media screening functionality that Kord resells via LexisNexis.
- Persona: Configurable identity verification and KYC platform offering document verification, biometric checks, and AML screening — overlapping Kord's Data module capabilities for regulated onboarding.
- NorthRow: UK-based RegTech platform providing AML, KYC, and onboarding compliance for regulated businesses including property and legal sectors — directly comparable in target verticals and product offering.
- Thirdfort: UK AML and source-of-funds verification platform purpose-built for property transactions and law firms; competes head-on with Kord's Data and Source of Funds modules in the same conveyancing channel.
- SmartKYC: UK-headquartered KYC/AML platform serving regulated financial institutions with automated screening and onboarding — directly comparable in regulated-industry KYC positioning.
- Onfido: Global identity verification and KYC platform with biometric and document verification; competes with Kord's Electronic ID Verification and KYC modules for the same regulated customer base.
- Jumio: Global identity verification and AML/KYC provider offering biometric IDV, sanctions screening, and onboarding orchestration — overlapping functionality to Kord's Data and Pay stack.
- Sumsub: All-in-one KYC/AML verification platform covering identity verification, sanctions screening, and ongoing monitoring; comparable to Kord's AML and PEPs/sanctions modules.
Regional players
- Creditsafe: UK-headquartered business credit reports and identity data provider used by regulated firms for KYB and affordability checks; partially overlaps with Kord's reliance on Equifax/TransUnion data for the same UK customer base.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Kord social profiles
Digital presenceKord compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance6 records
Kord financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Kord leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Kord subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
Kord funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds5 records
Investors6 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Kord 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 Kord
What does Kord do?
Kord provides a unified compliance and payments platform for regulated businesses, primarily in the UK property and legal sectors. The platform combines identity verification, AML screening, secure payment processing, and client money management in a closed-loop infrastructure with cryptographically verified audit trails. It enables law firms, conveyancers, and estate agents to onboard clients, verify identities, conduct AML checks, and move funds while meeting FCA, SRA, HMRC, and HMLR regulatory requirements.
Is Kord a public or private company?
Kord is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Kord founded?
Kord was founded in 2020. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Kord based?
Kord is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Kord make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Subscription Plans are the primary driver. The others are per-Verify Fees, per-Transaction Payment Processing and custom Pricing Agreements.
Who are Kord's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Veriff, ComplyAdvantage, Persona, NorthRow, Thirdfort, SmartKYC, Onfido, Jumio and Sumsub. Creditsafe is listed as a regional player.
Does Kord have an API?
Yes. Kord provides a comprehensive API layer for orchestrating verification, payments, and compliance workflows. The API supports REST APIs, webhooks for real-time updates, and JSON responses. Five security layers protect the API: API keys with workspace authentication, ECDSA digital signatures, idempotency keys for write operations, per-endpoint rate limits (Read: 100 requests/min, Write: 30 requests/min, Key management: 5 requests/min), and unique subdomains for workspace isolation. A sandbox environment mirrors production for safe testing. The Checkboard App is required for app-based flows, with UAT testing requiring manual download of the Checkboard UAT App. Developer documentation is at developer.kord.com.
What industry is Kord in?
Kord's product category is Regulatory Compliance Software (RegTech). Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAGAFAB, KYC/KYB & Customer Onboarding (CIP, beneficial ownership, screening), with a secondary code of BPAMAFAI, Fraud, Risk, KYC/AML & Compliance Platforms. Its NAICS code is 561611.