By <a style="color: #4bbb87;" href="https://neotas.com/">Neotas</a> on 06/03/20

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<img class=" wp-image-349323 aligncenter" src="https://www.innovatefinance.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/screenshot-2020-03-10-at-11.47.11-300x101.png" alt="" width="231" height="78" />

Neotas – a leading provider of online due diligence for the financial services sector – has been selected out of 350 global companies to join ING Labs Brussels.

The London-based company has been chosen to join the innovation accelerator ING Labs Brussels, which will help and support entrepreneurs to further develop their innovative concepts for the financial sector.

Neotas uses powerful search techniques to analyse a company’s or an individual’s ‘digital footprint’ through publicly available information or ‘open sources’, providing advanced insights without invading their privacy.

In recent years, FinTech Village, the accelerator of ING in Belgium, which is now part of the ING Labs, has built up a strong reputation within the financial technology community. This coaching programme set up by ING has already helped around 30 companies to bring new solutions to market faster in the past few years.

Vipul Mishra, CEO and co-founder of Neotas, “We are proud to have been chosen to join ING Labs Brussels this year, during a time we are expanding our operations globally. Our involvement with ING Labs Brussels will provide us with unrivalled access to the knowledge and networks needed to help us scale faster. Our mission is to make online due diligence readily available to all and in today’s digital era, now is the time to disrupt the market.”

Neotas’ intelligence platform is powered by artificial intelligence and the company has partnered with the University of Essex’s Language and Computation Group to help develop their proprietary technology and natural language processing capabilities further.

Neotas are already helping over 80 firms across financial services to protect their reputation, manage risk and comply with the latest regulatory obligations. Clients range from private equity firms carrying out pre-investment checks to banks and institutions which need to comply with anti-money laundering (AML) rules or the Senior Managers &amp; Certification Regime (SMCR).

Click <a style="color: #4bbb87;" href="https://newsroom.ing.be/ing-labs-brussels-supports-start-ups-and-internal-teams-with-the-development-of-fintech-concepts#">here</a> to view the ING press release.

Online Due Diligence Specialists Neotas selected for ING Labs Brussels

What sets London apart from other FinTech Hubs?

Diversity. Because London sits at the heart of the financial services system it attracts global talent.

Where are you based in London and why did you choose that neighbourhood?

We are based at Austin Friars – near to clients, secure (as we deal with sensitive data, open working space isn’t an option for us!) and to accommodate our growth.

Name your favourite accelerators and workspaces in the City

Accenture’s FinTech Innovation Lab and PwC’s Scale and Raise Programme – both were great.

Any tips for budding entrepreneurs?
<ol>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Be Resilient- the journey will have plenty of ups and downs!</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Seize Support- There is a lot of opportunity for support through business mentors and experienced professionals who want to see you succeed as a start-up, so seize it!</li>
</ol>

FinTech Spotlight: Q&A Ian Howard, Director at Neotas

London, 26 November 2018 - <a href="https://neotas.com/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://neotas.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1543398445860000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFdioYOScdUifY-THkWiTOasL84_g">Neotas</a>, a ‘digital intelligence’ business which provides enhanced due diligence and HR screening, has closed a funding round of over £1m backed by Symvan Capital, Force Over Mass and a number of private investors.
The London-based company analyses individuals’ ‘digital trails’ to provide deeper insights into their background, behaviour and networks. The service enables investors and employers to screen key personnel, safeguard their investments, mitigate against fraud and insider threats and evidence compliance standards.
Neotas’ advanced digital intelligence platform, which is operated by former military and intelligence analysts, leverages open source intelligence (OSINT). This includes analysis of international records, social media and the deep and dark web – information which is openly available but mostly cannot be found via search engines. The funding will allow Neotas to further develop its platform and technology, expand its team of advanced analysts and step up its sales and marketing operation.
Ian Howard, Director at Neotas said: “We have already invested heavily in developing our technology. This funding will allow us to take it one step further, and create a next generation due diligence platform to allow organisations to mitigate risk and safeguard their investments and brands in the modern era.” 
Nicholas Nicolaides, Investment Director at Symvan Capital, added: “People are the biggest risk in any organisation. Neotas allows businesses to access the wealth of information available in today’s digitally interconnected world to safeguard their operations and investments. Driven by both changes in the regulatory environment and the exponential growth of available information, the company’s client base has been expanding steadily, and this investment will allow it to propel its growth to a new level.”
Neotas was founded in early 2017 by Vipul Mishra, who was previously head of information security at a leading London-based hedge fund, and Ian Howard, who has over 30 years’ experience in finance and investment. The company has built up a steady client base that includes a range of private equity firms, insurance companies, investment houses and other financial institutions.
Neotas was advised by PwC and White Horse Capital and was part of the autumn <a href="https://www.pwc.co.uk/ux23/products-and-services/pwc-raise-investment/pwc-raise-seriesa.html" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.pwc.co.uk/ux23/products-and-services/pwc-raise-investment/pwc-raise-seriesa.html&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1543398445860000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHy3hgJdHxAp27AhKz1SBY0_RfWqA">Raise programme</a>.
ENDS

Digital Intelligence Firm Set for Growth After £1m Investment

By leveraging cutting-edge technology and experienced analysts, Neotas are going beyond and setting new standards in Due Diligence, Staff Screening, and Compliance.
Our in-house developed methodologies and proprietary software are analyst driven and were designed by those who have protected the national interests of the United Kingdom in roles within the government, law enforcement, fraud prevention, cyber security, and the military.

Neotas

By leveraging cutting-edge technology and experienced analysts, Neotas are going beyond and setting new standards in Due Diligence, Staff Screening, and Compliance.

Our in-house developed methodologies and proprietary software are analyst driven and were designed by those who have protected the national interests of the United Kingdom in roles within the government, law enforcement, fraud prevention, cyber security, and the military.

Co-Founder, Neotas

With over 30 years’ worth of experience across financial services and investment banking, Ian’s industry knowledge is extensive, ranging from credit derivatives to capital markets, from trading to hedge funds. His previous roles have included Head of Credit Business at a Canadian bank and following that, he became Head of Business Development at JDX Consulting in London. At JDX Consulting, Ian was instrumental in overseeing their growth strategy, which took the company from 9 to 300 employees when he left in 2016. Ian is Co-founder of Neotas, the enhanced due diligence company that interrogates social media, the deep and dark web; helping organisations to reduce fraud, avoid bad hires and comply with regulatory guidelines.

Ian Howard

CEO & Co-Founder, Neotas

Vipul is CEO &amp; Co-Founder of Neotas, a Cyber Security Risk &amp; Legal Investigations expert with a rare blend of Cyber Security, Law, IT and Business expertise. Previous roles have included Head of Information Security for a leading algorithmic hedge fund.