Experian backs Mumbai-based mobile marketing platform Vserv

US-based data, analytics and decisioning company Experian has picked up a strategic stake in Mumbai-based mobile marketing platform provider Vserv. 

Combining Experian’s data, analytics and technological expertise with Vserv’s smart targeting solutions, the partnership will offer solutions to the banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) sector to help them reach out to specific consumers, offer access to financial products and services and facilitate last-mile reach, Experian said in a press statement. 

It did not disclose the financial details of the transaction.

Owned and operated by Vserv Digital Services, it offers mobile advertising solutions to advertisers, developers, and publishers. It empowers brands to drive people-based marketing and claims to serve over 60 consumer segments across 400 million authentic user profiles.

Vserv's flagship platform, AudienceProTM, ties together data from multiple sources such as offline and online marketers, telecom operators, mobile app developers and other third-party sources. The platform then creates user personas and triggers real time intent signals thereby enabling discovery, analysis and monetisation of end users.

Founded in 2010 by Dippak Khurana and Ashay Padwal, Vserv raised $15 million from hedge fund Maverick Capital Ventures and existing investors IDG Ventures in its last known round in 2015. It had previously raised $3 million from IDG Ventures and Epiphany Ventures.

“We will focus on rolling out smart products for the BFSI sector across the marketing stack as their key business partner. Indian consumers have a huge appetite to adopt friction-free digital sign-ups for financial products. Vserv and Experian will work closely with the BFSI sector to enable it,” Khurana, co-founder and chief executive officer, Vserv said.

Founded in 1980 by Michael A Barron and Bernie Brenner, Experian is a global information services company that provides information, analytical tools, and marketing services to help clients manage their commercial and financial decisions. It helps organisations manage credit risk, prevent fraud, target marketing offers, and automate decision making.

This is the seventh investment by Experian in the Asia Pacific over the last two years, including Malaysian credit bureau firm RAM Credit Information and Australian fintech company Look Who’s Charging.

In the past, the company has made a number of large-ticket acquisitions including Nashville-based digital care coordination company MyHealthDirect, South African-based Compuscan, Scottsdale-based 41st Parameter, and Austin-based  Technology security company CSID Corp.

“Experian currently has records of over 940 million unique loans in India. This partnership builds on our initiative to enable financial inclusion by expanding scoring to new-to-credit (NTC) customers by leveraging our in-house analytics capabilities,” said Sathya Kalyanasundaram, country head and managing director, Experian India.