The Business Spotlight: The section where we look at the companies active in the sectors we cover, tell their stories and introduce their solutions to show you what they’ve got and who they are. Today with…
- What can you tell us about your company and your products & services?
Caspian specialise in the automated investigation of high volume, complex risk alerts for financial services firms.
Our Financial Investigation Platform (FIP) combines machine learning with human intelligence to fully automate or significantly augment high-volume risk investigations and judgements. This significantly increases speed, accuracy and consistency across domains such as Anti-Money Laundering and Customer Due Diligence.
This is world-first AI technology that delivers human-readable and regulator-friendly risk judgements in seconds. By outputting to industry leading risk reports, analysts receive guidance to help complete any remaining investigations.
We then maintain gold standards, quality and integrity through our Investigation Assurance to give auditors and risk stewards the confidence they demand.
- How did you come up with the idea and what drives you?
Founded by two neuroscientists, Caspian is driven by the conviction that expert human decision making can be codified, measured and enhanced.
Our expertise combines behavioural science, machine learning and computer science to develop technology that has historically been deployed in a wide range of industries and enterprise clients to enhance human skills development.
Several market developments have influenced a shift in our focus.
Firstly, the rapid shift by enterprises towards automation and augmentation presented an opportunity for us to apply our cognitive know-how towards automating complex and high-risk decision-making.
Secondly, AI has to date been limited in its ability to explain decisions which resulted in commitment to always provide explanations that humans can understand for all our machine outputs.
Finally, the well documented Financial Services sector challenges over the past decade have demonstrated a particularly high need to automate, yet fully explain complex decision making in relation to financial crime investigations.
Caspian are now focused on this sector and this new drive to shine a light on serious financial crime led to the development of Caspian’s Financial Investigation Platform (FIP).
Financial services firms demand speed, accuracy and consistency across investigations. Regulators and auditors demand transparency and compliance.
These needs will remain our focus whilst we continue to develop our investigative solutions and platform.
- What is it that makes your company different from others?
Our AI technology is unique in 2 key ways. First off, it can fully automate or significantly augment high volume, high risk and complex investigations. It analyses data, gathers evidence and makes decisions for all investigations. Secondly, it provides human readable explanations for all machine outputs related to an investigation.
This is world first investigative technology that both provides analyst teams with insight they can use to further investigate and optimize, and that auditors can understand as well as trust.
- Where are you based?
Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
- When was the company launched?
2002
- What traction have you made? Can you tell us about your biggest achievements so far?
Caspian have worked with HSBC globally for over 2 years to deliver risk investigation services for alerted retail transactions [detailed commercials and details are confidential].
- What advice could you give to other entrepreneurs and start-ups?
Our experience with technology solutions tells us that a change in market demand and circumstances can often have a profound effect on your success without making major changes to your core proposition. Remaining open minded about who your customer may be and how they will derive value will ensure your business can capitalise on new opportunities.
- What can you tell us about your team?
The first thing is that the team is growing! We already have some great minds in the team with experience from some of the biggest brands in technology and financial services but we’re always looking for the best people across teams including data science, development and operations. Our biggest challenge is often finding enough brilliant people! It’s a well-used cliché, but to build world leading solutions, you need people with world class talent.
The second and most important thing is what drives us. We have a strong culture built around our values we’re all driven to do something that makes a difference. Transformation is an overused word, but the market and our customers tell us repetitively that we are doing something unique with our investigation solutions and services. And everyone wants to be part of something that is world leading and never been done before.
- What’s next for your company?
We have several advanced relationships in place with global partners, which will help us to deploy Caspian solution to further financial services firms over the next 6-12 months.
We also have significant plans in place to fund raise in the latter part of 2019 which will fuel our growth internationally and accelerate our technology development even further.
- How do potential customers and investors get in touch with you?
Customers can get an overall introduction at www.caspian.co.uk and book a product demonstration at www.caspian.co.uk/demo. You can also find all contact details and social links there.
Investor enquiries can be made directly to Chris Brannigan, CEO directly at chris.brannigan@caspian.co.uk.
“The Business Spotlight on…” is the section at PlanetCompliance that looks at the companies active in the sectors we cover, tells their stories and introduces the solutions to give them a platform to show what they’ve got and who they are. If you want to know more about how you can get featured in this section, contact us at launch@planetcompliance.com or on Twitter at @PlanetComplianc