Creditsafe CEO Cato Syversen on expanding into UK consumer credit

After nearly 30 years of building one of the world’s most widely used business credit platforms, Creditsafe is setting its sights on its next major evolution, announcing plans to enter the UK consumer credit market.

In this exclusive interview, CEO Cato Syversen shares why 2026 is the right time for this evolution, what this move could mean for lenders, and how Creditsafe plans to challenge the status quo.

A natural evolution, not a new direction

While the move into consumer credit may feel new for the UK market, Syversen is clear that this is not unfamiliar territory for Creditsafe.

“Next year, the business is 30 years old. In Norway, where we’re founded, alongside Sweden, we’ve been operating in the consumer market. So, this isn’t new for us. Just new in the UK.”

“50% of our customers in Norway and Sweden use our consumer information … and we expect the same demand, if not more, from our customers in the UK.”

Rather than a pivot, this is a natural extension of an existing model, one that reflects how modern businesses and individuals increasingly overlap.

Creditsafe has already begun laying the groundwork in the UK through products like Verify, which connects consumer insights with commercial data, giving lenders a more complete view of business owners and directors, including any CCJs, insolvencies and deceased records. Also, their presence on the electoral roll.

“We’ve had Verify for about 18 months, and already over 4,000 of our customers are using it - so it’s already part of our DNA.”

A ‘One-Stop Shop’ vision

At the heart of this move is a clear ambition: to create a more seamless, integrated experience for customers.

“It’s the one-stop shop, really. You can do both, and now we can package it together nicely. Enabling fairer and more representative decisions on individuals on the people involved in a business.”

Syversen emphasises that innovation will come not just from the data itself, but from how it is delivered.

“We have always been the disruptor, how we package it and serve it is what’s exciting.”

More choice, better outcomes

A key theme throughout our conversation was choice, and its impact on both lenders and consumers.

“It’s obviously important to have more choices - there aren’t that many players in the UK in this space.”

For lenders, increased competition and alternative data sources can improve both decision-making and risk management.

“It’s speed, response time, ease of use and presenting it in a more intuitive way.”

For consumers, the benefits are equally important:

• More accurate assessments
• Fairer access to credit
• Better outcomes overall

Data innovation and new capabilities

Creditsafe is bringing significant existing technical capabilities into the consumer space, particularly around data flexibility and analytics.

Key innovations include:

• Custom scoring models built by in-house analysts
• Data Studio, allowing customers to combine their own data with Creditsafe’s
• Decision engines for faster implementation
• AI-ready datasets for advanced analysis

“For example our commercial customers can upload their data, mix it with ours, and even have decision engines on it.”

One standout capability is what Syversen calls “time travel” data:

“You can go back at a certain date and see exactly what the data looked like at the time, compared to now.”

This allows lenders to better understand customer behaviour over time and refine their strategies.

“That gives more granular insights to understand your customer cycle.”

Innovation, regulation and responsibility

As the market evolves, innovation must go hand-in-hand with responsible lending and regulatory compliance.

Syversen points to the UK’s regulatory environment as a strength:

“We’ve been regulated by the FCA for almost 10 years. As part of the Commercial Credit Data Scheme (CCDS), Creditsafe has been handling sensitive commercial financial data supplied by major UK banks.”

He also highlights the importance of accuracy and accountability:

“It’s a big responsibility the accuracy of the data and the FCA regulations, we take that seriously.”

At the same time, innovation remains central to Creditsafe’s approach:

“Whenever we’re doing something, it’s about doing it differently. It’s our DNA.”

A disruptor mindset

Creditsafe has built its global success on challenging traditional models, particularly around pricing and usability.

“It’s the ease of use and the pricing structure that drives it.”

Syversen compares the platform to a gym:

“The more the customer works out, the better - that’s the driver here.”

This philosophy will carry through into the consumer market, with a focus on accessibility and simplicity.

As new players enter the market, Syversen believes they play a critical role in pushing the industry forward.

But the pace of change is accelerating and not everyone will keep up.

“I believe there’s going to be two kinds of companies in the future: the fast and the dead.”

Creditsafe is positioning itself firmly in the former category:

“We’re going to make sure we’re in the lead squad when it comes to moving fast with relevance.”

Partnership with Credit Strategy

As part of its UK expansion, Creditsafe is partnering with us at Credit Strategy in 2026, a move Syversen sees as strategically important.

“It felt like a really good fit we needed somebody similar to us, mindset-wise.”

The partnership will support industry engagement and help shape conversations around innovation and data.

Join us at Credit Week 2026 where Creditsafe will be in attendance and speaking.

What comes next

For lenders, fintechs and banks, the message is simple:

“Any lender or fintech that wants to build better consumer solutions, this is the moment to work with us.”

As the credit landscape evolves, several trends will define the future:

• Real-time insights
• Improved data quality
• Broader and more diverse data sources
• Better person-centred matching

“It’s real-time insights, better data quality and person-centred matching that is really important.”

Ultimately, Creditsafe’s expansion into consumer credit reflects a broader shift in the industry one where data becomes more dynamic, and speed becomes critical.