ThetaRay announces acquisition of Screena, European screening company

 ThetaRay, one of the leading providers of AI-powered financial crime detection technology, has announced the acquisition of next-generation European screening company, Screena. The acquisition is part of ThetaRay’s continuous investment in proprietary technology and its mission to enable banks, fintechs, and regulators to detect financial crime with state-of-the-art AI solutions. 

Screena helps financial institutions stop wrongdoers without afflicting legitimate parties. It screens individuals, companies, or other entities against numerous lists of sanctioned parties. This ensures compliance with international law and regulations while empowering global trade, protecting reputations, and delivering financial security. 

ThetaRay, which is deployed in over 40 countries across six continents, is on a journey to become an entirely cloud-based, end-to-end financial crime detection platform. It is currently used by over 100 financial institutions, including major names in the industry, such as Santander, Payoneer, and Travelex. This strategic acquisition formalizes Screena’s cloud-based AI-driven screening solution as part of ThetaRay’s product suite, providing financial institutions with a holistic view of transactional and customer screening risks.

Using ThetaRay, clients – whether fintech platforms or banks – can detect multiple types of financial crimes, such as money laundering, terrorist financing, and drug trafficking. Most recently, in a global effort to combat modern slavery, Santander UK teamed up with ThetaRay to deploy advanced technology aimed at detecting human trafficking within financial transactions. This collaborative effort received accolades for “Best Use of Data for Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery Detection” at the Digital Transformation Awards in June 2024. 

“The acquisition of Screena is a significant milestone for ThetaRay as we continue our mission to power the global fight against financial crime by enhancing our offerings with the most advanced AI capabilities. It furthers our commitment to delivering an end-to-end platform that enables banks, fintechs, and regulators to effectively identify financial crime – vital capabilities to grow and operate a financial institution today,” remarked Peter Reynolds, CEO of ThetaRay. “The recent launch of our Customer Risk Assessment (CRA) product this year and the mass adoption of our leading Transaction Monitoring offering demonstrates both a clear need in the market and our proven ability to build pioneering solutions. We are delighted to have closed our first acquisition, bringing key capabilities and further establishing our already rapidly growing presence in Europe.”

“The need for international, cross-border payments, and business corridors between Europe and Africa, South America and the US, and many locations around the world requires the use of AI and advanced technology to make sure that the transactions are trusted, and that the people behind them are trusted,” said Erel Margalit, Chairman of ThetaRay, and Founder and Chairman of JVP. “ThetaRay’s AI also establishes a highway for the good actors that require an international payment network to do their business. The acquisition of Screena advances the ability to identify bad actors, whether it’s money laundering, drug trafficking, or terrorist financing in a much more pointed way. This move is a testament to ThetaRay’s mission of thwarting financial crime and continuously enhancing capabilities to win this critical fight on our journey to becoming a category leader.”

Cédric Iggiotti, CEO of Screena, added, “Integrating with ThetaRay has been a game-changer for us at Screena, revealing the true potential of combining transaction monitoring, screening, and customer risk assessment. For too long, screening was siloed from other critical financial crime detection tools. Our partnership with ThetaRay not only meets stringent regulatory demands but also significantly enhances our crime detection capabilities, as evidenced by our recent successes with major financial institutions. Looking ahead, we are excited to push the boundaries of what’s possible in building a more trustworthy financial ecosystem.”