Experian to acquire illion in Australia and New Zealand
Experian, the global information services company, is pleased to announce that it has signed an agreement to acquire illion, one of the leading consumer and commercial credit bureaus in Australia and New Zealand.
Brian Cassin, Chief Executive Officer said:
“We are delighted to announce that Experian has entered into an agreement to acquire illion, a highly complementary business to Experian in Australia and New Zealand (A/NZ), which will enhance the competitive dynamics in this important market. This marks a pivotal step in our longstanding commitment to the region and reinforces our dedication to delivering exceptional value and more choice to clients in A/NZ.”
Overview and Strategic Rationale
Established in 1986 in Australia, illion is a bureau provider of consumer credit reporting, commercial credit reporting, and identity and verification solutions in Australia and New Zealand.
Our strategy in EMEA and Asia Pacific is to focus on markets where we have a clear opportunity to operate at scale and deliver innovation-led growth. Experian has successfully operated in A/NZ for over 30 years, serving lending and other institutions with decisioning software, open data and data quality services, as well as consumer bureau services. Australia is currently Experian’s fifth largest country of operation by revenue.
The Australian lending market, like many of our developed markets, is on a journey to help widen access to credit, lower lending costs and improve digital banking services for consumers and businesses. A series of regulatory reforms in Australia have introduced comprehensive (positive) data and open data services and have widened the array of data assets, scores and analytical insights being adopted by banks and other institutions. This has enhanced appetite for analytical tools and data-driven services, expanding our addressable market opportunity.
The acquisition of illion will enable Experian to make full use of this opportunity and offer enhanced choice in A/NZ by providing a meaningful competitive alternative to help businesses accelerate the adoption of digital services. It is highly complementary and synergistic to Experian A/NZ, the combination of which would present a more complete service for clients, adding depth in consumer bureau services, an attractive position in commercial credit bureau services as well as capabilities in identity management solutions. This compares to Experian’s strengths in analytical product capability, decisioning software and certain open banking solutions.
More businesses in A/NZ will benefit from Experian’s leading global platforms to speed up the process of credit granting, enhance digital experiences for users, reduce fraudulent exposure and improve efficiency in banking and other sectors. Experian will be well positioned to introduce more innovation in Australia through capabilities such as the Experian Ascend unified platform, which encompasses Experian’s sophisticated analytics, and our PowerCurve decisioning suite.
Financial information
The acquisition of 100% of illion is for a total consideration of up to A$820m (c.US$532m*), payable on completion of the transaction and to be funded from Experian’s existing cash resources. The acquisition is subject to regulatory review by the competition authority in Australia which we anticipate will conclude in the second half of calendar year 2024. In the first full year of ownership we expect the acquisition to add revenues of c. A$175m and Benchmark EBITDA of c. A$65m. This compares to Experian revenues in A/NZ which are expected to be c. A$115m in FY24.
* AUS$/US$ spot exchange rate of 1.54 as at 3 April 2024
About Experian
Experian is the world’s leading global information services company. During life’s big moments – from buying a home or a car, to sending a child to college, to growing a business by connecting with new customers – we empower consumers and our clients to manage their data with confidence. We help individuals to take financial control and access financial services, businesses to make smarter decisions and thrive, lenders to lend more responsibly, and organisations to prevent identity fraud and crime.
We have 22,400 people operating across 32 countries and every day we’re investing in new technologies, talented people, and innovation to help all our clients maximise every opportunity. With corporate headquarters in Dublin, Ireland, we are listed on the London Stock Exchange (EXPN) and are a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.
Learn more at www.experianplc.com or visit our global content hub at our global news blog for the latest news and insights from the Group.
