Experian integrates commercial credit data into Ascend platform

Experian has integrated its commercial credit data into its Ascend analytics and decisioning platform, giving lenders and businesses instant access to granular credit information on more than eight million UK companies.

The update makes Experian’s full commercial data suite available within Ascend for the first time, including more than six years of full-file credit data such as Commercial CAIS, risk scores, and CATO. Users can analyze this data alongside their own internal datasets through the Experian Analytical Sandbox, eliminating the need for separate integrations or manual data pulls.

Ascend is Experian’s cloud-based platform designed to combine data, analytics, and decisioning tools in a single environment, allowing organizations to test and deploy models more quickly. Experian says its data supported at least two-thirds of UK SME borrowing in 2024, underscoring the role of the platform in commercial lending decisions.

According to Experian, the integration is aimed at helping lenders improve credit decision accuracy, accelerate product launches, and better compete as new lenders and products enter the market. Financial institutions including Metro Bank participated in pilots ahead of launch, using the platform to combine business credit data with advanced analytics to support lending models.