YouGov, the international research and data analytics group, has acquired Open Banking start-up Lean App, in a move that provides YouGov with the capability to enrich its products and services with financial transaction data.
Lean App has been wholly acquired by YouGov on a three-year earn-out tied to enriching and expanding YouGov’s data in the UK and US. All four of Lean App’s co-founders – Luke Dugdale, Tom Stuart, Max Lascombe, and Artur Jurgenson – will join YouGov as part of the deal.
Through Lean App’s ready-built, secure system, members who consent to do so will be able to share their financial transaction data with YouGov. The acquisition means YouGov’s existing products and services will be enriched with data confirming the value, timing, and frequency of purchases made both online and offline, across nearly 40 industries.
Along with the recently announced launch of YouGov Safe, a fully opt-in, GDPR and CCPA compliant, ethical cross-device tracker and data marketplace, this move is in line with one of YouGov’s wider strategic goals to enrich its stream of observed behavioural data.
Both YouGov Safe and the acquisition of Lean App take consumer profiling to the next-level by enabling media owners, brands and agencies to see what the public is actually consuming, purchasing and spending. This data, combined with attitudinal insights from YouGov Profiles, the Company’s audience profiling and targeting tool, provides truly connected market intelligence data.
Stephan Shakespeare, CEO and co-founder of YouGov: “We are excited to bring Lean App into the YouGov fold as we continue to invest for growth in line with our strategy. The addition of financial transaction data, alongside the launch of YouGov Safe, expands our capabilities to provide our clients with data that verifies consumer behaviour. By helping our clients understand their audience’s full journey across their digital activities and connecting it to YouGov’s rich attitudinal data, YouGov is redefining the possibilities of connected customer data for both consumers and clients. ”
