UK fintech Anna Money has completed a double acquisition of company formation platform Business Data Group (BDG) and small business community UK Business Forums (UKBF) from their founder, Richard Osborne. The purchases are intended to embed the fintech's banking, bookkeeping, and tax compliance tools directly into the initial corporate registration process.
Osborne launched UKBF in 2003 and later established BDG in 2007 using the proceeds from a prior sale of UK Business Forums to publisher Sift. BDG operates an electronic filing network and partner programme for corporate registration agents, accounting for roughly 30% of the UK's independent company formation sector.
“Anna Money buys BDG and UK Business Forums to embed banking and compliance tools at company registration.”
Anna Money's move signals a strategic shift: rather than competing with the independent agents who rely on BDG's eFiling platform, the fintech is investing in the technology that underpins them. “So instead of competing with the independent agents who rely on BDG's eFiling platform, we're investing in the technology, automation and tools that strengthen their positions,” the company said in a statement.
By integrating its services at the company incorporation phase, Anna Money aims to capture new businesses as soon as they register, offering a seamless path from formation to day-to-day financial management. The acquisitions also bring Anna Money closer to the small business community that UK Business Forums has cultivated over nearly two decades.