Product Snapshot: Aryza Validate

Why is KYC more important than ever – especially for banks?

Christian Piller KYC – “Know Your Customer” – is a central element of anti-money laundering and enshrined in the German Money Laundering Act (GwG). Financial institutions are obliged to clearly verify the identity of their customers and assess potential risks – for example, political exposure or links to high-risk countries. In addition, the German Banking Act (§18 KWG) requires the disclosure of financial circumstances in the credit sector.

Both identity verification and disclosure of creditworthiness are now indispensable prerequisites for regulatory compliance. This is precisely where Aryza Validate comes in: the platform helps banks fulfil these obligations efficiently, seamlessly and fully digitally – from initial onboarding through to ongoing risk assessment.

Where are the current challenges in implementation?

Christian Piller Some banks and financial service providers are still heavily paper-based. Onboarding is often manual – forms are printed, scanned, sent back and forth. On top of that, data quality is often poor: even basic information like email addresses may be missing. This creates friction, increases workload and makes traceability more difficult.

Which technical features ensure efficiency and security with Validate?

Christian Piller Key components include image tampering detection (to check whether documents have been altered afterwards), face recognition and liveness checks. Both initial and ongoing screenings are part of the process, as well as KYC scoring. For example, if an application is submitted under the name “Vladimir Putin”, the system flags it immediately, automatically, without manual intervention. This makes it possible to identify risks early and document them systematically.

What makes Validate particularly user-friendly?

Christian Piller A key feature is our identity vault: customers upload their documents once, after which they are securely stored and can be reused – including by other banks or lenders, provided the customer grants access. An automatic notification informs them of every request. In addition, our OCR technology ensures that submitted documents, such as ID cards, are automatically read and processed – saving time and preventing media breaks.

How does the process differ for corporate customers?

Christian Piller The verification process is more complex in the corporate environment. In addition to basic data, companies must provide further information – such as extracts from the commercial register or annual reports. These documents are also stored in the vault and can be reused when needed. The review also considers beneficial owners, ownership structures and risk factors specific to companies.

How does Validate support caseworkers in risk assessment?

Christian Piller Our system delivers various KPIs, such as a Customer Risk Score, supplemented by factors like the Due Diligence Score (DD Score) and scorecards, where individual weightings can be applied. Caseworkers can differentiate between low- and high-risk profiles, with external data sources automatically taken into account. This provides a sound decision-making basis that is both transparent and audit-proof.

How is the platform structured?

Christian Piller Validate consists of several portals: an admin portal for managing the platform, a business portal with screening and scoring functionalities for KYC analysts, and a customer portal (also available as an app) where individual and corporate customers can upload documents and share information with our clients.