BB&T made a $5 million investment in Enigma, a data-as-a-service (DaaS) company headquartered in New York City.
Enigma is already providing enhancements to BB&T’s anti-money laundering controls, using advanced analytics with data capture and management capabilities to help identify potential money laundering risks. Enigma has also introduced enhanced metrics and reporting, which reduces overall compliance costs. BB&T expects the company to spur innovation and cost-savings in other areas of the company as well.
“We are committed to continuing our digital transformation by investing in companies like Enigma that harness the power of advanced technology and top-tier talent,” said BB&T Chief Digital Officer W. Bennett Bradley.
“BB&T fundamentally understands what it means to put data to work in service of their clients and community stakeholders,” said Enigma co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Hicham Oudghiri. “The company has been around since 1872 – the year the first patent list was issued from the U.S. Patent Office – and is still pushing the envelope around innovation. BB&T’s investment is a very inspiring vote of confidence in a young company, and we are humbled to expand our partnership with them as an investor.”
Earlier this year, BB&T announced it was setting aside up to $50 million to invest in and/or acquire emerging digital technology companies to benefit clients, lower operating costs and secure a competitive advantage in the marketplace.
Enigma transforms disparate, tabular data into rich representations of real-world relationships, providing a trusted source of intelligence about people, places and companies. It was the winner of the TechCrunch Disrupt NY 2013 and was a graduate of the 2014 FinTech Innovation Lab.
