ClearScore Bolsters Mortgage Offerings Through Acquisition of Acre Platforms

ClearScore Group, a prominent British financial marketplace, has officially announced its acquisition of Acre Platforms Limited, a respected technology solutions provider within the mortgage industry based in the UK.

This strategic move by ClearScore is aimed at accelerating its presence in the mortgage sector, complementing its existing stronghold in unsecured credit brokering. This acquisition comes on the heels of ClearScore’s successful integration of Aro Finance in early 2025, which bolstered its capabilities in secured loans.

Justin Basini, the co-founder and CEO of ClearScore Group, expressed his enthusiasm about the acquisition, stating: “Acre represents a valuable addition to the ClearScore Group, and we are committed to facilitating the business’s growth journey. ClearScore brings to the table its renowned brand, expansive reach, user-permissioned data on a large scale, and one of the most advanced, reliable, and unique fintech infrastructures in the industry. When combined with Acre’s leading CRM platform for intermediaries, we have a compelling array of technology platforms, data assets, and APIs spanning unsecured credit, auto finance, and now mortgages.”

Analysis of the sector indicates ongoing momentum in mortgage, housing finance, and related FinTech models, providing context for ClearScore Group’s acquisition of Acre Platforms.

In a recent development in February 2025, Madrid-based Libeen secured €25 million to expand its innovative “Smarthousing” model, which merges alternative financing structures with technology to reduce barriers to home ownership in Spain, with a focus on expansion, tech enhancements, and asset growth.

Another noteworthy mention is Valencia-based Colibid, recognized by EU-Startups for its digital mortgage marketplace connecting borrowers, banks, and brokers through a bidding-style platform. The company has raised approximately €0.5 million thus far to drive product enhancement and market penetration.

Within this dynamic landscape, ClearScore’s decision to acquire Acre, rather than solely fund it, aligns with the trend of established FinTech entities venturing into mortgages through consolidation, complementing the venture funding observed among early-stage specialists in the same domain.

This acquisition comes on the heels of ClearScore securing €36.1 million in debt financing from HSBC Innovation Banking UK a year ago.

“This acquisition perfectly complements our successful foray into the secured loans market, building upon the substantial growth we have witnessed in our home lending operations in 2025. The acquisition enables us to expedite our mortgage strategy with Acre’s technology fueling our home lending business and enabling us to deliver innovative experiences for our users,” added Justin.

ClearScore, serving over 25 million individuals globally, facilitates access to credit, insurance, and various financial products. With a decade-long presence in the industry, the Group established its flagship UK credit marketplace in 2015 and has since expanded into multiple continents, diversifying into new verticals with offerings like the DriveScore app.

ClearScore’s API integrations with financial institution partners aid in enhancing customer conversion, revenue generation, and risk management, boasting over 200 partner relationships worldwide.

Catering to a user base of over 25 million, ClearScore’s financial marketplaces leverage credit and affordability data to match users with credit cards, loans, and car finance, facilitated through credit reports and open banking. The integration of Acre into ClearScore’s ecosystem is envisioned to be a pivotal component of the mortgage landscape, akin to D•One, its open banking service for lenders, which has become integral to the credit ecosystem.

On the flip side of this acquisition stands Acre, established in 2018, with a mission to revolutionize the property purchasing process, making homeownership faster, simpler, more transparent, and ultimately more cost-effective for consumers.

Justus Brown, CEO at Acre, emphasized: “Our core mission has always been to streamline the mortgage journey, simplifying the process for consumers to expedite home ownership. Our data-centric approach has led us to develop a platform that has transformed brokers’ operations in the UK. Joining forces with the ClearScore Group marks an exciting evolution for us, accelerating our quest to become the premier tech platform in the mortgage industry.”

“We are thrilled to announce this acquisition as it paves the way for exciting growth prospects aligned with ClearScore’s strong brand, tech infrastructure, and lender collaborations.”

Under the new ownership structure, Acre will persist in providing technology solutions for mortgage and protection businesses, aiming to deliver a superior home-buying experience in conjunction with ClearScore, catering to the demands of ClearScore’s 16 million user base in the UK.

ClearScore intends to extend its mortgage platform to its operations in South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, leveraging the partnership to channel mortgage demand from its users to Acre’s broker network via the platform. Acre will furnish the Group with additional property, mortgage, and affordability data, enriching insights for homeowners and prospective buyers within ClearScore’s platform.