V3 Startup Spotlight: Cloud-based background checking service Onfido

This week Husayn Kassai, co-founder and chef executive of Onfido, goes under the spotlight

Onfido was founded in August 2012 by three Oxford University graduates - Husayn Kassai, Eamon Jubbawy and Ruhul Amin - and provides a cloud-based platform designed to automate background checking processes for HR departments.

The system uses artificial intelligence to deal with new applicants and employees entering jobs that require a degree of trust or the handling of money.

Onfido has seen strong growth over the past three years, and customers include heavyweight finance firms such as Bank of New York and companies in the UK's sharing economy like Hassle.com and RelayRides.

The startup can offer the background checking service in 28 countries and has grown to employ 45 people in its Aldgate East base in London. We put chief executive Kassai under our Startup Spotlight to find out more about Onfido.

If you want to take part in the V3 Startup Spotlight contact Roland Moore-Colyer.

Previous startups under the spotlight have ranged from fintech firm Ormsby Street, to referencing app and cloud platform firm RefME, customer feedback system provider truRating, and London restaurant discovery app firm Uncover.

Why did you set up Onfido?
Background checking is an industry that needed to be brought into the 21st century. Until recently it was bureaucratic, cumbersome and paper-based, which meant it was prone to human error.

By automating the background checking process, we knew we would be making a service that would not only be cheaper, but more accurate and seamless.

Tell us how you got Onfido off the ground
Ruhul, our very talented chief technology officer, built the first version of Onfido after we secured seed funding in 2012 from the University of Oxford's Said Business School and the Isis Software Incubator at Isis Innovation.

Having that first version complete was an extremely proud moment, and one that I'll never forget.

What technology do you use?
Our engineers use Ruby on Rails, and the team as a whole works with several tools, such as Salesforce to track leads, Amazon S3 for IT storage, Atlassian Jira and Confluence for tracking and documenting progress, and Act-On, Nickelled, SEO Monitor and Google Analytics for marketing.

What level of funding have you received so far?
In February 2015 we became the youngest founders in London to raise Series A funding, $4.5m, with backing from some of the world's leading investors, including Dan Cobley, former managing director of Google UK, and Brent Hoberman, co-founder of Lastminute.com.

What challenges have you encountered?
When Onfido launched, we were a young founding team with no previous experience of starting a background checking company, so persuading large clients to trust us was a challenge in the early days.

However, we were able to prove our service by offering free trials and focusing on using customer references. We showed how we are quick learners and, most importantly, we constantly surrounded ourselves with those who have been there and done it before.

What's been the biggest highlight of your business so far?
It has to be securing Series A funding. We spent a few years building a fantastic platform for the company to make that next big leap.

Getting the funding enabled us to do just that, and is the reason we have been able to grow our presence in even more countries and continue developing our technology.

What does your company do to relax or have fun after a busy day?
We offer a number of perks to ensure our staff can relax and take time away from their desks.

We have a pool table in the office, which is very popular, and we do five-a-side football, yoga and socials, including cookery classes and private cinema trips.

What did you and your co-founders do before starting up?
Ruhul and Eamon did brief stints working in the City before we launched Onfido. Ruhul worked in the financial sector at Fidessa and Mitsubishi UFJ, and Eamon worked at Credit Suisse and myself at Merrill Lynch.

What are your favourite and worst things about running your own startup?
Entrepreneurialism is in my nature. In my early teens I was running my own little ventures, so really I am just living my dream. Every day brings a different challenge - which means I am constantly developing my skills.

The job of a chief executive obviously comes with a certain level of responsibility, which can be stressful at times. It helps that I am a calm, level-headed person, and have a great team around me to collaborate and help make difficult decisions.

If you could emulate the success of another startup, which would it be?
I would say Stripe. They enable businesses to accept and manage online payments, and are a global, fast-growing company with a great product that's easy to use. They have built a talented and dedicated team and are tech-driven and innovative.

Tech hero?
Martin Fowler.

Coffee shop of choice?
Patisserie Valerie.

Beverage of choice?
Fresh carrot juice.

Favourite bar?
Sky Cloud.

Do you benefit from startup communities and related networking?
Very much so, especially in the early days. Great to bounce ideas and meet potential investors and co-founders.

Could the government and technology industry do more to support UK startups?
Enabling automated access to government databases and access to criminal record checks electronically would be a welcome move.

Providing subsidies for early stage startups to cover office rent, and making it easier to hire talent from abroad would also be beneficial.