US-based Credit Karma plans to grow in Leeds as tech hiring gathers pace

Ken Lin, the CEO of Credit Karma, said he had been impressed with the large number of technology firms that have already established operations in Leeds.

Mr Lin, who co-founded the company in 2007, also believes the expertise of the city’s universities will help to attract talented workers to the region.

The company currently employs 25 staff in Leeds and plans to grow in response to demand.

Mr Lin added: “In Leeds, we’re specifically looking to grow our presence across engineering functions, with a focus on data intensive technical expertise. “

Two months ago, it was announced that Leeds-based Trans Union had completed the sale of Noddle to Credit Karma. Noddle is a free-for-life credit reporting and monitoring service.

John Danaher, TransUnion’s president of Consumer Interactive. said: “We are pleased to have completed the sale of Noddle to Credit Karma and we are confident that the business will continue to prosper under new ownership,.”

UK consumers will continue to benefit from the free information monitoring and financial health services offered through Noddle, and TransUnion will continue to provide Noddle with credit reporting information.

Credit Karma is a consumer technology company that helps more than 85 million members in the US and Canada make the most of their money.

The company offers a range of personal information monitoring and financial health improvement products in the US and Canada that are free for its members.

TransUnion acquired Noddle as part of its acquisition of Callcredit. It announced in November 2018 that it had agreed to sell Noddle to Credit Karma. The sale closed on April 12.

Mr Lin visited Leeds last week to visit the firm’s new office in East Parade, Leeds.

He told The Yorkshire Post: “I always say our employees are our biggest asset at Credit Karma.

“We have a strong team in Leeds, following our acquisition of Noddle. With the investment of our new permanent office at East Parade, I’m confident the team there will continue to flourish so we can focus on scaling Credit Karma in the UK.

He added: “ It’s great to see such significant growth from technology companies in Leeds.

“It seems local tech hiring is on an upward trajectory. Credit Karma fits right into the fintech ecosystem there.”

Mr Lin continued: “I was impressed to learn Leeds is home to a number of education institutions and that emerging workforce can also help to fuel its growth.

He added: “Identifying a company with similar values and like-minded employees on a mission to improve consumers’ financial lives has really made a difference in our experience as we expand to the UK,

He continued: “I was fortunate enough to spend some time with the Credit Karma team in Leeds recently and it was apparent they share a passion for bringing financial progress to our members, like our employees back in the US. That makes a world of difference.”

Speaking when the deal was announced, Nichole Mustard, co-founder and chief revenue officer of Credit Karma, added: “Now that the deal has closed, we can get to the real work of championing financial progress for our members in the UK.

“To do this, we’re investing heavily in our in-market offering and scaling up significantly. We’re looking to triple the team in the UK and open new offices in Leeds and London.”