Checkboard

Checkboard is a software-as-a-service platform that simplifies client onboarding, payments, and document signing for real estate and property transactions. The software platform serves a wide range of participants in the property market, including buyers, sellers, landlords, tenants, estate agents, mortgage brokers, and solicitors. The company operates on a business-to-business model to ensure security and regulatory compliance throughout the transaction lifecycle, having raised £400,000 in pre-seed funding to support its development. This initial early-stage capital was secured from a syndicate of backers that includes recognizable institutional and private investors such as SFC Capital, Cornerstone, and Angel Investors. Following a pilot program in early 2020, the enterprise executed a full commercial launch in September 2021 to streamline the historically delayed property acquisition process. Checkboard was originally founded in October 2019 by technology entrepreneur James Owusu.

Direct answer: Checkboard is a UK-based onboarding and verification software company (part of the Deepbridge Technology Growth EIS portfolio) that builds digital client onboarding and identity/verification tools for property, legal and conveyancing customers, helping firms automate compliance and speed up transactions[1][4].

High-level overview

• Mission: Provide seamless, compliant client onboarding and verification solutions that reduce friction in property and professional-services transactions[1][4].
  - Investment philosophy (if treated as a portfolio company): Checkboard sits inside the Deepbridge Technology Growth EIS portfolio, meaning it is supported as a growth-stage technology company by investors focused on scalable, revenue-generating software businesses[1][4].
  - Key sectors: Property/conveyancing, legal services and other regulated professional services that require identity verification and onboarding workflows[1][4].
  - Impact on the startup / professional-services ecosystem: By digitizing onboarding and searches, Checkboard shortens transaction cycles, reduces manual error and helps firms meet compliance requirements—enabling conveyancers and similar firms to scale and focus on advisory work rather than paperwork[1][4].

Origin story

• Founding year & ownership context: Public reporting identifies Checkboard as a company within the Deepbridge Technology Growth EIS fund; Deepbridge has announced partnerships and developments involving Checkboard in recent fund communications[1][4].
  - Key people / early evolution: Press releases reference Checkboard’s product and commercial partnerships (for example relationships with HW Conveyancing Searches and Progressive Legal Solutions), indicating early traction through industry partnerships and integration into conveyancing workflows[1][4].
  - How the idea emerged / pivotal moments: Checkboard’s positioning as an onboarding/verification specialist reflects an industry need for faster, compliant client onboarding in property and legal transactions; documented partnership announcements and charity alignment indicate commercial and sector integration milestones[1].

Core differentiators

• Product focus: Dedicated onboarding and verification workflows tailored to conveyancers and legal professionals rather than generic identity tools[1][4].
  - Industry integrations & partnerships: Active partnerships with search providers and legal service firms (e.g., HW Conveyancing Searches, Progressive Legal Solutions) that embed Checkboard into existing conveyancing processes[1].
  - Compliance-first design: Emphasis on meeting conveyancing and regulated-services compliance while streamlining client UX[1][4].
  - Backing / credibility: Inclusion in Deepbridge’s Technology Growth EIS portfolio provides growth-stage capital and access to investor network and support[1][4].

Role in the broader tech landscape

• Trend alignment: Checkboard rides the broader trends of digital transformation in legal and property services, identity verification automation, and the move from paper-based to API-driven service chains in conveyancing[1][4].
  - Timing: Post-pandemic pressure to digitize and regulatory emphasis on robust KYC/AML and client verification make onboarding automation especially valuable to conveyancers and law firms[1][4].
  - Market forces: Growing consumer expectations for faster transactions, increasing regulation, and the commoditization of basic search/reporting services push firms to outsource onboarding to specialist platforms like Checkboard[1][4].
  - Influence: By integrating onboarding and search partners, Checkboard can reduce friction across the property transaction stack and encourage other vendors to provide modular, API-first services.

Quick take & future outlook

• What’s next: Expect continued expansion of sector partnerships (more search providers, law-tech platforms) and further product polish around compliance automation, developer APIs, and workflow integrations to deepen adoption in conveyancing and related professional services[1][4].
  - Shaping trends: Broader adoption will be driven by regulatory complexity, demand for faster completions, and platformization of conveyancing services; Checkboard’s success hinges on executing integrations and demonstrating measurable time/cost savings to clients[1][4].
  - Influence evolution: If Checkboard scales across multiple national conveyancing markets or broadens into adjacent regulated professions, it could become a standard onboarding layer in property and legal tech stacks—reinforcing the move away from manual, document-heavy onboarding[1][4].

Notes, caveats & sources

• Public information on Checkboard is primarily through Deepbridge’s fund materials and press releases announcing partnerships; independent company profiles are limited in the available search results[1][4].
  - If you want, I can search for more details (founders’ names, exact founding year, product screenshots, API docs, customer case studies) or look for company filings and LinkedIn profiles to fill gaps.