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After three years, the experiment known as Experian DataLabs in San Diego is bearing fruit.
Launched in 2011 as a consulting firm aimed at helping Fortune 500 corporations solve major marketing and risk management problems through data analytics, the unit has generated sufficient business to convince its parent company to invest in two more data labs, said Eric Haller, who oversees the operation in Carmel Valley.
"We're now building DataLabs in London and Sao Paulo," said Haller. "It took us three years to prove our business model. Even though we're not a [profit-and-loss-statement] type of company, the board wanted to see if we could bring in more projects, which we did."
Indeed, as the lab grew its projects in both number and complexity, Experian PLC's board tripled its investment in the venture, Haller said, declining to reveal dollar amounts.
Based in Dublin, Ireland, Experian PLC is the largest of three largest credit scoring providers, the others being Equifax and TransUnion. It reported annual revenue for the fiscal year ended March 31 of $4.8 billion, and employs 16,000 people in 39 countries.
High-Risk, High-Return
In San Diego, the DataLabs unit grew from five employees at its launch...