Data sharing platform Equal named among WEF's top 100 global tech pioneers

The fintech startup has been recognised by the World Economic Forum for its secure, consent-based infrastructure powering KYC and data sharing across financial services

Equal, a leading data sharing platform, has been named by the World Economic Forum (WEF) in its 2025 list of Technology Pioneers, a global cohort of 100 companies driving transformation across industries.

 

Founded in 2022 by Keshav Reddy and Rajeev Ranjan, Equal is one of just 100 companies worldwide and 10 from India selected by WEF from thousands of applicants. Equal joins an elite league of past WEF Pioneer alumni, including Google, Spotify and Airbnb.

 

The company provides infrastructure for KYC, fraud prevention, and financial data sharing across sectors such as lending, insurance and employment. Equal holds a strategic stake in OneMoney, India’s largest RBI-licensed account aggregator.

 

 

Equal processed over 101 million transactions in March 2025 and is currently operating at an annual run rate of over 1 billion transactions, up from 75,000 in FY2024. It serves over 250 clients, including some of India’s largest financial institutions, connects with more than 50 ID repositories, and operates with a 97 per cent KYC (know your customer) success rate. 

 

“This acknowledgment reinforces our belief that consent-based, secure data sharing is foundational to India’s digital future,” said Keshav Reddy, founder, Equal. “Over the last year, we’ve seen how access to verified data can meaningfully transform lives, from helping a gig worker get credit for the first time to enabling faster health insurance claims for families in need. As we look ahead, we’re focused on building robust, AI-led infrastructure that makes personal data truly work for every Indian, responsibly, transparently and at scale.”

 

The company is backed by Prosus Ventures, DST Global Partners, Blume Ventures and Indian entrepreneurs including Nikhil Kamath, Binny Bansal, Kunal Shah and Karan Adani. Its advisory board is chaired by Justice B N Srikrishna, former Supreme Court judge and author of India’s data protection framework. 

 

India has made a strong showing this year, with 10 startups making it to the WEF list—a testament to the country’s growing influence in the global innovation landscape. Apart from Equal, other Indian startups featured in the 2025 cohort include Agnikul Cosmos, CynLr, Dezy, Digantara, Exponent Energy, Freight Tiger, GalaxEye, SolarSquare and The ePlane Co.

 

As a WEF Technology Pioneer, Equal and its peers will contribute to global discussions on digital trust, data privacy and financial inclusion. The company has been invited to the WEF’s Annual Meeting of the New Champions in Tianjin, China (June 24–26, 2025).