Know Your Business (KYB) applies the discipline of KYC to legal entities. Before you onboard a company as a customer, partner or merchant, KYB confirms the business exists, is in good standing, and identifies the real people who own and control it.

What is KYB verification?

KYB pulls official registry data, validates company status and filings, maps ownership, and screens both the entity and its people for risk. Certivant runs this end to end as KYB business verification.

How business fraud hides

  • Shell companies with no real operations used to move illicit funds.
  • Hidden beneficial owners layered behind nominee directors and holding companies.
  • Synthetic businesses built on fabricated or stolen credentials.

Beneficial-ownership transparency is a core FATF expectation, and regulators increasingly require firms to look through the corporate veil.

The KYB process

1. Verify the entity

Confirm registration number, legal name, status and address against authoritative registries.

2. Map ultimate beneficial owners (UBOs)

Trace ownership through the corporate chain to the natural persons who ultimately control the business.

3. Screen people and entity

Run the company, its directors and UBOs through sanctions and PEP screening, then verify key individuals with KYC.

Best practices

  • Re-verify on a schedule — ownership and directors change.
  • Set a clear UBO threshold (commonly 25%) and document it.
  • Automate decisions with risk scoring so analysts focus on true exceptions.

Frequently asked questions

What is a UBO?

A Ultimate Beneficial Owner is the natural person who ultimately owns or controls a company, directly or indirectly.

How is KYB different from KYC?

KYC verifies individuals; KYB verifies organisations and the people behind them. See KYC vs KYB vs AML.

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