Experian has announced the acquisition of AtData, a data and intelligence company backed by email insights technology and email marketing services.

The global data and technology firm said the deal will expand its data and identity assets, adding over 10 billion email addresses worldwide. AtData’s real-time email data signals will be combined with Experian’s existing consumer data, analytics and decisioning platforms to help clients more confidently identify, authenticate and engage consumers across digital channels.

Experian said the acquisition is part of its AI strategy and will support its ambition to build an integrated, privacy-centric identity solution that improves customer experience at every stage of the journey.

For more than 25 years, AtData has enabled organisations to validate and verify first-party email data, which the company says helps them develop actionable customer profiles and assess risk to increase engagement, sales and retention.

Experian’s acquisition of AtData follows a highly collaborative partnership between the two firms that has spanned more than 15 years. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“Differentiated data and real-time identity signals are the ultimate advantage and increasingly important in the age of AI,” said Jeff Softley, chief executive of Experian North America. “The acquisition of AtData is another step in our mission to build the most comprehensive and privacy-centric identity infrastructure. AtData brings deep email intelligence into our platform and further fuels our AI strategy. This isn’t just about adding capabilities, it’s about creating an integrated, durable identity solution that helps our clients deliver better experiences at every stage of the customer journey.”

Earlier this month Experian announced it will launch its auto insurance comparison platform on ChatGPT, bringing its services to “millions” of consumers in the US who use OpenAI’s products.

Finding the right auto insurance policy has traditionally involved lengthy forms, multiple websites and unclear comparisons, with Experian saying this often results in consumers spending hours navigating options without confidence that they have secured the best rate.

The new app aims to turn this process into a streamlined, conversational experience.

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