PURCHASE, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Mastercard (NYSE:MA) today announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire Brighterion, Inc., a leading software company specializing in artificial intelligence. This acquisition will further expand its suite of capabilities that deliver an enhanced customer experience and security.

Artificial intelligence plays a critical role in enabling consumer convenience, while delivering enhanced security. This advanced technology delivers greater insights from every transaction to assist in making even more accurate fraud decisions.

“To fully realize the promise of our increasingly digital lives, we need to design our payment systems with the future in mind and that’s what we’re doing,” said Ajay Bhalla, president of enterprise risk and security for Mastercard. “Our unprecedented use of artificial intelligence on our network is already proving successful. With the acquisition of Brighterion, we will further extend our capabilities to support the consumer experience.”

Brighterion’s unique Smart Agent technology will be added to Mastercard’s advanced suite of security products already using artificial intelligence. The resulting insights and capabilities from the combined team will deliver even greater accuracy and a new element in managing risk and protecting the consumer.

“It all comes down to intelligent decisioning at the time of the transaction,” said Dr. Akli Adjaoute, founder and CEO of Brighterion. “We’ve worked with Mastercard over the years to identify patterns and trends to power their most advanced customers’ authorization and decisioning activities. We look forward to building on that foundation and providing an industry-leading, holistic and seamless security experience.”

The closing of the transaction is subject customary closing conditions, including the expiration or early termination of the applicable waiting periods under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act.

Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

About Mastercard

Mastercard (NYSE:MA), www.mastercard.com, is a technology company in the global payments industry. We operate the world’s fastest payments processing network, connecting consumers, financial institutions, merchants, governments and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. Mastercard products and solutions make everyday commerce activities – such as shopping, traveling, running a business and managing finances – easier, more secure and more efficient for everyone. Follow us on Twitter @MastercardNews, join the discussion on the Beyond the Transaction Blog and subscribe for the latest news on the Engagement Bureau.

About Brighterion

Brighterion offers the world’s deepest and broadest portfolio of artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies, providing real-time intelligence from all data sources regardless of type, complexity and volume. Our technologies are successfully applied in cyber and homeland security, anti-money laundering (AML), real-time cross-channel fraud prevention, onboarding and risk monitoring, behavioral device ID, data breach detection, marketing, trading, healthcare and biotech.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical facts may be forward-looking statements. When used in this press release, the words “believe,” “expect,” “could,” “may,” “would,” “will,” “trend” and similar words are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Examples of forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements that relate to Mastercard’s future prospects, developments and business strategies, as well as Mastercard’s acquisition and operation of Brighterion’s business. We caution you to not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, as they speak only as of the date they are made. Except for the company’s ongoing obligations under the U.S. federal securities laws, the company does not intend to update or otherwise revise the forward-looking information to reflect actual results of operations, changes in financial condition, changes in estimates, expectations or assumptions, changes in general economic or industry conditions or other circumstances arising and/or existing since the preparation of this press release or to reflect the occurrence of any unanticipated events.

Many factors and uncertainties relating to the proposed transaction, our operations and our business environment, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of our control, influence whether any forward-looking statements can or will be achieved. Any one of these factors could cause our actual results or the impact of the acquisition to differ materially from those expressed or implied in writing in any forward-looking statements made by Mastercard or on its behalf. Such factors related to the completion and impact of the acquisition include, but are not limited to, the following:

• whether all necessary conditions will be met, and
• whether the transaction will close on agreed terms and in a timely manner.

For additional information on other factors related to Mastercard’s overall business that could cause Mastercard’s actual results to differ materially from expected results, please see the company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016 and any subsequent reports on Forms 10-Q and 8-K.

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