
Celonis & Bright Cape launch app to streamline KYC compliance
The app, named the Celonis Smart KYC Control Tower, targets challenges faced by financial organisations in meeting regulatory requirements for anti-money laundering, anti-terrorist financing, and general financial crime prevention. KYC compliance is widely acknowledged as a critical area of focus for banks and financial entities, yet current processes remain resource-intensive and contribute significantly to overall compliance costs - amounting to as much as 33% of compliance budgets in major financial sectors.
Celonis partnered with Dutch consultancy Bright Cape to develop the Smart KYC Control Tower, which is positioned as an accessible, central application aiming to modernise what has traditionally been a fragmented and labour-intensive workflow for KYC. By providing financial institutions with a centralised and real-time view of KYC operations, the app's objective is to support increased efficiency, ensure regulatory compliance, and enable institutions to scale these crucial operations as business demands evolve. "Financial institutions face mounting pressure to improve compliance while reducing costs," said Chris Johnston, SVP, Head of Global Banking at Celonis. "The Smart KYC Control Tower app enables compliance teams to eliminate inefficiencies, improve risk management, and deliver a superior customer experience - all with the power of Process Intelligence and AI."
Built on Celonis' Process Intelligence Platform and drawing on Bright Cape's extensive experience in the KYC field, the app delivers several key features. Among those are end-to-end process monitoring and improvement, which consists of a centralised interface for institutions to map, analyse, and optimise KYC functions - such as onboarding new customers and handling event-driven reviews.
Regulatory compliance assurance is undertaken through real-time insights, allowing for early detection of compliance risks, prevention of service level agreement (SLA) breaches, and support of adherence to global standards for financial regulation. Additionally, by identifying inefficiencies and potential manual tasks for automation, the solution seeks to optimise resource allocation and curb operating costs associated with compliance functions.
The Smart KYC Control Tower also seeks to improve the customer experience via expedited and smoother onboarding processes, which the companies believe will drive customer satisfaction and foster loyalty over time.
Central to the solution is the use of the Celonis Process Intelligence Graph. This technology equips financial institutions with both a holistic and dynamic overview of KYC activity, integrating directly with the institutions' existing systems. The objective is to facilitate real-time monitoring, introduce intelligent automation options, and allow for proactive risk and compliance management that is informed by continuous data flows.
Unlike older KYC solutions that are often dependent on tailored builds and protracted implementation periods, the Smart KYC Control Tower is described as ready-to-deploy, meaning it can be put in place swiftly. This fast deployment is intended to translate into quicker realisation of benefits, as institutions can immediately monitor, adjust, and refine their KYC processes based on up-to-date operational insights.
The solution forms part of the wider Celonis Platform Apps Program, which aims to deliver business value with applications built specifically for individual industry requirements on the Celonis Process Intelligence Platform.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Techday NZ
a day ago
- Techday NZ
Celonis invests in Bloomfilter to boost AI SDLC insights
Celonis has made a financial investment in Bloomfilter as part of a broader effort to enhance the software development lifecycle with process intelligence and artificial intelligence. This move extends the existing cooperation between the two firms, following the launch of the Celonis for Software Development Lifecycle Management (SDLC) application. The partnership is aimed at supporting organisations looking to address the challenges of timely and cost-effective software delivery, even as artificial intelligence has accelerated code writing. Software development teams are frequently confronted with issues not in producing code, but in orchestrating processes that ensure projects are completed on time and within budget. Traditional business intelligence tools used for SDLC generally offer limited, isolated insights and are seen as inadequate for the complexity of modern development environments. Celonis' SDLC application, powered by process intelligence and artificial intelligence, provides companies with continuous monitoring of development processes. The technology flags inefficiencies, identifies root causes of delays or problems, and proposes specific recommendations for improvement. The app is designed to provide transparency into questions such as project deadlines, process effectiveness, risk areas caused by deviations, and ways to utilise data and AI to enhance outcomes. According to Celonis, one organisation in the network security sector was able to use the application to increase the proportion of successful sprints to 85%, cut stage wait times by 30-40%, and double delivery velocity within a single month. "At Celonis, we are committed to building a robust ecosystem where partners can innovate and thrive on our platform. This investment in Bloomfilter underscores our belief in their groundbreaking work applying Process Intelligence to SDLC and our shared vision that effective enterprise AI is fundamentally reliant on Process Intelligence." This statement was made by Carsten Thoma, President and Board Director at Celonis. Erik Severinghaus, co-CEO of Bloomfilter, said the partnership and associated investment are an important step for the company as it seeks to bring process intelligence to bear on the challenges of software delivery. "Process Intelligence is the key to solving the crisis of complexity with Human and AI-powered software development. This strategic investment from Celonis is a powerful validation for Bloomfilter by the world leader in PI. Together, we are enabling agents and to work more effectively, building the software of tomorrow, today." Allan Jaenicke, Vice President, Global Operations Strategy & Operational Excellence at Waters Corporation, an early user of the Celonis SDLC solution, also welcomed the news: "We chose Celonis for its platform approach, and this investment in Bloomfilter further validates our decision. We are excited to see how our usage of Celonis + Bloomfilter transforms our speed to market and software quality through improving our software development life cycle processes." The SDLC application from Celonis and Bloomfilter is already being used by early adopters, who report improved insights into their development and delivery processes. The firms indicate that the product is capable of supporting businesses as they navigate both human and AI-powered workflows, providing analysis and recommendations tailored to the requirements and risks of specific projects. Bloomfilter's approach uses artificial intelligence-driven process mining across the software development lifecycle to identify waste, risk and other inefficiencies. The platform's stated aim is to make software delivery processes more transparent, predictable and efficient for its customers. The partnership between Celonis and Bloomfilter is focused on integrating more advanced process intelligence into organisations' development cycles, aiming to address persistent pressure points around software project overruns, delays and quality concerns.


Techday NZ
10-07-2025
- Techday NZ
Deepfake & AI crime surge poses major threat to business trust
Trend Micro has released a new report outlining the increasing adoption of generative AI and deepfake technologies by cybercriminals, highlighting growing risks in business fraud, identity theft, and online extortion schemes. Deepfakes move to the mainstream The report indicates that deepfake-enabled cybercrime has developed in both scale and maturity, with generative AI tools now being used for various malicious purposes. These tools, originally intended to assist content creators, are now leveraged by cybercriminals to impersonate executives, circumvent established financial controls, and compromise internal human resource processes. According to the research, the accessibility and affordability of AI-generated media have significantly lowered the barrier to entry for cybercriminals. Off-the-shelf platforms producing video, audio, and image deepfakes are now readily obtainable, requiring little technical expertise on the part of users. As a result, digital trust and the reliability of traditional identity verification systems are being challenged by increasingly convincing synthetic media. Andrew Philp, ANZ Field CISO at Trend Micro, said, "AI-generated media is not just a future risk, it's a real business threat. We're seeing executives impersonated, hiring processes compromised, and financial safeguards bypassed with alarming ease. This research is a wake up call - if businesses are not proactively preparing for the deepfake era, they're already behind. In a world where seeing is no longer believing, digital trust must be rebuilt from the ground up." Research findings documented in the report confirm that attackers can now easily access guides, toolkits, and off-the-shelf solutions intended for content creation but re-purposed for cybercriminal activity. These resources are being actively traded within criminal communities, providing step-by-step techniques for bypassing onboarding checks and utilising plug-and-play deepfake solutions that make sophisticated attacks available to less-experienced perpetrators. Business risks and real-world impacts The application of deepfake technologies has been noted in several key areas highlighted by Trend Micro's report. In the financial sector, there has been a rise in attempts to use AI-generated media to bypass Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements, facilitating anonymous money laundering activities through the use of falsified identification documents and credentials. Businesses are also facing CEO fraud, where deepfake audio or video is used to impersonate senior executives. These attacks can take place in real time during meetings or conference calls, making detection increasingly difficult for unsuspecting teams. Such incidents expose companies to potential financial loss as well as reputational damage, as sensitive internal information may be compromised. The recruitment sector is another area singled out for concern. The report details cases where job applicants use deepfake video or audio to impersonate real candidates and pass interviews, thus gaining unauthorised access to confidential systems and data from within organisations. Growing and accessible cybercrime ecosystem The research describes a flourishing underground ecosystem built around the proliferation of these AI-powered tools. Tutorials and toolkits for crafting deepfakes and conducting scam operations are widely available, diminishing the need for technical proficiency. Face-swapping tools and voice clones are provided as services, making professional-grade results accessible with minimal investment. Trend Micro stresses that these trends represent an urgent need for businesses to adopt proactive measures. This includes updating authentication processes, educating employees about the risks of social engineering, and incorporating detection mechanisms for synthetic media into their cybersecurity strategies. Mitigation and staff awareness To address the evolving threat landscape, the report advocates for a comprehensive approach focused on minimising risk and protecting internal processes. Specific recommendations include regular staff training to recognise social engineering tactics, a review of existing security authentication protocols, and investment in technology capable of detecting deepfake media. Trend Micro's study serves as a reminder that as generative AI technology continues to advance and become more accessible, vigilance and adaptability will be critical components in maintaining organisational security and digital trust.


Techday NZ
10-07-2025
- Techday NZ
Celonis & Bright Cape launch app to streamline KYC compliance
Celonis and Bright Cape have developed a new application designed to help financial institutions improve their Know Your Customer (KYC) compliance processes, manage costs, and enhance customer satisfaction. The app, named the Celonis Smart KYC Control Tower, targets challenges faced by financial organisations in meeting regulatory requirements for anti-money laundering, anti-terrorist financing, and general financial crime prevention. KYC compliance is widely acknowledged as a critical area of focus for banks and financial entities, yet current processes remain resource-intensive and contribute significantly to overall compliance costs - amounting to as much as 33% of compliance budgets in major financial sectors. Celonis partnered with Dutch consultancy Bright Cape to develop the Smart KYC Control Tower, which is positioned as an accessible, central application aiming to modernise what has traditionally been a fragmented and labour-intensive workflow for KYC. By providing financial institutions with a centralised and real-time view of KYC operations, the app's objective is to support increased efficiency, ensure regulatory compliance, and enable institutions to scale these crucial operations as business demands evolve. "Financial institutions face mounting pressure to improve compliance while reducing costs," said Chris Johnston, SVP, Head of Global Banking at Celonis. "The Smart KYC Control Tower app enables compliance teams to eliminate inefficiencies, improve risk management, and deliver a superior customer experience - all with the power of Process Intelligence and AI." Built on Celonis' Process Intelligence Platform and drawing on Bright Cape's extensive experience in the KYC field, the app delivers several key features. Among those are end-to-end process monitoring and improvement, which consists of a centralised interface for institutions to map, analyse, and optimise KYC functions - such as onboarding new customers and handling event-driven reviews. Regulatory compliance assurance is undertaken through real-time insights, allowing for early detection of compliance risks, prevention of service level agreement (SLA) breaches, and support of adherence to global standards for financial regulation. Additionally, by identifying inefficiencies and potential manual tasks for automation, the solution seeks to optimise resource allocation and curb operating costs associated with compliance functions. The Smart KYC Control Tower also seeks to improve the customer experience via expedited and smoother onboarding processes, which the companies believe will drive customer satisfaction and foster loyalty over time. Central to the solution is the use of the Celonis Process Intelligence Graph. This technology equips financial institutions with both a holistic and dynamic overview of KYC activity, integrating directly with the institutions' existing systems. The objective is to facilitate real-time monitoring, introduce intelligent automation options, and allow for proactive risk and compliance management that is informed by continuous data flows. Unlike older KYC solutions that are often dependent on tailored builds and protracted implementation periods, the Smart KYC Control Tower is described as ready-to-deploy, meaning it can be put in place swiftly. This fast deployment is intended to translate into quicker realisation of benefits, as institutions can immediately monitor, adjust, and refine their KYC processes based on up-to-date operational insights. The solution forms part of the wider Celonis Platform Apps Program, which aims to deliver business value with applications built specifically for individual industry requirements on the Celonis Process Intelligence Platform.