Going Beyond Finance: Why Real-Time Corporate Verification Matters for Pharma, Energy, and Aerospace

When we started building our KYC platform, we based the design on the assumption that real-time KYB (Know Your Business) is primarily a concern for banks and other financial institutions. After all, they are the ones facing strict anti-money laundering (AML) regulations and financial crime risks. But what surprised me when I recently reviewed last year’s new client contracts was that we already have several customers from industries far beyond finance—companies in pharma, energy, and aerospace, for example, are turning to real-time corporate verification to navigate their own complex regulatory and operational challenges. 

When people hear terms like “anti-money laundering, “corporate verification”, or “KYB,” they often think of banking and financial services. However, when working on these new projects, we found that non-financial industries stand to gain as much—if not more—from real-time transparency with their partners, suppliers, and third parties. As global supply chains become more complex and regulatory requirements go beyond AML alone, industries like pharmaceuticals, energy (oil), and aerospace need robust corporate verification to maintain compliance, mitigate risk, and ensure operational resilience. Let’s explore how real-time entity checks and streamlined onboarding workflows can transform these sectors. 

While banks and FinTechs rely on verification to combat money laundering and fraud, non-financial companies face their own pressures. Think of supply chain disruptions, export restrictions, ethical sourcing, and regulatory oversight for sensitive technologies. In today’s landscape, supply-chain management, vendor due diligence, and third-party risk management have become crucial for mitigating risk and ensuring smooth operations. Whether it’s a pharma firm vetting raw material suppliers or an oil company ensuring it doesn’t violate sanctions, companies outside traditional finance now recognise that having up-to-date, trustworthy corporate data is a strategic necessity. From verifying a distributor’s legal status to detecting director changes that signal internal turmoil, real-time insights can help non-financial players keep their networks secure and future-proof. 

Sanctions & Export Controls 

Few industries face as many geopolitical restrictions as oil and gas. Ties to sanctioned regions or politically exposed persons can lead to heavy fines or reputational damage. Real-time verification tools empower energy firms to uncover hidden ownership patterns or shell companies that might be connected to restricted entities. With the breakneck pace of sanction changes today due to the war in Ukraine and high political tensions globally, keeping vendor profiles updated is much more critical today than it has been for a long time.  

Environmental & Ethical Considerations 

Beyond legal constraints, oil companies are scrutinised for their environmental impact and ethical sourcing of machinery, chemicals, or services. Detailed documentation of a vendor’s corporate structure can reveal alignment with sustainable practices or red flags in their operational history. By integrating automated corporate checks into procurement, energy giants can demonstrate proactive diligence—helping them stay transparent and credible to regulators and the public. 

Regulatory & Quality Concerns 

Pharma supply chains are notoriously complex, spanning multiple continents and involving subcontractors, distributors, and research facilities. A single weak link—like a rogue supplier or an unlicensed intermediary—can jeopardise product safety or invite compliance crackdowns. Real-time corporate verification helps pharma companies verify that each partner operates legitimately and has all required approvals in place. 

Clinical Trials & Partnerships 

Drug manufacturers also forge partnerships with clinical research organisations (CROs) or biotech startups. By confirming who truly owns these entities and whether they hold relevant certifications, pharma can avoid reputational harm or legal backlash. A dynamic, automated approach to corporate data retrieval means fewer manual checks and smoother onboarding for new vendors—crucial in a fast-paced R&D environment where time-to-market can be decisive. 

Export Compliance & IP Security 

Aerospace and defence companies must navigate stringent export laws, especially when technology transfers could involve sensitive military or dual-use items. Verifying that a potential supplier or joint venture partner isn’t linked to embargos or high-risk entities is critical. Quick, real-time registry lookups allow aerospace firms to maintain compliance without slowing production timelines. 

Supply Chain Reliability 

Even minor interruptions can lead to costly program delays in an industry where precision and safety are paramount. Real-time corporate verification aids in continuous monitoring—watching for directorship changes or potential financial instability in key suppliers. By catching these risks early, aerospace manufacturers and their partners can pivot before disruptions escalate. 

From pharmaceuticals to oil drilling and aircraft engines, non-financial industries are embracing the same corporate verification tools once seen as “banking–specific.” But today’s corporate structures, even among small vendors, are becoming more complex and increasingly cross-border. Moreover, changes in control and ownership happen faster than ever before, making traditional corporate information databases nearly obsolete. Organisations can rapidly confirm a partner’s status, beneficial owners, and any recent filings that might hint at deeper issues by accessing live registry data in multiple jurisdictions. This process satisfies regulatory or contractual obligations and fosters a culture of transparency. As global supply chains expand and cross-industry collaborations become more frequent, having a streamlined, automated way to vet new and existing entities is evolving into a significant competitive advantage. 

Real-time corporate verification isn’t just for financial institutions. Pharmaceutical, energy, and aerospace companies can leverage it to fortify their supply chains, avoid compliance pitfalls, and maintain ethical operations. When every day counts and each risk poses a global impact, reliable and immediate corporate data helps these industries thrive in an era of constant change.