Eleven years!
In the life of a company, it’s both a blink of an eye and a journey filled with defining moments. What began in Switzerland with a clear conviction—that trust, integrity and transparency should be the foundation of every hiring decision—has grown into Aequivalent: a leading background check provider supporting organisations in Switzerland, across Europe and beyond, in making informed, responsible choices.
When Aequivalent was founded in January 2015, background checks were still uncommon in Switzerland. The few organisations that had screening processes in place often relied on manual, fragmented and time-consuming document review methods, based largely on candidate-provided information. Other negative side effects: a higher risk of undetected issues, a burdensome experience for candidates, and inconsistent data protection compliance. Our founder Michael Platen saw the potential of employment screenings in our country, driven by international best practices and the increasing needs in regulated industries.
Step by step, Aequivalent set out to change and digitalise the essential HR, recruitment and onboarding processes via a secure, Swiss-based platform. By combining HR and legal expertise, technological innovation and a deep understanding of compliance requirements, the team-built solutions designed not only to verify information, but to strengthen trust between employers and candidates.
Today, Aequivalent supports more than 300 organisations of all sizes with comprehensive, compliant, and customisable background screening programmes. Our solutions integrate seamlessly into modern HR ecosystems and are trusted by HR, compliance, risk and security professionals across industries.
But our growth has never been about adding checks for the sake of it. It has always been about raising the standard in Switzerland and making screenings employee friendly, transparent, relevant and proportionate for every organisation and every industry.
Below are 11 key milestones that illustrate how Aequivalent has evolved over the past 11 years and how we continue to help organisations build trustworthy and resilient workplaces.
11 Key Milestones in Aequivalent’s History
- Founded in 2015
Aequivalent was founded in January 2015 with a clear ambition: to modernise hiring practices in Switzerland by introducing a digital, compliant and transparent background screening service that helps organisations to recruit with confidence.
- Innovative technology
Our cutting-edge platform, developed in Switzerland, streamlines our client’s screening processes, while keeping turnaround times low to make hiring decisions faster, without compromising on accuracy and employee experience.
- 95% satisfaction rate
Client and satisfaction has always been a top priority. Our more than 300 corporate clients rely on more than just reports and technology—they value expert guidance, responsiveness, and long-term partnership. The industry-leading candidate and employee satisfaction with the platform is consistently above 95%.
- Swiss apprenticeship company
Since 2018, Aequivalent has been a certified Swiss training company, welcoming apprentices and interns each year and actively contributing to professional education in Switzerland.
- Expanding presence
In 2019, client demand drove Aequivalent to extend its platform to their international subsidiaries across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. This expansion was reinforced in 2022 with the opening of a Service Centre in Bern to better serve German-speaking clients.
- Self-service marketplace
With the launch of the Aequivalent Marketplace in 2024, employers gained the ability to conduct selected verifications autonomously, such as identity checks, watchlists screening, , e-reputation verifications or financial probity—directly through the platform.
- ISO 27001 certification
Information security and data protection are critical in background screening and are integrated by default and by design at Aequivalent. The company was first ISO 27001 certified by SGS in 2019 and successfully recertified in 2025 by SQS, confirming the robustness of its information security management system.
- From start-up to scale-up
In 2023, Aequivalent became part of Scale Up Vaud, joining a select group of high-growth companies. Today, Aequivalent operates as a fast-growing Swiss HR tech scale-up with a clear mission: delivering reliable technology and information that transforms hiring decisions.
- Swiss Combo Check
Launched at the HR Festival early 2025, the Swiss Combo Check simplifies screening further by allowing employers to order and verify criminal records and debt collection records in a single step—removing administrative burden and costs for candidates and employees.
- HRIS integrations
To fit naturally into existing HR processes, Aequivalent integrates with leading HR and talent management systems such as Workday, Lucca, Adequasys, SAP, PeopleWeek and others—reducing manual work and improving efficiency for our clients.
- 97% verification rate
Background checks are our bread and butter. Over the years, Aequivalent has successfully completed more than 300’000 verifications, continuously adapting its solutions to evolving organisational, legal, and industry-specific requirements. With a 97% effective verification rate, Aequivalent is industry-leading and significantly reduces hiring risks for its clients.
Thank you from Aequivalent
Before we get too emotional reflecting on the past 11 years, we would like to sincerely thank everyone who has contributed to this journey: our employees, partners and clients. Your trust, collaboration and commitment have shaped Aequivalent over the past 11 years and continue to inspire us every day.
If you are looking to strengthen and optimise your hiring processes and build trust from the very first step, we would be delighted to support you. Contact us today to get started!
Date of publication: january 2026
Author: Aequivalent’s Marketing and Sales team
