2023 Recap: YouControl's Year in Review

This article provides an overview of the main updates and notable events that shaped YouControl's journey in 2023.

Updates to YouControl tools

Tool: Express Analysis of potential links to the aggressor — Identifying Russian ties in Ukrainian business.

Update: We have updated Express Analysis with the complete list of Ukrainian companies likely to have ties to the aggressor. Now, there are over 20K of them.  

Advantages: YouControl's Express Analysis features a distinctive set of parameters, enabling users—even those without specific compliance education—to promptly assess partners or clients for potential ties to Russia, Belarus, and countries providing support and arms to Russia. This ensures a swift and efficient evaluation of any potential adversarial traces in their business activities. 

Tool: Legal entity profile, verification of individuals, and connections. 

Update: Inclusion of data on Chief Accountants and authorised signatories for company reports.

Advantages: Uncovering interconnections between companies. Sometimes, the sole thread linking certain entities may be the employee responsible for maintaining their financial records.

Additionally, legal entities' profiles offer current data from various registers: the register of the VAT payers, the register of single taxpayers, the register of large taxpayers, and the register of non-profit institutions and organisations.

Update: Unveiling the advanced version of Courts PRO court case analysis.

Advantages: This advanced iteration of Courts PRO offers a more thorough and organised presentation of information concerning court decisions and scheduled hearings. Users no longer need to delve into the entirety of decision texts to extract case details. The system now showcases the operative part of the decision directly in the check results, streamlining the process of obtaining key information.

Tool: Verification of individuals.

Updates: 

• Historical data: We have enriched our database by incorporating information dating back to the 1990s, providing a comprehensive historical perspective on individuals associated with companies, branches, and separate divisions 

• Anti-Ukrainian activities: Our tool now includes data from various sources, such as the Zradnyky register, details on connections with banned parties, and information from databases like Myrotvorets, War and Sanctions, Russian War Criminals

• Demo profiles: To offer users a complete understanding of our verification capabilities, we've introduced demo profiles for individuals. This allows users to assess the tool's effectiveness before committing to a license. 

Advantages: This tool facilitates in-depth research into the reputation and history of companies, entrepreneurs, and individuals. It plays a crucial role in preventing interactions with unreliable counterparties.

Even without registration, users can view open dossiers at no cost. This feature allows users to experience the functions and assess the data quality of the YouControl system, offering a glimpse into its capabilities before making any commitments.

Tool: FinScore bank scoring

Update: We have updated the financial sustainability scoring of banks for the first, second and third quarters of 2023. This update provides insights into the performance of the leading Ukrainian banks, highlighting key trends in the dynamic banking market.

Advantages: This tool serves as a valuable resource for decision-making regarding collaboration with a bank and gaining insights into financial trends within Ukraine. It proves beneficial for banking market experts, seasoned entrepreneurs, and everyday Ukrainians seeking to steer clear of the potential financial pitfalls associated with dubious banks.

Tool: Media Reputation 

Update: About 4,800 links to "investigation" publications in the media have been added. With this addition, the tool now encompasses content from 26 diverse media sources, featuring a robust database of over 14,000 investigations.

Advantages: This tool is instrumental in delving into the reputation of both companies and individuals. It streamlines the adherence to SFMS requirements and principles of reputation management and facilitates the execution of journalistic investigations. This tool is valuable in navigating and understanding the media landscape, whether for compliance or investigative journalism.

Tool: Resumption of browser extension functionality 

Advantages: The browser extensions for YouControl are now back in operation, offering a swift means of searching for data within YouControl while browsing other websites. Results are accessible even without a site login. For full access to company data, registration or login is required.

The YC.Market platform has undergone significant advancements, introducing several unique features: 

• English-language Version Launch: A user-friendly English version has been introduced, catering to the needs of embassies, donors, and international cooperation entities.

• Enhanced Search Capabilities: Users can now search for companies without ties to the Russian Federation and Belarus, expanding the scope of information available.

• Advanced Company Monitoring: New companies can be monitored based on NACE code, region, and type of business entity.

• Introduction of YC.Market Catalog: This catalogue aids in comprehending market structures and the concentration of companies in specific sectors or regions. Users can swiftly identify key players and potential partners and discern market trends—all accessible free of charge.

In under a year, YC.Market has emerged as an indispensable tool for market analysis, competitor evaluation, and identifying potential customers and partners. The platform stands unparalleled, offering unique and comprehensive functionalities. 

YC.World platform (formerly RuAssets).

YouControl's YC.World, formerly known as RuAssets, emerged as a dynamic startup at the onset of a full-scale war and has swiftly evolved into a comprehensive screening platform. This platform specialises in identifying potentially toxic connections to aggressor countries on a global scale. The system facilitates data searches in the Unified State Registers of 26 countries, spanning the CIS and the UK. It goes beyond borders to visualise business ties worldwide. 

Automatic transliteration and translation tools streamline usability, ensuring an accessible experience for users. The platform automatically identifies risks associated with sanctions and politically exposed persons, providing users with crucial insights.

The product undergoes regular updates, introducing new features and datasets to enhance its functionality continuously. Notably, through the integration of the "How Not to Become a Vegetable" volunteer initiative database, YC.World aids in identifying Russian propagandists and collaborators. Journalists benefit from free access to YC.World for investigative purposes, fostering transparency and enabling over 300 media professionals to utilise this powerful tool in their work.

YouControl Academy: Elevating Compliance and Business Intelligence Education 

Update: 

• New Free Course - Advanced Internet Information Search. This course empowers individuals to locate needed data efficiently, analyse it, draw informed conclusions, and navigate various sources of information. 

• New Free Course - Cybersecurity. This course, crafted collaboratively by British and Ukrainian experts, delves into the core aspects of corporate cybersecurity. The timing is particularly relevant given the heightened intensity of cyber threats in December. 

YC Academy has also become a course provider accredited by the National Agency of Ukraine on Civil Service. This accreditation allows civil servants to enrol in courses and earn ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System) credits.

Transparency advocacy: financial monitoring, closed registers, data quality

Over the past two years, YouControl has solidified its unwavering commitment to championing open data and advancing transparency in Ukraine. Our steadfast position aligns with the principles of upholding the rule of law and fostering openness. 

The team at YouControl remains dedicated to addressing the concerning issue of the unwarranted closure of public registers. We have witnessed tangible outcomes through our speeches, informative articles in the media, official appeals to the Ministry of Digital Transformation, and collaborative efforts with influential public organisations and associations. Notably, these efforts have led to the opening of registers such as those for corrupt officials, financial statements of enterprises, and the Unified State Register. In December 2023, the NACP took a significant step by granting access to the Unified State Register of Declarations, with this data soon to be accessible on YouControl.

YouControl diligently endeavours to fulfil the financial monitoring requirements in Ukraine. This includes extensive training initiatives and integrating pertinent tools within our system. The Express Analysis tool, for instance, features a dedicated tab for Financial Monitoring, signalling crucial factors that demand attention under legal requirements. 

The YouControl analytical system boasts an impressive coverage of 95% of the sources identified by the Typological Study of the State Financial Monitoring Service of Ukraine. This study focuses on detecting money laundering and terrorist financing schemes, as officially approved by Order No. 95 dated December 27, 2022. We remain committed to maintaining and enhancing the quality of our data to contribute to a more transparent and accountable business environment in Ukraine.

Partnerships and collaborations

In 2023, YouControl forged meaningful partnerships with over 40 entities, including companies, organisations, government agencies, and universities. 

Integrations: 

• Integration of YouControl with Microsoft Dynamics 365 and INDI Vision. This integration is poised to double the efficiency of working with counterparty data and reduce cooperation risks by 50%. 

• Integration of YC.Market and SmartTender. This offers SmartTender users free access to the catalogue of all suppliers and individual entrepreneurs in Ukraine during the week. 

Partnerships with government agencies: 

• Partnership with the Ministry of Justice and the StateWatch analytical centre. We have developed a product focused on controlling seized assets. 

The primary objective is to expedite the recovery of Ukrainian assets linked to Russians and collaborators involved in the aggression against Ukraine.

• Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation between YouControl and the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and cooperation with the State Agency for Reconstruction and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine.

• Cooperation with 16 regional administrations. The overarching goal is to oversee the judicious use of budget funds. YouControl experts provide training to members of the "Transparency and Accountability" working group at the Regional Military Administration (RMA).

Collaborations with 10 universities. Among the collaborations is a partnership between YouControl and KSE Institute. As part of this collaboration, an open data curriculum for KNEU master's students has been introduced – an innovative initiative marking the first instance of open data education for university students in Ukraine. 

Researches

Throughout 2023, the YouControl team engaged in a prolific series of over 25 analytical studies, garnering extensive coverage in top Ukrainian media with over 400 reprints. 

When selecting research topics, our primary compass is societal needs. Our research endeavours involve collaboration among analysts from the R&D centre, OSINT specialists, legal experts, communications specialists from YouControl, and financial and business analysts. 

Among Top Studies:

1. Top 1,000 Ukrainian companies by revenue in 2022

2. Who owns Ukraine's energy infrastructure

The first app from YouControl 

Celebrate the success of the YouControl app, which emerged triumphant in the MMR - Marketing Media Review PR case study competition, clinching victory in the "PR Campaign for Victory" category.

• Within the first three days, the app garnered an impressive 200 thousand downloads.

• TyKhto secured the top spot among free apps on both AppStore and Google Play in Ukraine for an entire month.

• Ukrainian and international media mentioned TyKhto over 600 times.

• The Security Service of Ukraine, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, law enforcement agencies, and the Territorial Defense publicly recommended TyKhto for use.

Closing Thoughts

As you conclude this article with us, especially during this time of the year, it signifies a shared appreciation for YouControl's values, making our work meaningful and valuable to you. This core motivation has guided us throughout the year and continues to propel us forward. 

All the updates, research endeavours, and partnerships highlighted here wouldn't have been possible without the dedication of our team – individuals who share our vision and possess a positive attitude towards achieving success. Five YouControl employees were mobilised, retaining their positions with the support and necessary financial assistance.

Some of our team members are volunteers, and part of our team operates from abroad, contributing to the company's efforts despite increased geographical distances. While this has impacted our organisational processes, YouControl remains resilient and unified. 

We prioritise our team's psychological and physical well-being, conducting research on "burnout" in stressful conditions, organising movie nights with a psychologist, providing training for interaction with the military and veterans, and offering courses in emergency behaviour and medicine. Our volunteer activities aim to foster psychological adaptation to the challenges of war, promoting stress resistance and a determination to triumph. Corporate ethics, including inclusiveness and support for veterans and internally displaced persons, are integral to our company culture. We hope that our experiences can serve as inspiration for other teams facing challenges.

Looking ahead, we remain committed to creating, implementing, and researching for the advancement of transparent business, an efficient economy, and the ultimate victory for Ukraine. We believe in the strength of the Armed Forces and the resilience of the best. Here's to a long-awaited and joyful 2024. See you in the new year!

Your YC