One Click, All Data The platform turning complex SME data into instant, actionable insight

Chirag Shah has spent the last decade assembling something most businesses don't even realise they need: the UK's most complete, instantly accessible dataset on small and medium-sized enterprises. As founder and CEO of London based Pulse, he's not just in the business of information - he's transforming how it's used.

"Data is dispersed across various sources and is not always in a usable form," Shah explains. "We built a repository of all UK SMEs with all publicly available data over the last 15 years, updated daily."

Pulse's solution goes beyond aggregation. It uses GDPR-compliant Open Banking and Open Accounting journeys to make it easy for businesses to share real-time data - and, crucially, makes that data accessible to those who need it most. "This data is available via APIs and can be easily accessed in bulk," says Shah. "We built SaaS tools to help banks, lenders, accountants and businesses leverage this data."

Their platform's crown jewel is the Pulse ULI -a tool that gives lenders and service providers instant, API-driven access to SME data. "With the Pulse ULI, data can be accessed and analysed in seconds, delivering instant value to all participants in the SME ecosystem."

Shah has long been vocal about Pulse's guiding vision. "In 2016, we set out a clear goal of achieving One Click Lending for SMEs," he says. "Intense focus on this singular objective shaped Pulse products and solutions." That mission found a powerful accelerant in the rise of Open Banking - and in the unprecedented digital shift during COVID.

"The launch of OB a decade ago," he reflects, "and increased tech adoption during COVID-19 - our customers had a 10x increase in volume and could leverage our platform to deliver support to businesses."

Operating in one of the most volatile business climates in recent history has tested the resilience of both UK SMEs and the platforms built to serve them. But Shah sees strength, not fragility, in the data. "Doomsayers have been predicting the collapse of the UK economy since Brexit," he says. "Brexit, COVID - 19, political uncertainty, and wars across the world have led to challenging environments, but UK businesses have survived, and in many cases grown, through this period." Pulse has one of the largest datasets tracking that resilience. "Our customers are able to leverage this data and our SaaS solutions to keep supporting UK businesses."

While many companies scale by diversifying, Pulse made a counterintuitive - and ultimately defining - move at a critical time. "We were a multi-product firm," Shah says. "During COVID,-19, we shifted focus to just one core product. We shut down some profitable business lines as part of this, but in hindsight, it has been the best move we made as a business."

Shah believes one of the biggest risks for start-ups is over-engineering. "When you are creating products, perfection can sometimes be the enemy of a good product," he says. "Get the prototype out to a limited market quickly, and the customer feedback will help you convert a good product into a perfect product."

Despite economic noise and global uncertainty, Shah remains bullish on the UK as a place to build. "The UK boasts an incredible regulatory and legal landscape," he says. "Customers are open-minded, open to trying new products." In a landscape often dominated by big headlines and bigger valuations, Pulse is proving that the real engine of innovation lies in data - and in making it usable for the businesses who need it most.