Núclea Acquires Data Rudder to Boost AML and Fraud Prevention Services

Núclea has announced an agreement to acquire 100% of Data Rudder, a company specialized in financial crime prevention solutions. The transaction, which is still subject to approval by Brazil's Central Bank, aims to strengthen Núclea's portfolio by combining technology infrastructure with data intelligence to help financial institutions prevent fraud and combat money laundering.

Acquisition strengthens fraud prevention strategy

The acquisition is part of Núclea's strategy to broaden its presence in fraud prevention and anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CFT) solutions. By integrating Data Rudder's technologies, the company intends to improve how financial institutions identify suspicious activity and respond to incidents involving payment systems.

One of the main objectives is to shorten the time between detecting fraudulent activity and blocking the associated funds, increasing the likelihood of recovering stolen assets.

"As we celebrate our 25th anniversary, we continue looking toward the future and investing in the evolution of our business. Data Rudder strengthens our strategy of expanding Núclea's role in solutions that deliver greater security, intelligence, and efficiency for the financial market, while increasing our capacity to innovate and support the sector's transformation. We continue advancing as a responsible and sustainable business, improving systemic competitiveness across the value chain, risk management, and fraud mitigation, generating tangible benefits for Brazilian society," said André Daré, CEO of Núclea.

Recovery rates expected to improve significantly

According to the companies, integrating their operations could increase the monthly recovery rate of disputed funds to as much as 46% of chargeback requests. Currently, the companies said that fewer than 10% of disputes result in users successfully recovering their money.

Rafaela Helbling, CEO of Data Rudder, highlighted that fraud schemes often succeed because financial institutions only see isolated parts of the problem.

"Fraud, money laundering, scams, and mule accounts that receive millions within hours and disperse the money in minutes all happen because each institution only sees a small part of the problem. By combining our anti-fraud intelligence with the trillions of reais processed by Núclea every month, you are not only protecting transactions—you are protecting the entire financial system."

Data Rudder's solutions will become part of Núclea's portfolio

Founded in 2020 in Florianópolis, Brazil, by Rafaela Helbling and Thais Nolasco, Data Rudder monitors approximately R$1 billion in monthly transactions and serves more than 200 financial institutions, including Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) providers.

Following the completion of the acquisition, Núclea's portfolio will incorporate the company's existing solutions, including:

DeLorean Anti-Fraud Pix

A real-time monitoring solution for Pix transactions.

DeLorean Transactional Anti-Fraud

A behavioral analysis platform designed for transactions made through wire transfers (TED), bank slips, and payment cards.

Watchlist

A collaborative platform that enables financial institutions to share fraud indicators related to card transactions.

DataBusters

An interoperability solution aligned with Brazil's Joint Resolution No. 6 of the Central Bank, enabling institutions to exchange fraud indicators.

Monitora PLD

A monitoring solution designed to support anti-money laundering compliance in accordance with the requirements of Brazil's Financial Activities Control Council (Coaf).

Information sharing plays a key role in combating financial crime

Daré emphasized that structured information sharing among financial institutions is essential to improving the effectiveness of financial crime prevention efforts.

"Combating financial crime requires coordination among participants across the ecosystem. By integrating capabilities and structuring information flows, we increase the efficiency of the dispute infrastructure and contribute to a more resilient and collaborative financial system."

Helbling added that the integration is designed to strengthen both prevention and fund recovery capabilities.

"Fraud is a dynamic and interconnected phenomenon. By combining transactional intelligence with structured recovery processes, we expand prevention capabilities and improve the effectiveness of our actions through data-driven, integrated ecosystem analysis."

Integration will occur gradually after regulatory approval

The companies stated that the integration of employees and systems will be carried out gradually once regulatory approval is obtained.

During this process, Rafaela Helbling and Thais Nolasco will remain in leadership positions, overseeing both the integration and the continued operation of Data Rudder within Núclea.