Jersey’s FIU boosts its OSINT capabilities with Blackdot Solutions

• Financial Intelligence Unit – Jersey (FIU) is driving insight through open source intelligence after trialling Blackdot Solution’s Videris platform.
• Director Jonathan Groom has spearheaded the transformation project to ensure the FIU is delivering the ‘INT’ in OSINT.

3rd June 2025: Financial Intelligence Unit Jersey (FIUJ) has signed an agreement with Blackdot Solutions, a leading provider of advanced intelligence and investigations software, to adopt its Videris platform for open source intelligence (OSINT) collection, analysis, and reporting.

As part of Jersey FIU’s wholesale transformation project to address intelligence limitations, drive effectiveness, ensure efficiencies and deliver more valuable intelligence insight for stakeholders, the FIU reviewed OSINT platforms that assist in delivering financial crime-focused value-add. The platform had to be usable and adaptable across tactical, operational, and strategic deliverables. Ultimately, as an intelligence agency, the FIU needs to go beyond the often random and sporadic internet search, employing a systematic and understandable approach to research tasks and further intelligence development.

After reviewing a number of providers, FIU Jersey was impressed by Blackdot’s award-winning Videris Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) platform. After a successful trial of Videris, FIU Jersey concluded that utilising the platform demonstrated a significantly increased ability to enhance accuracy, deliver consistent searches and enable the research process more effectively and in a timely manner, thereby significantly increasing the efficiency and accuracy of this function of the intelligence cycle.

During its three-month trial of Videris, which is trusted by government agencies, law enforcement, financial institutions and major corporations around the world, FIU Jersey carried out comprehensive reviews and sought feedback from its team regarding the usability and results of the platform. Results showed that:

• The team rated the platform highly and felt it would improve case management and operational efficiency.
• The FIU team rated the Videris platform 8.5 out of 10 for data analysis, visualisation tools and ease of use.
• The FIU team also liked the platform’s ability to empower connectivity of searches, identify actionable insights, auto-generate reports, visualisations and audit trail logging, provide secure traceless browsing, and offer interoperability with other FIUJ systems.

The implementation of Videris is in line with the jurisdiction’s and FIU’s vision for transforming and enhancing capabilities within FIU Jersey. New technology and sources are seen as a force multiplier that allows the FIU to attain insights previously out of reach. Ultimately, these technology, training, and engagement changes are empowering the FIU to deliver enhanced assessment, analysis and insight to its various partners and stakeholders, both locally and internationally. 

“The FIU transformation is being conducted due to identified weaknesses, and the aim is to ensure a suitable FIU for an International Finance Centre such as Jersey, where better global data and insight are critical. Intelligence is dependent on sources and the veracity and uniqueness of that data, alongside the human intelligence analysis, insight and assessment. Blackdot’s Videris platform is an important tool to enhance insight and we are delighted to work with them. An effective FIU, beneficial to the jurisdiction, requires knowledgeable people, robust processes, supportive partners, efficient technology, and a wide range of valuable and verifiable sources.

“The FIU re-launch event in February 2024 underscored our multi-pronged transformation approach. Intelligence isn’t just a word; it is a methodology that focuses on threat understanding and insight. The Videris platform allows us to undertake OSINT with a focus on the INT – ensuring there is a process and methodology in place – and be more dynamic, accurate and proactive. Being able to deploy the Videris platform is a significant step and provides the FIU team with the utility and flexibility we require. During the trial phase, we recognised the additional opportunities to integrate, expand and tap into a vast wealth of dynamic, up-to-date data from sources that intelligence analysts may not usually have access to, ensuring we do “access the widest range of sources” in an effort to understand the illicit finance suspicions more clearly. We were also impressed with Videris’s expandability, which allows for APIs from other source platforms, meaning that the sources of information that can be added in the future can grow and be tailored to ease users’ requirements.”

Jonathan Groom, Jersey FIU’s Director

“The opportunity for FIUs to make better use of OSINT is growing rapidly. From early conversations with FIU Jersey, it was clear that Jonathan and the team had a strong vision for using OSINT to enhance intelligence gathering. Videris is designed specifically to support that goal, enabling FIUs to integrate and analyse multiple sources efficiently and securely. Blackdot is well placed to help FIU Jersey, and others, take full advantage of this approach as OSINT becomes increasingly central to combating financial crime.”

Stuart Clarke, CEO of Blackdot Solutions

About Blackdot Solutions

Blackdot is a UK tech company based in Cambridge. Its mission is to help investigators use OSINT for good by equipping them with the software they need to understand threats, combat criminal activity and reduce risk. Its award-winning platform, Videris, is trusted by government agencies, law enforcement, financial institutions and major corporates around the world to streamline processes and improve investigation outcomes.