Before a vendor is onboarded
Confirm that the entity is active, who runs it, and whether its credit file matches the references it supplied.
CheckMate, the business research desk
Business background checks for the companies you rely on.
CheckMate works under the Verires name. We look past the marketing page to the registrations, ownership records, and credit files that describe how a company actually operates.
- Desk
- CheckMate, a Verires company
- Coverage
- Entity, ownership, credit, assets, and Asian market reports
- Delivery
- Email to the address that placed the request
01 / Viewpoint
Where a company can hide
The registered agent is a mailbox. The principals are the story.
A company can look solid and still be a shell with a rented address.
Formation papers are easy to file and easy to abandon. The useful questions are less tidy: who controls the entity, whether the registration is still active, which related companies share the same principals, and whether the credit file reflects the trade references in the pitch.
We read filings and court records together, because a judgment against a principal often matters more than a clean page on the company itself.
02 / Inquiry
Five lines of inquiry
Each line can be ordered on its own or combined into a single file. The full set is also listed in the business research group.
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01
Entity and status
Legal name, formation state, file date, current standing, officers, registered agent, and any assumed names on record.
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02
Ownership and affiliations
Shared principals, parent and sister entities, and addresses that recur across filings.
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03
Credit and public filings
Business credit history, trade lines, liens, judgments, and bankruptcy records where they exist.
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04
Assets
Recorded property and other public traces that point to an asset, reported only where the record supports a finding.
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05
Asian markets
Reports on entities registered in Asian markets, scoped to what each registry and court releases.
03 / Timing
When to order a file
Before a contract is signed
Look for shared principals and related entities that change the risk of the deal in front of you.
During a dispute or recovery
Assemble the court record and any public asset traces before you decide how to pursue a claim.
04 / Questions
Questions we hear
What is a business background check?
A review of public filings about a company: registration, ownership, court records, credit, and assets where they are relevant to the question you are asking.
Can you find who really owns a company?
Public filings name officers and registered agents. Where ownership sits behind another entity, the trail can stop at a holding company, and the public record may not name the people at the top.
Do you cover companies outside the United States?
We take international requests and prepare Asian business reports. Scope depends on what the local registry and courts release.
How are findings delivered?
By email to the address that placed the request, with the sources and dates noted so the file can be read and checked.
05 / Reference
Registries and filings worth knowing
Company research starts with public registries. These are the offices and databases that publish the underlying records. Links below open in a new tab.
SEC EDGAR
Filings from public companies registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Texas Secretary of State
Business entity filings, assumed names, and registered agent records for Texas.
United States Patent and Trademark Office
Trademark and patent records that can reveal a company's brands and history.
OFAC sanctions search
Federal lists of sanctioned people and entities, searchable by name.
Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation
Legal entity identifiers used to tell apart companies with similar names.
World Bank debarment list
Firms and individuals barred from World Bank funded contracts.
PACER
Federal court dockets, including civil cases involving a company.
Federal Register
Notices, rules, and filings published by federal agencies.
Small Business Administration
Federal guidance and services for companies operating in the United States.
USA.gov business center
Federal services and guidance for companies operating in the United States.
These are public resources, not endorsements. Access varies by jurisdiction and by the type of entity.
06 / Next step
Have a company in mind?
Send the legal name, the state of formation if you know it, and the question the file needs to answer. For the principals' credit history, see the credit reports desk; for hiring or tenancy files, the screening desk; for court records, the criminal records desk.