How to check if an AI agency is legit and a registered company
To check an AI agency is legitimate, verify it in the national business register — KVK in the Netherlands, Companies House in the UK, or the local equivalent — and confirm the legal name, registration number, incorporation date and address match. Then check that the entity you'll contract and pay is the same registered company, validate client references, and require a signed Statement of Work with escrow-protected payment. Registration proves the business exists; references and escrow prove it can deliver.
This is the cheapest, fastest check you can run, and the one buyers skip most often. It takes a few minutes and rules out an entire category of risk.
1. Find them in the national business register
Every legitimate company is registered somewhere. Search the register for their country — KVK (Netherlands), Companies House (UK), Handelsregister (Germany), and so on. Confirm the entity exists and note its registration number, legal form, incorporation date and registered address.
2. Match the entity you'll actually contract and pay
Check that the company on your Statement of Work and invoice is the same registered entity you looked up. A common trap is a well-known trading name that invoices through a different, newer, or dormant company. Contract with the entity that has the track record.
3. Sanity-check age, address and directors
A company incorporated last month, registered to a virtual office, with directors you can't find anywhere isn't disqualifying on its own — but it changes how much risk you should carry. Weight your payment terms accordingly.
4. Verify references against the register
Ask for two client references and confirm those clients are themselves real, registered businesses. A reference that can't be verified is not a reference. When you speak to them, confirm the project shipped and the agency would be hired again.
5. Confirm they'll stand behind it contractually
A legitimate registered company will sign a Statement of Work and accept milestone-based, escrow-protected payment. Reluctance here, from a company that checks out on paper, is still a reason to slow down.
Registration is necessary, not sufficient
A registration number tells you the company exists and can be held to a contract. It says nothing about whether the team can build what you need. Pair it with the wider evaluation in how to vet an AI agency and the warning signs in red flags when hiring an AI agency.
Verification, done for you
NorthBridge AI verifies company registration — including KVK for Dutch agencies — as part of intake, so every listed agency is a confirmed legal entity before it can appear. Projects run on signed Statements of Work and escrow-protected milestones, so legitimacy and payment protection are built in. See how it works.
Frequently asked questions
How do I check if an AI agency is a registered company?
Look them up in the national business register for their country: KVK in the Netherlands, Companies House in the UK, the Handelsregister in Germany, or the equivalent elsewhere. Confirm the legal entity name, registration number, incorporation date and registered address match what the agency told you. Cross-check that the entity you'll contract and pay is the same one that's registered — not a different or dormant company.
What does a KVK number tell you about an AI agency?
A KVK number is the registration number from the Dutch Chamber of Commerce (Kamer van Koophandel). It confirms the business is a registered legal entity in the Netherlands, and lets you see its official name, legal form, registration date and registered address. It doesn't guarantee quality, but the absence of any verifiable registration is a serious warning sign.
Is it enough to check the company register?
No. Registration confirms the business legally exists; it doesn't confirm it can deliver. Combine the register check with contactable client references, evidence of shipped production work, and payment protection such as escrow so your money is only released as milestones are approved.
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