Full bank build
All seven areas, from jurisdiction choice to the first client payment. One contract, one plan, one accountable partner.
For founders, financial groups and fintechs launching a new bankWe build banks.
From feasibility study to the first SWIFT payment, with one team accountable for every workstream.
We create banks and bring them into operation. Seven specialists, each owning one area: strategy, licensing, compliance, core banking, payments and SWIFT, people and operations, market entry.
What you get at the end
A licence issued in your bank's name, a platform your staff run every day, and money moving through your own correspondent accounts.
The licence
Application, regulator dialogue and licence conditions, through to a licence issued in your bank's name.
The platform
Core banking, AML screening, general ledger and digital channels, configured, tested and handed to your staff.
The first payment
SWIFT membership, connectivity and correspondent accounts, proven with a live cross-border transfer.
Seven specialists. Seven areas of responsibility.
A bank is licensed, written, built, staffed and sold at the same time. Each area has one specialist who owns it from kickoff to go-live, and one shared plan connects the decisions and dependencies between them.
StrategyBusiness model and plan
LicensingApplication and regulator
ComplianceGovernance, policies, AML
Core bankingSystems and integrations
PaymentsSWIFT and correspondents
OperationsPeople and daily workflows
MarketingBrand and market entry
Strategy
Business model, jurisdiction and licence type chosen against your clients, products and capital. We also assess acquisitions of existing licensed banks as an alternative to a greenfield build.
- Jurisdiction analysis
- Business plan and financial model
- Capital planning
- Acquisition due diligence
- Project roadmap
Licensing
The full application package and the dialogue with the regulator until the licence is issued. Fit-and-proper files for shareholders, directors and key function holders are prepared alongside.
- Licence application
- Regulator liaison
- Fit-and-proper files
- Corporate structuring
- Post-licence conditions
Regulation and compliance
The written bank: policies, procedures and controls that satisfy the regulator, auditors and correspondent banks. Built to be operated by your team, not filed away.
- AML/CFT framework
- Policy and procedure manuals
- Risk appetite and governance
- KYC and onboarding rules
- Regulatory gap analysis
- Ongoing monitoring
IT and core banking
The technology that supports your operating model: core banking, customer onboarding, compliance tools and digital channels, integrated and tested as one working environment.
- System architecture
- Core banking selection
- Core banking implementation
- Integrations and testing
- Online and mobile banking
- Information security
Payments and SWIFT
SWIFT membership, BIC registration and connectivity, then correspondent banking onboarding. We coordinate the documentation, technical requirements and payment workflows a bank needs before it can move money.
- SWIFT membership and BIC
- SWIFT connectivity
- Correspondent due diligence
- Nostro accounts
- Payment workflows
- Cards
People and operations
The organisation behind the bank. We recruit management and key personnel, define responsibilities and decision-making authority, and prepare the daily workflows that take the bank into operation.
- Management recruitment
- Key function holders
- Roles and authorities
- Operating procedures
- Staff training
- Operational readiness
Marketing and market entry
Positioning, brand and the first clients. A bank has to be credible to correspondent banks and partners before it is visible to customers, and we prepare both audiences.
- Positioning and brand
- Website and product pages
- Partner and correspondent materials
- Client acquisition
- Launch plan
How a bank build runs
Six stages, run in parallel wherever the regulator allows. Timelines depend on the jurisdiction and licence type; we fix them together in the first stage.
1
Assessment
Jurisdiction, licence type, capital, budget and timeline, agreed before any application is drafted.
A grounded decision on where and how to build2
Licence
Business plan, application package and fit-and-proper files, then regulator questions until approval.
A licence issued in your bank's name3
Framework
Governance, board, risk, AML/CFT and the full set of policies and procedures.
A bank that exists on paper and passes review4
Infrastructure
Core banking, SWIFT BIC and connectivity, payment rails, security and digital channels.
Systems that run accounts and payments5
Correspondents
Due diligence packages and relationships with correspondent banks for nostro accounts.
Accounts to move money across borders6
Launch
Hiring, operational readiness testing, first clients and the first payment through the bank.
An operating bank with its own teamWays to work with us
Most clients start with a full build. Some already have a licence or a team and need one workstream done properly.
Single workstream
Licensing, the compliance package, core banking implementation or SWIFT membership, delivered as a standalone project.
For banks with a licence and a gap to closeAcquisition support
Due diligence on a licensed bank you plan to buy, change-of-control filings and the post-acquisition rebuild.
For buyers of existing licensed institutionsHow we work
We have launched banks ourselves, so we plan for what regulators, auditors and correspondent banks actually check.
Built, not advised
We deliver documents, systems and approvals. A roadmap is a by-product of the build, not the result.
The same people throughout
The specialist who scopes a workstream is the one who delivers it and hands it over to your team.
Handed over complete
Your staff are hired, trained and running the bank before we leave. Every policy and system comes with an owner.
Planning a bank?
Tell us the jurisdiction you have in mind, the clients you want to serve and where the project stands today. We reply within two business days with a first view on scope and timeline.