How to build a neobank from scratch? A practical guide for founders
The banking industry has undergone a radical transformation over the past decade, driven by digital innovation and shifting consumer expectations. Neobanks — fully digital financial institutions — have disrupted traditional banking by offering seamless user experiences, low fees, and innovative services tailored to modern customers. According to market research there are over 400 neobanks worldwide as of 2024 and the global neobank market is projected to reach $2 trillion by 2030. In addition more than 20% of millennials and Gen Z prefer digital-only banking solutions. This surge presents a compelling opportunity for fintech entrepreneurs looking to establish their own neobank. But how do you build a neobank from scratch?
Neobank? What's that?
A neobank is a digital-only financial institution that operates without physical branches. Unlike traditional banks, neobanks leverage cutting-edge technology to offer seamless, user-friendly, and cost-effective banking solutions via mobile apps and online platforms. They cater primarily to tech-savvy individuals and businesses looking for fast, flexible, and innovative banking services. Neobanks function entirely online, relying on cloud-based infrastructure and advanced APIs to provide financial services. They typically partner with licensed banks or acquire their own banking licenses to offer core banking functions like payments, loans, and savings accounts. With AI-driven analytics and automation, neobanks enhance customer experiences by personalizing services and optimizing transaction processing.
Differences between traditional banks and neobanks
Traditional banks and neobanks differ in several key aspects. Traditional banks operate physical branches where customers can conduct transactions, while neobanks are entirely digital, eliminating the need for in-person banking. Customer support in traditional banks is typically available through in-person visits or phone calls, whereas neobanks rely heavily on AI-driven chat support and automation.
In terms of fees, traditional banks often charge higher account maintenance fees, transaction fees, and other service costs, while neobanks tend to offer lower or no fees due to their cost-efficient digital infrastructure. Transaction speed is another major differentiator—traditional banks may take longer to process payments and transfers, while neobanks provide real-time transactions.
Furthermore, neobanks focus on a highly personalized banking experience using AI-driven insights and data analytics, whereas traditional banks have limited personalization due to legacy systems. These differences make neobanks particularly attractive to younger, tech-savvy customers who prioritize convenience and digital-first solutions.
Neobanks' costs
Building a neobank is a costly endeavor, with initial investments ranging from $5 million to $50 million, depending on the business model. To give you a sense of the scale of costs involved, it's worth noting that Revolut raised approximately $800 million across multiple funding rounds before reaching profitability, N26 secured over $900 million to scale its operations and navigate regulatory challenges and Chime - one of the largest U.S. neobanks, has raised more than $2 billion to expand its product offerings and customer base.
Major cost factors include:
Licensing and Compliance – Regulatory approvals can cost millions.
Technology Development – Building and maintaining a robust banking platform requires a high budget.
Security and Fraud Prevention – Investing in cybersecurity is essential.
Marketing and Customer Acquisition – High competition demands a solid marketing strategy.
Operational Costs – Includes customer support, partnerships, and workforce expenses.
Neobanks are not just changing banking—they are redefining financial inclusion and customer experience in a digital-first world.
- Piotr Hanusiak, CEO of INCAT
Benefits of neobanks
Neobanks offer several advantages over traditional banking models, making them an attractive option for both consumers and businesses:
Lower Costs – Due to the absence of physical branches, neobanks operate with lower overhead costs, enabling them to offer reduced fees or even fee-free banking.
Seamless User Experience – Their mobile-first approach ensures a smooth, intuitive, and fast banking experience.
Faster Transactions – Real-time payment processing, instant money transfers, and early paycheck deposits are some of the core advantages.
Personalized Banking Services – AI-driven analytics allow neobanks to offer tailored financial products and insights.
Financial Inclusion – Many neobanks cater to underbanked populations, offering accessible banking services to individuals and small businesses who may struggle to get accounts with traditional banks.
Integrated Financial Tools – Budgeting tools, automated savings, cryptocurrency trading, and real-time financial insights help users manage their finances more effectively.
Steps to building your own neobank
If you’re considering launching a neobank, here are the critical steps to follow:
1. Define your value proposition
The first step in building a neobank is identifying your unique value proposition (UVP). The fintech market is competitive, and differentiation is crucial. Consider the following questions:
Who is your target audience (e.g., freelancers, SMEs, unbanked populations)?
What problem are you solving that traditional banks fail to address?
How will you monetize your services (subscription model, transaction fees, lending, etc.)?
Example: Revolut started as a travel-focused banking alternative, offering multi-currency accounts with low exchange fees. Understanding your niche helps guide product development and branding.
2. Secure regulatory approvals
Banking is a highly regulated industry. Before launching, you need to obtain the necessary licenses, which vary by country. The two primary routes are:
Banking License: Required for offering full-fledged banking services, but expensive and time-consuming to acquire.
Partnership with a Licensed Bank: Many neobanks initially operate under the license of an established bank to avoid regulatory hurdles.
3. Choose the right core banking system
A robust core banking system (CBS) is the backbone of any neobank. The choice of CBS influences scalability, security, and flexibility. BOS is an ideal choice due to its modular architecture, API-driven approach, and cloud-native infrastructure.
Why BOS?
Fast Deployment: BOS enables quick go-to-market strategies for neobanks.
Scalability: Handles growing transaction volumes without performance issues.
Flexibility: Supports various financial products, including current accounts, savings, lending, and subscription-based models.
Security & Compliance: Built-in compliance features for international regulations (e.g., GDPR, PSD2, AML).
Example: D360 Bank - a digital bank in Saudi Arabia, leveraged BOS to launch its services efficiently while ensuring compliance with local regulations.
4. Build a seamless user experience (UX/UI)
Neobanks thrive on superior user experience. Your app and web platform should be:
Intuitive – Simple onboarding and account setup.
Fast – Instant payments, transfers, and notifications.
Secure – Two-factor authentication and biometric login.
Engaging – Gamification and rewards for user activity.
Example: Monzo gained traction by offering instant spending notifications and budget-tracking features within its sleek mobile app.
5. Leverage open banking and APIs
Modern neobanks are API-first, meaning they integrate with multiple third-party services, such as:
Identity Verification (e.g., Onfido, Jumio)
Payment Gateways (e.g., Stripe, Plaid)
Credit Scoring & Risk Management (e.g., Experian, FICO)
BOS’s API-driven architecture makes it easy to connect with these fintech solutions, allowing neobanks to build a highly customized ecosystem.
6. Build a Strong Security Framework
Neobanks face increasing risks of cyber fraud and financial crime. Key strategies include:
AI-Powered Fraud Detection: Machine learning models to detect unusual transactions.
Transaction Monitoring: Real-time alerts for suspicious activities.
KYC & AML Compliance: Automate Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) checks.
7. Plan your customer acquisition and growth strategy
A neobank without customers is just an idea. Effective marketing strategies include:
Referral Programs – Encourage existing users to invite others.
Content Marketing – Publish educational content on fintech trends.
Influencer & Community Engagement – Leverage social media and fintech communities.
The rise of neobanks signals a shift towards a more flexible, customer-centric banking experience. However, launching a neobank requires careful planning, compliance with regulations, and significant financial investment. With the right strategy and technology, entrepreneurs can tap into this booming industry and create a successful digital bank. If you're looking to start your neobank journey, explore how BOS can be the foundation of your success. Contact us to learn more!
The Growing Role of Managed Services in Financial IT
The Growing Role of Managed Services in Financial IT
by: Piotr Warszawa
The financial sector is evolving at an unprecedented pace, with banks and fintechs increasingly relying on technology to enhance or improve the productivity, flexibility, security and scalability of their operations. The rapid adoption of cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and automation has made IT infrastructure more complex than ever before. As a result, almost all financial institutions are facing operational or investment challenges to meet ever-increasing demands to streamline operations, reduce or avoid costs and improve time-to-market, etc. To address these challenges, many financial institutions are turning to Managed Services. But what exactly are Managed Services, and how do they revolutionize IT operations in the financial sector? Let’s explore this topic with real-world examples and expert insights.
The Challenge: IT Complexity and the Need for Specialized Support
Financial institutions operate in a highly regulated and fast-changing environment. They face critical challenges such as:
- Managing IT environments efficiently without overburdening internal teams
- Achieving required or expected operational efficiency while avoiding or reducing potential costs
- Scaling operations rapidly in response to market demands
Financial institutions that already have IT departments and processes in place are trying to keep up with new IT challenges with the resources they have - but do we always have enough space, skills and knowledge, or enough time and money to acquire them?
For fintech startups and smaller banks, these challenges are even more pronounced. Many lack the in-house expertise to handle complex IT systems or the financial resources to build a dedicated IT department.
The dependency triangle
Delivered, deployed and then used IT services are the set of IT processes, technology and IT staff that create an IT Environment that works for a given business and delivers business value to that business. These three elements are: processes, technology and people, and form a kind of 'dependency triangle'. For many modern businesses, the IT Environment can be a competitive advantage and/or make the business run very efficiently and seamlessly. On the other hand, an inefficient, mismanaged, unstable IT Environment can be the cause of many business failures and high operating costs.
To better understand the concept of Managed Services, let's take a closer look at what is behind the terms: people, processes, and technology.
Processes implement business objectives and describe how business and technical (IT) services are delivered. They represent an ordered set of operations (a series of interrelated activities or tasks) designed to achieve a specific business result, solve a specific problem or lead to the achievement of a specific business or technical objective.
Technology is the sum of the IT resources (software / hardware), methods, means and activities related to the processing of information and the provision of technical services that support or perform business services, tasks and activities. Technology in the financial sector includes IT hardware (computers, servers, disk arrays and other tools) and software related to the collection, processing, transmission, storage, security and presentation of information.
People who carry out specific activities, tasks, work within specific organizational structures. A specific group of people are those who carry out activities in the field of IT - implementing or participating in business and technical processes, developing existing platforms and IT systems or IT services, implementing new ones, and carrying out maintenance and repair activities.
What Are Managed Services? A Strategic IT Approach
Managed Services involve the management of IT infrastructure, applications, and operations to a specialized third-party provider. This model allows banks and fintechs to delegate complex IT tasks while focusing on their core business activities.
Typical Managed Services include:
- Infrastructure management (servers, networks, cloud environments, Kubernetes clusters)
- Management of services (based on the SaaS, PaaS or IaaS model)
- Application maintenance and monitoring (IT platforms, middleware)
- Process automation (automating IT workflows, DevOps integration)
- Helpdesk and support services (24/7 technical assistance, troubleshooting)
Case Study: How INCAT Managed Services Transformed a Bank’s IT Operations
INCAT Managed Services (INCAT MS) as technical operational services have been provided by a specialized INCAT team that managed and executed the list of tasks specified in the Service Catalogue. This approach allowed our client to minimize its involvement in technical monitoring and environmental management. All activities, actions taken, observations and recommendations related to the dedicated IT environment were summarized by the INCAT team in a monthly report to the Client.
1)Scope - INCAT MS have been delivered as a service that provides a management service for a dedicated Kubernetes cluster, the entire BOS (designed by INCAT) microservices installation, as well as the management and execution of day-to-day and periodic technical activities and tasks on infrastructure components.
2) Tools - INCAT MS have been delivered using the following tools based on open-source solutions and commercial solutions such as:
- Kafka
- Postgres
- OpenSearch
- Fluent Bit
- Prometheus
- Grafana
- Kong
3) Deployment and Configuration - INCAT MS has made the deployment and configuration of a dedicated IT environment very efficient and seamless. This has been achieved through the use of:
- Helm Charts
- Gitlab compatible CD scripts
- Terraform scripts
- Grafana dashboards
- Grafana alerts
- Vault configuration as a code
- Logging configuration as a code
- Database configuration as a code
- Monitoring configuration as a code
- Networking configuration as a code
4) Activities - INCAT MS have been provided for management and execution of day-to-day and periodic technical activities and tasks on infrastructure components in the following areas:
- Check list (daily/weekly/monthly)
- Monitoring (permanent or periodic)
- Capacity & Performance
- Logging
- Backup/Restore
- IT DRP
- Management of infrastructure components
- and the like (based on client requirements)
Worth knowing!
Whether or not managed services qualify as IT outsourcing depends on the scope and importance of the services to the company's business. Not every managed service will be treated as outsourcing under the law. The key criterion is the degree of relevance of the service in question to the company's operations. If the services involve critical processes or the processing of sensitive data, they will be considered outsourcing and will require the application of the relevant regulations and the approval of the Financial Regulator.
By leveraging INCAT Managed Services, they:
- Reduced time-to-market
- Achieved cost savings or avoidance in IT operations
- Enhanced availability of business services through proactive monitoring
Our services included:
- Managing a dedicated Kubernetes cluster
- Automating deployments using Terraform and Helm Charts
- Implementing real-time monitoring with Grafana and Prometheus
The result? A fully optimized IT environment that allowed the bank to scale without IT bottlenecks.
The Pros and Cons of Managed Services in Banking
However, these challenges can be mitigated by choosing a provider with a proven track record in banking solutions and regulatory compliance.
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About the Author
Piotr Warszawa is a highly experienced IT and banking professional with over 25 years of expertise in the financial sector. He has held key leadership positions, including Head of IT Operations in Eurobank SA and Country Chief Technology Officer in Poland within Societe Generale GTS (Global Technical Services) Western Europe, IT Regional Director of IT Office in Bank PKO BP SA, Senior Consultant in INCAT sp. z o.o. and Interim IT Manager at Digital Bank D360 from Saudi Arabia, where he played a pivotal role in driving IT operation processes, digital transformation and IT strategy. Piotr specializes in IT Processes and IT Governances IT Infrastructure Management, and cloud solutions, with a strong focus on IT Operations including Managed Services—helping financial institutions optimize operations, enhance security, and improve scalability. His deep understanding of banking IT ecosystems allows him to design and implement highly resilient, scalable, and compliant IT environments.
Contact the Author: piotr.warszawa@incat.com.pl
Event-Driven Architecture: the future of core banking system design
Event-driven architecture (EDA) is one of the most modern and dynamic approaches in designing information systems. In the case of core systems for banks and fintechs, the application of event-driven architecture can bring numerous benefits and improvements. In this article, we will present the advantages and disadvantages of such an architecture and discuss the best practices that can be applied.
EDA is gaining significant traction in the financial services sector. Companies within the industry are swiftly upgrading their digital infrastructure to better attract and retain customers.
Numerous financial services firms are implementing EDA to enhance both flexibility and scalability. Consider a cloud-based payments platform, where the demand for person-to-person (P2P) and person-to-merchant (P2M) payments surged dramatically, reaching over 1,500 businesses and 1.5 million users within just two weeks of its launch. The EDA framework effectively managed the burst campaigns and rapid increase in user volume.
EDA is particularly well-suited for boosting agility and scalability, commonly appearing in microservices-based applications and other systems with decoupled components.
What is Event-Driven Architecture?
Event-driven architecture revolves around the processes of creating, detecting, subscribing to, and reacting to events. An event signifies a change in the state of an object, such as selling an investment. The act of selling initiates an event.
In contrast, traditional service-oriented architecture handles data in a static manner—by collecting and storing it—rather than treating data as dynamic. In reality, our actions are event-based, whether they are responses to requests from individuals or machines. For example, in financial services, a mortgage application transitions through various stages from submission to approval. Each of these stages constitutes an event.
Event-driven architecture is crucial because it enables organizations to react to events in real-time. It supports simultaneous processing of activities, allowing related tasks to occur in parallel rather than sequentially. This significantly enhances the speed and flexibility of any given process.
Event-driven architecture is crucial because it enables organizations to react to events in real-time.
EDA in practice
Just consider the process of loan origination. Numerous checks and balances are required once someone submits a loan application. One person needs to perform a credit check. Another might need to confirm the customer’s bank account balance. Someone else has to approve the application. Meanwhile, the applicant may check back in a few minutes to see if their application has been accepted. Using an EDA architecture, these processes can be managed simultaneously. Events can be created for each step, allowing them to occur concurrently.
Another example involves onboarding a small business client. Today, the onboarding experience must be entirely digital. If it takes longer than seven minutes, the customer might abandon the process and opt for a FinTech company that offers a similar product in just three minutes. During the onboarding process, with all the questions posed to the customer, EDA enables the simultaneous pre-approval of additional products and services, such as a line of credit, a credit card, or even payroll services.
EDA and the cloud
While it's possible to implement an event-driven architecture (EDA) on local servers, the benefits are far more pronounced when utilizing the cloud. It's important to note that cloud architectures are not inherently event-driven, but the characteristics of both complement each other perfectly.
Event-driven architectures inherently provide speed, scalability, and flexibility. These qualities align well with cloud architectures, which achieve horizontal scaling by design. Therefore, the combination of EDA and cloud computing is highly synergistic. Additionally, hosting EDA on the cloud allows for AI to monitor for irregularities and respond to multiple events simultaneously.
The benefits are far more pronounced when utilizing the cloud.
For banks, the need to quickly deliver products and services is vital to stay competitive. With event-driven architecture, even large banks burdened with legacy systems can rival online mortgage lenders, offering a wider range of products to customers more efficiently.
EDA and distributed systems
Today, our work heavily relies on a distributed computing model, featuring distributed services and serverless designs. EDA plays a crucial role in this setup. There are various methods to construct distributed systems. We often face the choice between a request-response architecture and an event-driven model. In many cases, the request-response systems could be more effectively executed within an EDA framework. Unlike the request-response model, an EDA setup allows the system to automatically activate its nodes. This capability enables quicker and more efficient management of bandwidth spikes. In an EDA, servers automatically scale up or down based on traffic demands. Traditional architectures, on the other hand, require manual server activation. The automatic adjustment in EDA not only manages flows dynamically and without manual intervention but also proves to be more cost-effective.
Why opt for EDA instead of just going serverless?
With the current wave of migrations, businesses need to align their choices with their strategic goals and desired outcomes. Adopting a serverless approach can certainly boost performance, but undertaking a comprehensive re-architecture can offer even greater benefits.
Modern architectures are transitioning towards microservices and decoupled designs. Event-Driven Architecture (EDA) is essential for achieving this. EDA provides scalability, flexibility, and the ability to quickly adapt to market changes.
EDA in BOS System
BOS's event-driven framework facilitates smooth integration with various systems while offering significant flexibility and scalability. The communication model in BOS employs a publish-subscribe mechanism, where events are generated by producers and received by consumers. This publish-subscribe method ensures effective and scalable interaction between the system's components.
BOS is equipped with a powerful event processing engine capable of managing a large number of events in real-time. This engine utilizes an internal event bus for simple event management and routing. The event bus directs events to the correct components and ensures timely processing. Additionally, the event processing engine supports the filtering, transformation, and aggregation of events, enhancing its flexibility.
The event-driven design of BOS simplifies the integration with third-party systems. This model promotes efficient data exchange and sharing between BOS and other systems, ensuring high interoperability. Furthermore, the system's APIs facilitate easy integration with additional solutions.
Is EDA for your business?
If your data processes rely heavily on sequential steps depicted in a flowchart, then EDA might not be the best fit for your needs. Additionally, if your system doesn't experience massive bottlenecks during user logins, the shopping server traffic is manageable, and manually increasing capacity by creating tickets suffices, then adopting EDA may not be essential for your operations.
Examples of the use of EDA in popular fintechs
I. Revolut
Revolut uses an event architecture to support its global payments. EDA allows systems to scale effectively, enabling millions of transactions to be processed per second. This allows Revolut to offer fast and reliable services to its customers around the world.
II. Square
Square uses Apache Kafka to integrate its various financial services. Event architecture allows for smooth scaling and management of data from various sources, which is crucial for effective transaction handling and data analysis
III. PayPal
PayPal has implemented an event architecture to increase the flexibility and scalability of its payment services. EDA enables PayPal to respond faster to market changes and better protect users against fraud by analyzing and processing events in real time.
IV. Robinhood
Robinhood uses an event architecture to provide its users with instant notifications about stock price changes. EDA enables rapid processing of market data and providing up-to-date information to investors, which is crucial for making quick investment decisions
V. Stripe
Stripe uses event-driven architecture to support its payment systems, which allows for fast and efficient payment processing. EDA minimizes latency and improves user experience by ensuring seamless transaction processing
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