Griffin submits application for UK banking authorisation, hitting major milestone in building a developer-friendly bank for fintechs
The London-based company is building an API-first Banking as-a-Service (BaaS) platform, designed to couple best-in-class technology with the security and reliability of an authorised bank
Thursday 12th May 2022, London – Today, Griffin – a UK Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) fintech – announces the completion of an important step in its application for a banking licence. Griffin has submitted its application to the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
“This is a major milestone for the company and a direct result of the team’s hard work and thoughtful approach to building a sound internal structure, strong business model, and reliable technology platform,” John Weguelin, Griffin Chair. “I and the Board are thrilled to support the team on its journey to seeking authorisation to become a bank.”
Griffin’s BaaS platform is designed to provide fintechs of all sizes with a one-stop shop for bringing their products to market, including access to all the UK’s payment rails, bank accounts, debit cards, an integrated ledger, and customer onboarding automation.
The process for applying for a banking licence requires companies like Griffin to demonstrate that they meet key regulatory requirements and expectations, including effective governance arrangements, a viable and sustainable business model, adequate capital and liquidity and safe and secure infrastructure and operations. Few firms seeking authorisation reach this stage: only 28% of companies that held initial meetings with the regulators reached the application submission stage between 2013 and September 2019, according to the PRA and the FCA.
The road to becoming the de facto banking platform for fintech innovation
Modern consumers demand digital-first finance, creating a massive opportunity with the embedded finance market likely to reach $7.2tn by 2030, according to a report by Informa. However, the process for building and launching financial services software is still long, expensive and built on outdated technology. Today, fintechs are forced to integrate disparate platforms across multiple partners with long onboarding times – stifling innovation and prolonging time to market.
“From the beginning, we’ve known that a full-stack approach delivers more value to customers.” said David Jarvis, CEO and co-founder of Griffin. “Our platform brings historically siloed infrastructure components that all share a data model into a single platform, allowing fintechs to launch quickly without compromising on compliance or operational resilience. We’re incredibly proud to have reached this milestone in our journey to become a bank that our customers can build on.”
Enabling embedded finance with a developer-friendly, self-service approach
“Today, banks are not well equipped to support the seamless and contextual experience consumers have come to expect,” Tom Mendoza, EQT Ventures partner and investment advisor, said. “There is currently a gap in the market for a developer-led, full-stack approach to technology and banking. Griffin represents the future when it comes to powering the next generation of fintech and embedded finance.”
The company aims to bring state-of-the-art software, radical pricing transparency, and an API-first approach to the UK financial services sector. Additionally, Griffin’s BaaS platform will provide the power of SaaS technology and modern developer tools to the next generation of UK fintechs.
“Griffin’s platform enables fintechs to focus on what they do best—creating innovative products and experiences—not managing back-end infrastructure and compliance processes” Amy Kirk, independent non-executive director at Griffin and current board member of Monzo and FCMB UK said. “Submitting this application brings the company one step closer to actualising its ambitious vision.”
