Starling Bank Developer Platform Goes Live

Starling launches platform for fast-track tech innovation

London, April 2017

Starling Bank today unveiled its much anticipated Developer Platform and took the next step on its roadmap to building out its Marketplace.

Debuting for the launch of Innovate Finance 2017, Starling Bank’s Developer Platform enables third-parties to securely access customer data (with their permission, of course) and build on top of the Starling Platform using the mobile bank’s APIs (Application Programming Interface).

As the first UK licenced bank to launch a public API in keeping with the ambitions of PSD2 and the Open Banking initiative, the APIs enable external developers to create products and services that work together with Starling’s banking app.

Starling Bank’s first hackathon demonstrated how the Developer Platform works and just how much potential such initiatives have. The winner, for example, was MableForge, which integrated the care management app, Mable, with the Starling platform. This created a product capable of analysing the spend and financial data of people under care (such as the elderly or those with mental health issues) in order to help them and their caregivers to stay safe and in control of their money.

Whilst integrations with money apps and technology platforms are expected in the first instance – such as money advice chatbots or spending analytics – in the future, the capabilities will extend for lifestyle, retail and wellness products that could integrate with other apps, wearables or even the Internet of Things.

Products and tools integrated with Starling Bank’s APIs will have the opportunity to sit in the Marketplace where users can easily access these additional services.

Megan Caywood, Starling’s Chief Platform Officer, said:

“Starling is committed to ensuring that everyone around the world has the opportunity for a healthy financial life. There are two key steps to enabling this. The first is empowerment through data. We believe that customers own their own data and should be able to use it to their benefit, rather than have it used in cross-selling or upselling situations. A second important step is enabling innovation so that the best products in market are available and accessible for everyone – whether that’s an ISA from a traditional provider or a new fintech. This means people have real visibility over what products are out there, and consequently, much greater choice in finding the product that is right for them.”

You can read further coverage over on Finextra.