Starling Bank expands Marketplace

• Starling Bank’s in app Marketplace provides customers with access to a wide range of financial products, including pensions, ISAs, insurance and mortgage brokers through their phone

• New partners include PensionBee, Wealthsimple, Habito and Kasko

• Starling targets 25 partnerships in 2018

Starling Bank has announced the first wave of financial services partners whose products will be available through the bank’s in-app Marketplace.

Following approval from the Prudential Regulation Authority and the Financial Conduct Authority in December, the Marketplace will offer Starling customers direct access to products securely on their phones. Providers include insurers, pension providers, investment platforms and mortgage brokers amongst others.

The first group of partners announced today includes the digital pension provider PensionBee, digital investing service Wealthsimple, mortgage broker Habito and Kasko travel insurance in partnership with AXA.

PensionBee will be available in the Marketplace for customers to integrate with from today, with all other partnerships coming online over the course of the next few weeks.

This is the first major wave of Marketplace partnerships, with Starling aiming to announce at least 25 throughout the year.

Megan Caywood, Chief Platform Officer, Starling Bank, said:

“The expansion of our Marketplace is a huge milestone for Starling as we continue to give our customers control of their money like never before. We are building a banking experience fit for the 21st Century, where the best financial products are available securely in one place.

“Last year, we launched our full set of Open APIs, and enabled integrations with companies like Moneybox, Yoyo Wallet, Yolt, Tail, and Flux. Now we're excited to take that to the next level by integrating financial services providers into the Starling Marketplace.

“2018 is a huge year for Starling and the Marketplace offering is at the heart of our ambition.”

Clare Reilly, Head of Corporate Development, PensionBee, said:

“Starling Bank and PensionBee share a common vision - that everyone should be in complete control of their money. That means instant access to information about transactions, balances, and investment growth on your favourite device, 24/7.

“Our exciting new partnership means, for the first time ever in the UK, customers can see their real-time pension balance, alongside their real-time current account balance. That’s real-time customer empowerment, and a big step towards linking the small financial decisions you make daily, to the retirement income you will have tomorrow - all in one place.”

Toby Triebel, CEO Europe, Wealthsimple:

“We want to enable people to live their best financial lives, and joining Starling's Marketplace is about making access to transparent financial service products available to everyone. To make that a reality, we're excited to be featured alongside other companies working towards this goal, and offer our easy, low-cost investing services to Starling customers. Wealthsimple combines human advice and technology to make investing simple and accessible."

Sergej Tolz, Chief Strategy Office, Kasko, said:

“KASKO is excited about working with Starling and being able to leverage their Marketplace to reach their tech-savvy client base. The travel insurance product KASKO is offering in partnership with AXA Travel Insurance is an ideal fit for the demographic Starling is reaching and the seamless integration makes this a fantastic opportunity for us.”

Daniel Hegarty, Founder and CEO, Habito, said:

“Starling gives their customers ultimate clarity and control over their current accounts. We share the same vision for getting a mortgage and are excited to offer Starling customers a transparent and straightforward mortgage experience that is free of jargon, fees and misinformation. Via the Starling app customers can manage their mortgage seamlessly and enjoy the hassle-free and instant service that is the new standard set by this generation of financial products.”