Digital Bank Salt Bank Acquires Global Respect for Pioneering Approach to Digital Banking Start-ups
In an unprecedented move, the newly established Romanian bank, Salt Bank, has been honoured as the **2025 Model Bank for Digital Bank Launch** by Celent, a globally recognised research and advisory firm specialising in financial technology[1][3]. This prestigious accolade marks the first time a Romanian bank has received an award from Celent, signifying Salt Bank's groundbreaking innovation and successful launch of a new digital banking model[1].
The success of Salt Bank can be attributed to its early adoption of the next-generation cloud and microservices-based banking platform, Engine by Starling[1]. This advanced technology enabled Salt Bank to offer a rich set of functionalities, a seamless customer experience, and innovative services that set it apart in the competitive digital banking landscape.
Gabriela Nistor, CEO of Salt Bank, highlighted the bank's approach to creating a visually appealing, user-friendly, human-centred, secure, and safe banking environment, with advanced technology and real-time security measures[1]. This customer-centric approach has contributed significantly to Salt Bank's rapid growth, with the bank exceeding 100,000 users in its first 10 days and recording over 500,000 customers within a year, placing it among the top 10 banks in Romania by user numbers[1].
Celent's recognition underscores Salt Bank's ability to combine innovative technology with an exceptional customer experience, setting a global benchmark for Romanian banking[1]. Celent, with over 20 years of experience and part of GlobalData Plc, is renowned worldwide for its comparative analysis and strategic consulting in fintech, making this award a significant international endorsement of Salt Bank's achievements[1].
Salt Bank's app is designed to protect users in real-time, especially when they are most vulnerable[1]. The bank has released over 400 app updates in its first year of operations, demonstrating its commitment to continuous development and improvement.
Looking ahead, Salt Bank plans to launch new products to continue delivering "banking, your way," while maintaining the same steady pace of growth and innovation in its second year[1]. The bank aims to surpass 700,000 customers and strengthen the three pillars that define the bank: beautiful, good, and safe[1].
Salt Bank was built from scratch, with no legacy systems, and is a fully digital bank[1]. It was built on a cloud-native architecture designed for speed, stability, scalability, and continuous development, enabling it to adapt quickly to the evolving needs of its customers[1].
In conclusion, Salt Bank's recognition as the 2025 Model Bank for Digital Bank Launch was achieved through its unique combination of being the first fully digital Romanian bank built from the ground up, leveraging the advanced Engine by Starling platform, delivering a customer-centric, secure, and innovative banking experience, and earning the first Celent award ever given to a Romanian bank for meaningful innovation and successful launch of a digital banking model[1][3].
- The recognition from Celent as the 2025 Model Bank for Digital Bank Launch, granted to Salt Bank, validates its success in marrying innovative technology with an outstanding customer experience, positioning it as a benchmark in Romanian business and finance.
- Salt Bank's strategic decision to adopt Engine by Starling technology in its finance business has contributed significantly to its rapid growth, offering a user-friendly, secure, and technologically advanced digital banking solution in the competitive landscape of technology-driven businesses.
