The idea for Starling was hatched in 2014 when Anne Boden envisioned a different kind of bank. A bank that respected and embraced the technological changes in the banking sector occurring at that time.

We’ve already come a long way. Our continued digital banking innovation drives Starling forward and bridges the gap between the customer, their finances and technology.

As we now tie our own history to the history of fintech and evolution of mobile banking, our journey is far from over.

2024

A Noteworthy launch

August 2024

Money is never just money – it’s childcare, pet care, milestones, and so much more. Our new editorial platform, Noteworthy, is where we talk about it – and your new app home screen is where you see it! We also started providing additional collaborative support to survivors of economic abuse through the Economic Abuse Evidence Form (EAEF).

Kick On with Starling

July 2024

We continued our support of girls’ and women’s football, this time addressing unequal access to pitches. We also made more kit available, distributing 10,000 sets to grassroot teams.

Welcome Raman Bhatia

June 2024

Our new Group CEO, Raman Bhatia, joined Starling. He previously led OVO Energy, where he guided them through the energy crisis and championed a number of diversity and inclusion initiatives.

Winning at Which?

May 2024

Starling was named Banking Brand of the Year at the Which? awards for the fourth year in a row! Which? is the UK’s consumer champion that independently reviews products and services.

Switching it up

April 2024

We hosted an event in our London office with Code First Girls (CFG), who help women learn to code and switch careers. So far, four women have joined Starling’s engineering and tech teams after graduating through CFG.

A new CEO

March 2024

We announced the appointment of our new Group CEO, Raman Bhatia. He is expected to take over from interim CEO John Mountain this summer. We look forward to welcoming him!

Creating a buzz up North

February 2024

We’re the first sponsor of the Greater Manchester bike scheme! Travel sustainably with Starling Bank Bikes, available to hire in Salford, Trafford and across the city centre.

The Bank Built For You

January 2024

We kicked off the year with the launch of three brand new TV ads, each telling a relatable human story about what makes Starling the bank built for you.

2023

Awards galore

December 2023

At the Payment Awards, our Hide References feature was recognised as Social Inclusion Project of the Year, while City A.M. named us ESG Bank of the Year as part of their Impact awards.

Engine revs up

November 2023

Our software-as-a-service platform, Engine, secured its first two clients: Salt Bank in Romania and AMP Bank in Australia. And we launched our Share the Load tool to help couples work out who’s really doing more round the house.

Boosting your balance

October 2023

We increased our interest rate! This includes money in your main balance together with any money in Spaces, including Connected card and Kite – on balances up to £5,000.

Kite is free!

September 2023

Big news for little ones. Our debit card and app for kids, Kite, is now free! And here’s one more reason to sign up: we were voted the Best Current Account Provider at the Times Money Mentor Awards.

Up, up and giveaway

August 2023

We raised our 1-Year Fixed Saver interest rate to 5.25% AER/gross. And Starling’s women’s network organised a month-long clothing drive for our charity partner, Smart Works, which helps get more women into work through coaching and dressing.

Summer of Play

July 2023

As part of our partnership with National Trust, we’re the exclusive brand sponsor of its Summer of Play programme, helping to improve childrens’ access to nature. This includes a free kids lunch for Starling Kite customers, too!

Making history with Hide References

June 2023

Pioneering a never-seen-before feature, Hide References means survivors of economic abuse can mute unwelcome references via bank transfers. And, it’s dotted-line official, we’re the principal partner of Southampton FC Women for three years!

Our best year yet

May 2023

Our annual report is out! We’ve reported a sixfold increase of pre-tax profits to £195m for the year to 31 March 2023. And we’ve more than doubled last year’s revenue! We were crowned ‘Best Business Banking Provider’ at the British Bank Awards, too.

A natural partnership

April 2023

The National Trust is our new partner! Through this three year partnership, we’re working on better public access to nature, and sustainability projects.

Next up: Manchester

March 2023

Big news: we’re opening a fourth office in Manchester! And adding to our roster of awards, we took home Best FinTech Campaign at the PRCA awards for our UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 fantasy football game, and Best Foreign Currency Account at the Good Money Guide Awards.

She saves, she scores

February 2023

In partnership with Gift of Kit, we launched Kick On with Starling to give away £200,000 worth of kit, equipment and coaching vouchers to women’s and girl’s football clubs. And now, with a 2.5% interest rate (AER), our 1-Year Fixed Saver is open to business customers, too!

New year, new awards.

January 2023

Starting 2023 off right, we were named Britain’s Best Current Account in the Finder Customer Satisfaction Awards 2023! We also came sixth at the UK Customer Service Index among the UK’s top ten performing brands.

2022

One month. Three launches.

December 2022

Fixed Saver arrives! Our 12-month fixed term savings product offers a guaranteed return of 3.25%. Virtual cards also hit the app, allowing spending directly from a Space. And new addition Kitelink means friends and family can now pop money directly into a kid’s Kite Space.

Girls in football and Women in Finance

November 2022

Our new Women in Finance Charter stats are out: we’ve met and surpassed our target, with 43% of senior leadership roles now held by women. We’ve also partnered with SportsAid, helping five young footballers with grants of £1,000 each.

Supporting Equal Play

October 2022

We announced our sponsorship of Southampton FC Women for the 2022-23 season, and launched our #MakePocketMoneyEqual campaign, highlighting the gender play gap.

The Incredible Bulk (Payments)

September 2022

We launched Bulk Payments for business accounts, greatly reducing the time our customers spend on admin. Our new Budget Planner also went live, helping to support people through the cost of living crisis.

Building a legacy

August 2022

We pledged to continue our support for women’s football, following our sponsorship of UEFA Women’s EURO 2022. We’ve donated £28,000, split between grassroots clubs and grants for young footballers.

Our first full year of profitability

July 2022

Customers asked for it, so we built it: Bills Manager launches for small businesses. And, marking a huge moment for Starling, we announce a pre-tax profit of £32.1m!

A month of milestones

June 2022

Say hello to 36 new spending categories, which take Spending Insights to the next level. We also launched the first UK Fantasy Football game for the UEFA Women’s EURO and reached three million current accounts.

It’s Our Time

May 2022

As part of our #WEURO2022 sponsorship, we launched the ‘Our Time’ campaign to celebrate women’s football. We also doubled the size of our Cardiff office, and number 10 announced Anne as the leader of its female entrepreneurship taskforce!

A Kite challenge & new investment

April 2022

The family budget is up for grabs with our #StarlingKidsTakeover. Three family podcasters put their kids in charge – with eye-opening results. And, in another successful round of investment, we completed a £130.5 million fundraise from existing investors.

Ten champions & a new campaign

March 2022

Our ten #TakeFlight2022 winners are announced! A jeweller, baker and fibreglass maker, among others. And we launched our ‘Fee-less’ travel campaign with out-of-home advertising going live across the UK.

Saving smaller & going greener

February 2022

This month we’re one step closer to net zero by investing in eight environmental projects, including forest and peatland restoration. And we celebrated customer saving wins through our #SaveSmaller social media campaign.

Weightless business banking

January 2022

To kick off 2022, our business ad hit TV and video on demand! Our ‘Set Your Business Free’ campaign features a dog groomer, a painter and an entrepreneur lifting off the ground, no longer weighed down by business banking.

2021

From flight to finish line

December 2021

We launched #TakeFlight2022, a competition designed to help small businesses soar with a panel of expert judges, offering the chance to win a £5,000 grant! Ending with a bang, we finished 2021 with 2.7 million accounts, including 475,000 business accounts.

New features and net zero

November 2021

Bills Manager arrives! This new feature means bill payments can now be taken from a Space instead of the main balance. We also announced our net zero targets: a one third reduction in carbon emissions from our own operations and supply chain by 2030, while offsetting our carbon emissions annually.

For people and planet

October 2021

In line with the new £100 contactless cap, we gave customers the power to choose their own limit. Meanwhile, our new ad urging viewers to “set themselves free from old banking” went live across cinemas and TV screens. Finally, we announced our sponsorship of the Women’s EURO 2022 championships and Seat At the Table: an environment-focused YouTube series.

100s and 1000s

September 2021

Our founder, Anne Boden, was named in the Financial Times’ Top 100 UK entrepreneurs. We also launched a series of ‘returnships’ - paid internships for women returning to work after a career break. And last but not least, we reached the milestone of 400,000 business accounts!

Leading the way

August 2021

It was revealed that more people switched to Starling than any other bank in the first half of 2021. We also published research suggesting a new generation of leaders is emerging. A full two-thirds of women aged 15-21 expect to run their own businesses within the next 5-10 years.

Banking’s coming home

July 2021

We won Best British Bank (for the fourth year running!) at the British Bank Awards. We scooped up Best Current Account, Best Business Banking Provider and Best App too. And the celebrations didn’t end there. We also announced a seven-fold increase in our annual revenue to £97.6 million, and completed our very first acquisition. The purchase of Fleet Mortgages, the buy-to-let experts, will help our upcoming push into the mortgage market.

Freedom to fly

June 2021

It’s liftoff for Kite 2.0! We developed our bank card for kids, giving them access to their own version of the app. Offering support to businesses affected by Covid-19, we were also accredited by the British Business Bank as a lender under the government-backed Recovery Loan Scheme. As the economy rebounds, we’re delighted to lend a helping hand.

Hello, change

May 2021

We continued to #MakeMoneyEqual, this time campaigning for more positive representation of women in financial imagery. We launched Mind the Tap, an outdoor campaign to welcome Londoners back to the tube and celebrate the return of normal life.

Businesses bouncing back

April 2021

We secured another £50 million for our Series D funding round, bringing the total raised to £322m. In collaboration with Enterprise Nation we produced a report indicating that over 55% of businesses who borrowed through our Bounce Back Loan Scheme have progressed beyond mere survival, with many seeing tangible growth as a result of their loan.

A greener way to pay

March 2021

We became the first bank in the UK to launch a Mastercard debit card made from recycled plastic. We also secured another £272 million, after our latest round of funding.

Poll position

February 2021

We came first in Money Saving Expert’s latest customer service poll, beating all the other banks with a score of 93%. To help address Black inclusion in the workplace, we signed the ‘If Not Now, When?’ open letter.

And the winner is…

January 2021

We were featured in the latest Which? online banking security test and earned the top score. From online security to financial security, we added PensionBee to the Starling Marketplace for our sole traders. Now customers can manage their personal and business pension pots from within the Starling app.

2020

Ending the year on a high

December 2020

We surpassed 2 million opened accounts! Finder.com awarded us with the Business Banking Innovation award. Our customers also won big, too – with SumUp, Dinghy and iZettle all having joined the Marketplace.

Turning a profit

November 2020

Starling broke even and turned profitable (the first UK digital consumer bank to do so!). In other exciting news, we were chosen as a Which? Recommended Provider for the second year running and voted the best bank for customer service. Our CEO Anne published her second book, which tells the story of Starling. We also put out a report looking into the financial impact of the pandemic on small business owners.

Planting the seed

October 2020

We launched our first refer-a-friend scheme. When a customer recommended us to a friend – and they opened an account – we planted a tree to say thanks. From tiny seedlings to big screens: online banking! We made it available to personal customers, who can now manage their accounts from their desktops.

Starling for kids

September 2020

Just in time for schools reopening, we launched Starling Kite – our first child-friendly product. It’s a debit card connected to an adult's Space, allowing them to monitor their child’s spending from the app. Handy.

All set to break even

August 2020

We published a summer Trading Update, our Annual Report & Accounts and CEO Letter, outlining the huge progress we have made in 2020. We’re still on track to break even by the end of 2020, despite the coronavirus crisis. We surveyed 300 SMEs; two thirds expect business to return to pre-Covid levels by 2021. We also topped the CMA’s customer satisfaction survey for overdrafts. And finally, we published our online business guides written by bestselling author Della Hudson.

Business Toolkit

July 2020

Our Business Toolkit, which we launched in beta in January, went live for all customers. Offering a suite of bookkeeping tools that customers can access directly from their business accounts. We also launched our business USD account, specifically for customers who deal in dollars. Penfold – the pension provider for the self-employed – joined the Marketplace.

Still bouncing back

June 2020

The bouncing bank continued this month – to the tune of £500 million in loans to our business customers. Also on the business front, we launched three new services in the Starling Marketplace: from Slack, Bionic and Equipsme. Lastly, and in collaboration with the Fawcett Society, we published a report on the gender differences in household budgeting.

Bouncing back

May 2020

A contender for Starling’s busiest month on record! We launched government-backed Bounce Back loans to help struggling businesses get back on their feet, plus a partnership with Funding Circle to lend a further £300 million under the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme. We brought the month to a newsworthy close with another £40m funding round from our investors, bringing the total raised so far in 2020 to £100m.

Helping Britain stay home

April 2020

We switched to remote working as the UK went into lockdown in March 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic. To support customers struggling as a result of the emergency, we launched mobile cheque deposits and Connected cards, allowing someone you trust to go out and shop on your behalf. We also became a Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme lender, providing loans for business customers.

Opening our third office

March 2020

We won big at the British Bank Awards, bringing home the trophy for Best British Bank (for the third year in a row). Talking of home: we opened up a new office in Cardiff – our third UK office to date. And finally, inspired by our latest TV ad, we conducted some research into the UK shed economy (turns out, sheds are big business!).

Making business fly

February 2020

Our first business-focused ad aired this month, featuring a woman taking to the skies in a souped-up shed. Also taking off were our three latest Marketplace integrations. Lastly, we introduced Confirmation of Payee to provide additional security.

Taking care of business

January 2020

We supercharged our business accounts, adding unsecured loans, bigger overdrafts and a financial management Business Toolkit (our first paid-for accounts). We also gave a warm welcome to Rosie, our financial agony aunt.

2019

New to the Marketplace

December 2019

We welcomed two shiny new additions to the Marketplace this month. First came Sparqa Legal – your (free) online business lawyer, equipped with practical guidance and customisable contracts aplenty. Then came QuickBooks – whose accounting software makes balancing your books that little bit easier. We also enabled Express Transit mode for those travelling with TfL. Londoners, you’re welcome.

Thanks a million

November 2019

We became a Which? Recommended Provider and opened our one millionth account, which is a pretty big achievement – even if we do say so ourselves. On the subject of big achievements, owning your own property got a little easier this month. Habito Go, our newest Marketplace partner, allows eligible customers to become cash buyers.

As seen on TV

October 2019

A murmuration of starlings flew across the nation’s screens this month, courtesy of our debut TV ad. Into our Marketplace, two-by-two, came so-sure and Nimbla. We then launched our euro business account and debit card. And to top it off, we raised another £30m in investment for our expansion into Europe next year.

Another string to our bow

September 2019

In a previous life, our Head of Banking was an Olympic archer – so, it only felt right to sponsor the Archery GB National Tour Finals. Away from the range, we attended Sibos 2019 in London, launched our online banking platform for business accounts, and introduced Superscript (formerly Digital Risks) and Cyber Smart to the Marketplace for business banking.

Passing the Turing test

August 2019

We made a trip up to Edinburgh to attend Turing Fest. Meanwhile, back in the office, we launched Growth Street in the Marketplace, published our letter from the CEO and reported on our progress with the Women in Finance Charter.

Pride and partnerships

July 2019

Glitter, rainbow flags and banners – a colourful start participating in ‘Pride in London’. We launched two new partnerships – SumUp (Banking Services) and CreditLadder (Marketplace) and delivered business accounts for companies with multiple people with significant control.

Keeping moving

June 2019

We completed the roll out of our euro account. Our founder, Anne Boden, released ‘The Money Revolution’, her book on money management in the digital age, and the Starling Developer Podcast returned with series four. We also opened our new Southampton office, our first base outside of London.

The Star(ling) of the show

May 2019

Our business bank account was the star of the show this month. We launched an advertising campaign – featuring billboards, buses and radio ads in both London and Southampton – and attended the Great British Business Show. We also celebrated our app’s second birthday.

Closing the pay gap

April 2019

We launched FreeAgent integration for our business customers and published our latest gender pay gap figures. Our trophy cabinet also gained another new addition, after we won Best Open Banking Strategy of the Year at the Retail Banker International Awards.

Kicking off spring

March 2019

We were named Best British Bank and Current Account Provider (for the second consecutive year) and Best Business Banking Provider at the Great British Bank Awards. We went live with 3D Secure to provide even more security for our customers.

A really big month

February 2019

We announced a further £75m fund raise and were awarded £100m from a fund to boost competition in business banking. And that's not all, we started rolling out our euro accounts.

All things Anne

January 2019

Starling's founder Anne published her roadmap for 2019 and went to Buckingham Palace to pick up her MBE for services to fintech. Congrats Anne!

2018

2018, you were good to us

December 2018

We ended 2018 on a high! For our business accounts, we launched Marketplace, as well as the Xero integration. Our out of home advertising campaign went live across London’s tube stations and buses. And we also got accepted onto the RBS Incentivised Switching Scheme.

Joining with the Post Office

November 2018

Our partnership with the Post Office lets customers deposit and withdraw cash from their local branch. We added overdrafts to business accounts and extended the Marketplace to our business customers too. And our radio ads aired across London for the very first time.

A busy autumn

October 2018

Banking-as-a-Service launches and the Current Account Switch Service (CASS) is made available for business and joint accounts. It’s now possible to make High Value Payments in-app, and Starling is named as one of the Fintech 100 list’s Leading 50!

Reaching for the Starlings

September 2018

We hit 250k accounts and are listed in LinkedIn’s Top 25 Startups 2018.

A boost for borrowing

August 2018

Loans finally land, alongside accounts for 16-17 year olds.

Turning banking on its head

July 2018

We release our new portrait and teal card design and win Hottest fintech startup at the Europas awards.

Expanding accounts

June 2018

Anne is awarded an MBE for services to fintech and we launch joint accounts, alongside sole trader accounts for Starling for business. We also add a gambling block to our app.

New ways to pay

May 2018

Digitised payments get an upgrade with the launch of Google in-app provisioning and Garmin Pay.

Global appeal

April 2018

International Payments is launched and Starling raises another £10m in investment.

Awards season

March 2018

Starling wins Best British Bank and Best Current Account provider at the British Bank Awards 2018! Plus after months of hard work, Starling for business launches alongside our campaign for more gender equality in finance.

Big launches and bigger wins

February 2018

Anne wins the Industry Achievement Award at the Card and Payment Awards 2018. Settle Up sets sail and Marketplace continues to grow.

Talking tech

January 2018

Series two of the Developer Podcast begins.

2017

In first place

December 2017

Starling is officially the first UK digital challenger bank to become a member of the Single Euro Payments Area payments system.

Permissions and payments

November 2017

Our Marketplace gets the permissions it needs to start expanding. Starling wins B2B Payments Innovation of the Year at the Payment Awards 2018.

Opening the gates

October 2017

The app’s waitlist is removed and we launch our saving tool Goals. We get the go-ahead from the PRA to start moving Starling Payment Services forward.

To market

September 2017

Starling’s Marketplace officially launches with digital receipts app Flux, giving customers access to other financial products straight from their app. We also launch Android Pay.

Podcasts and pictures

August 2017

Series one of the Developer Podcast launches and we add the ability to add photos to payees.

An Apple a day

July 2017

We’re the first bank in the UK to do in-app provisioning and launch Apple Pay for Starling.

A month well spent

June 2017

Team Starling hits the big 100 and we launch our first major money management feature, Spending Insights.

Public service announcement

May 2017

Starling is released to the public for the first time, and in the process becomes the UK’s first mobile bank! We also sign the Women in Finance Charter as a commitment to helping women progress in finance.

No restrictions

April 2017

The Prudential Regulation Authority lifts its restriction which means we are able to accept more than £50,000 of deposits in total – and to celebrate, we throw Starling’s first Hackathon!

The big switch

March 2017

Starling becomes the very first digital bank to join the Current Account Switch Service.

A beta way

February 2017

It’s a big moment for Starling as our app finally launches in beta.

The fast track

January 2017

Starling joins the Faster Payments scheme.

2016

Payments upgraded

December 2016

Direct debits are officially a go.

Testing, testing

November 2016

Alpha testing begins for the first version of our mobile app.

Playing our cards right

October 2016

The first Mastercard debit cards are used in the real world.

Looking after number one

July 2016

Starling is now 30 strong and authorised as a bank by the PRA (with restriction) – and our very first accounts are put into production.

A good investment

January 2016

After a hard-won investment round that raises £48 million, the bank is finally ready for building.

2015

A licence to bank

December 2015

Our banking licence application is officially submitted.

Setting the wheels in motion

September 2015

The team grows and the first technical prototypes for Starling begin to take shape.

2014

Becoming Ltd.

June 2014

We become a limited company and begin talks with the Prudential Regulation Authority and Financial Conduct Authority.

The spark

January 2014

Our founder Anne sees the potential for a new kind of bank and starts to put a team together to build what will later become Starling.

Apply for a Starling bank account today and enjoy app-based banking at its best.

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