Starling Bank has announced that its Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) arm is launching its first overseas subsidiary in the US.

The subsidiary will act as a platform from which Engine by Starling, a cloud-native, SaaS banking platform for the development of digital banks, can expand in the North American market.

Starling said that the US is a key market for its technology business because it is home to around 4,000 mid-tier banks, community banks, and credit unions.

Engine by Starling Services US, registered in Delaware, is now building a team and scouting for a regional headquarters on the US East Coast.

North Carolina, Florida, New York and Washington DC have been shortlisted as potential locations.

The bank says that the team will be a mix of local hires, led by a president, and employees from Engine's UK-based team of product specialists.

“This is a significant step as we take the technology that has enabled Starling’s success in the UK to more financial institutions around the world,” said Raman Bhatia, group chief executive, Starling Bank. “In Engine we have a world-class SaaS business that delivers the technology and the expertise that banks need to succeed in the digital age.”

The chief exec said that following the bank’s success in Europe and Australia, it is now the right time to compete in the US market.

Sam Everington, chief executive, Engine by Starling, said: “We are already having really positive discussions with a number of potential partners in North America because Engine solves some of the major challenges facing banks and credit unions here. Engine delivers a unique ability to unify tech stacks, drive efficiency and encourage innovation through one managed service. It is a very compelling proposition that’s specifically designed to bring digital propositions to life faster and with very high quality outcomes.”

Since its launch in 2022, Engine by Starling has help to build Salt Bank, Romania's first digital bank, which has captured 4% of the country’s banking market since launch in 2024.

AMP in Australia also built a new digital bank targeting small businesses on Engine’s core banking platform, launching in February 2025.

Starling says that both digital banking programmes were delivered in 12 month timeframes.

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