Engine by Starling Banking Platform

Engine by Starling is the banking software-as-a-service business of the Starling Group in London. It was spun out of Starling Bank in 2022 to sell the same platform that has powered Starling in the UK since 2016 to banks that want to launch a digital bank, migrate off a legacy core or run a sidecar proposition.

The platform is a modular, API-based, cloud-native and pre-integrated solution that combines the core ledger with products, a management portal and mobile SDKs, so a bank gets both the core and the customer-facing banking experience. It provides digital onboarding, fraud protection, card controls, spending insights and saving spaces, runs in real time 24/7, and is delivered with partners such as Deloitte, PwC and GFT.

• Cloud-native core: Runs accounts, ledgers and payments in real time around the clock.
• Pre-built products: Supplies current accounts, savings, overdrafts and business accounts.
• Mobile SDKs: Provides ready components for a bank's own mobile app experience.
• Management portal: Gives operations teams tools for servicing, controls and configuration.
• Fraud and onboarding: Includes digital onboarding, fraud protection and card controls.
• Customer insights: Offers spending insights and saving spaces for budgeting.

A Vietnamese commercial bank could launch a separate digital bank brand on a ready-made platform. A bank could build a sidecar SME banking offer for business accounts. A bank planning core modernisation could migrate retail customers in phases.

Banks adopt a platform proven at scale by Starling, which reports 6.2 million group accounts and 79% active customers. Salt Bank went live in Romania within a 12-month project and reached 500,000 customers in a year, AMP Bank GO in Australia was built in 12 months, and Tangerine launched a business offering in under 12 months. Real-time operations with no customer downtime are cited.

Incumbent banks and mutuals face pressure from digital banks and are choosing proven, full-stack platforms rather than building in-house. Engine's expansion from the UK into Romania, Australia, New Zealand and Canada shows demand for bank-grade SaaS cores across Asia Pacific and other regions.

Part of Starling Group, registered in London, spun out of Starling Bank in 2022, with more than 400 employees and offices including New York, Toronto and Charlotte. Clients include Salt Bank, AMP Bank GO, SBS Bank and Tangerine Bank. Named a Challenger in the 2025 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Retail Core Banking, Europe. Holds SOC 1, SOC 2 and ISO 27001.