Salt Bank, the first 100% digital Romanian bank built entirely from scratch, has been named by Celent as the 2025 Model Bank for Digital Bank Launch. Celent is one of the world’s most prestigious research and advisory firms focused on technology for financial institutions.
By receiving the title of “2025 Model Bank for Digital Bank Launch,” Salt also becomes the first Romanian bank ever recognized by Celent – an international acknowledgment awarded to institutions that bring meaningful innovation and successfully launch new banking models.
“From the very beginning, we set out to build a bank and an app that are beautiful—visually appealing and easy to use—good in a deeper sense: human, caring, designed around real needs, and safe, with cutting-edge technology and security features that protect people in real time, exactly when they are most vulnerable. The fact that we are the first bank in Romania to be recognized by Celent shows that Romanian banking can become a global benchmark,” said Gabriela Nistor, CEO of Salt Bank.
Celent is one of the most respected voices in the fintech space. With more than 20 years of experience, it is part of GlobalData Plc and provides comparative analysis, strategic consulting, and applied case studies for banks and fintech companies across North America, Europe, and Asia. Its reports and tools are widely used by industry leaders to modernize infrastructure, migrate to the cloud, and select the most suitable technology solutions.
12 months. Zero compromises. A fully digital bank.
Salt Bank launched in April 2024, after a development process of just 12 months. It was built entirely from the ground up, with no legacy systems, on a cloud-native architecture designed for speed, stability, scalability, and continuous development. It was conceived as a truly digital-native bank—not just a digital adaptation, but an experience that combines the agility of a fintech with the security of a traditional bank.
“We set out with trusted partners who enabled the fast and solid launch of the fully digital banking model we aimed for. Engine by Starling provided us with a high-performance, battle-tested platform already proven in the UK, while GFT Technologies was the partner who integrated essential fintech solutions and supported the development of our app in a scalable, modular ecosystem ready for growth. This allowed us to focus on what matters most: people and what they truly expect from their bank,” said Robert Anghel, Chief Business Officer at Salt Bank.
From day one, customers had access to a complete ecosystem: 100% digital onboarding, multi-currency cards, mobile wallets, cashback, advanced spending control, and saving features. In its first 10 days, the bank exceeded 100,000 users. One year later, it had recorded over 400 app releases and surpassed 500,000 customers—placing it among the top 10 banks in Romania by user numbers.
In our second year of operations, “we aim to maintain the same steady pace of growth and innovation, to show that our first-year success was not a coincidence, but the result of a well-thought-out and well-executed strategy,” added Gabriela Nistor, the bank’s CEO. The goal is clear: to surpass 700,000 customers and strengthen the three pillars that define the bank—beautiful, good, and safe—by launching new products that continue to deliver “banking, your way.”
*This is a press release.
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