Griffin
Griffin is a UK-based, PRA/FCA-licensed full-stack Banking-as-a-Service platform providing API-based banking infrastructure — accounts, payments, safeguarding, and KYC — to fintechs and platforms across payments, wealthtech, proptech, FX/remittance, lending, and payroll verticals.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Griffin does
Griffin is a London-based, PRA and FCA-authorized full-stack Banking-as-a-Service platform and the first UK BaaS provider to hold its own banking license, operating under legal entity Griffin Bank Ltd (Company No. 10842931; Firm Reference Number 970920). The company provides regulated banking infrastructure — including safeguarding accounts, client money accounts (CMP/CASS/SRA-compliant), embedded savings accounts, business bank accounts, payments via the UK Faster Payments Service, and automated KYC/KYB onboarding via its Verify product — delivered through a proprietary core banking platform built on an immutable event-log architecture and exposed via a purpose-built REST/JSON API. Griffin serves UK-based fintech platforms and limited companies across six solution verticals: payment platforms and e-money institutions, proptech, wealthtech, FX and remittance, lending, and payroll.
The company monetizes through a tiered platform-banking subscription model (£3,500–£10,000+ per month plus £15,000+ onboarding fees), business banking account fees (from £100 per month), interest income on customer deposits (variable, tracking Bank of England base rate), and payment processing fees. Its go-to-market combines a product-led developer motion (free sandbox, no NDAs, comprehensive documentation, Slack developer community) with enterprise field sales supported by a recently expanded executive bench (CFO Chad Ryan, Chief Risk Officer Dora Grant, Chief Revenue Officer Phoebe Wallis).
Griffin began full bank operations in September 2024 following March 2024 regulatory approval and has since scaled to 50+ live platform customers processing approximately £3 billion in payment value during 2025, with reported revenue growth of 5x since full operations began. Notable customers include Uber, Marqeta, Yonder, Prosper, LettsPay, Sidekick Money, TransferGo, Verto, WealthKernel, Income Group, Africhange, and SSV Capital. The company has publicly disclosed a 2026 roadmap that includes a card programme, a stablecoin-related offering (subject to regulatory approval), and European geographic expansion, alongside an MCP server for agentic finance that positions its banking API as infrastructure for AI-driven financial workflows. Total funding to date is approximately $52 million across multiple rounds led by Notion Capital, EQT Ventures, MassMutual Ventures, NordicNinja, and Breega.
Griffin firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Griffin
- Legal name
- Griffin Bank Ltd
- Website
- https://griffin.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Griffin is a UK-based, PRA/FCA-licensed full-stack Banking-as-a-Service platform providing API-based banking infrastructure — accounts, payments, safeguarding, and KYC — to fintechs and platforms across payments, wealthtech, proptech, FX/remittance, lending, and payroll verticals.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Griffin industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Banking-as-a-Service Platform
- NAICS
- Commercial Banking (522110), Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (522320)
- SIC
- National Commercial Banks (6021)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Embedded Deposit Accounts & Digital Wallet Infrastructure (FSAGALAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Risk, Compliance & Controls for Embedded Finance (KYB/KYC/AML, Fraud, Disputes) (FSAGALAK), Digital Asset Custody & Wallet Infrastructure for Institutions (MPC/HSM, key mgmt, policy controls) (FSAPAIAE)
Keywords
Where Griffin is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Griffin business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Platform Banking Subscription: Monthly platform fees ranging from £3,500-£5,000 for standard packages up to enterprise custom pricing. Includes onboarding fee from £15,000 one-time. Draw down from monthly package with each transaction.
- Business Banking Fees: Monthly fees from £100 for Griffin accounts, plus interest/commission from 1.75% AER on deposits.
- Interest on Customer Deposits: Griffin earns interest on customer funds held in accounts, with competitive rates passed through to customers (1.75%-1.76% AER variable).
- Payment Processing: Fees for payment processing including UK domestic payments via Faster Payments, with Bacs, CHAPS, and Direct Debit services coming.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Business Banking - Griffin Accounts |
| Subscription | Monthly | Platform Banking - Starter |
| Subscription | Monthly | Platform Banking - Growth |
| Subscription | Monthly | Platform Banking - Scale |
| Subscription | Annual | Platform Banking - Enterprise |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Griffin product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Griffin provides a fully licensed UK banking infrastructure (PRA/FCA authorized) exposed via a REST/JSON API, enabling fintechs and platforms to embed bank accounts, payments, safeguarding, client money accounts, savings, and automated onboarding (KYC/KYB) directly into their products. The company operates its own proprietary core banking platform built on an immutable event log architecture, allowing it to deliver regulated banking-as-a-service to platform customers across payments, proptech, wealthtech, FX/remittance, lending, and payroll verticals.
Product overview
Griffin is a UK-based full-stack Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) platform and fully licensed bank (authorized by PRA and FCA) that provides regulated banking infrastructure for technology platforms. The platform offers a unified architecture combining a core banking platform with a purpose-built API. The product portfolio includes: Safeguarding Accounts (ringfencing customer funds for e-money/payment institutions), Client Money Accounts (CMP/CASS/SRA compliant), Embedded Savings Accounts (white-label interest-bearing accounts), Business Bank Accounts (operational accounts for fintechs/startups), Payments (FPS, instant transfers), Verify (automated KYC/KYB onboarding), and Embedded Bank Accounts (individual accounts per customer). These products are offered through industry-specific solutions for payment platforms, proptech, wealthtech, FX/remittance, lending, and payroll. The platform supports agentic finance through an MCP server integration.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Safeguarding Accounts Ringfence customer funds in compliance with safeguarding regulations. Offers both dedicated (individual accounts per customer) and pooled account options, with integrated ledger for instant reconciliation and API integration. Targeted at FCA-regulated e-money and payment institutions.
- Client Money Accounts Manage clients' money in compliance with CMP, CASS, SRA, or other industry regulations. Dedicated or pooled accounts available with automated KYC/KYB checks and simplified reconciliation. Targeted at proptech, legal, and asset management platforms.
- Embedded Savings Accounts Interest-bearing savings accounts that integrate seamlessly into platforms or apps. Offers easy access savings with competitive interest rates, FSCS protection up to £85,000, and white-label embedding capabilities. Targeted at wealthtech, payroll, and platform companies.
- Business Bank Accounts Operational bank accounts for fintechs and VC-backed startups. Features include online or API management, interest earnings on funds, and full FSCS protection.
- Payments UK domestic payments via Faster Payments Service (FPS), instant transfers to other Griffin accounts. Bacs, CHAPS, and Direct Debit coming soon.
- Verify Automated KYC and financial crime prevention checks with end-to-end customer onboarding product. Supports tailored workflows for different client types (e.g., HMRC-registered letting agents) with full automation.
- Embedded Bank Accounts
Quantifiable outcome
- 50+ platform customers live on infrastructure, £3 billion in payment value processed in 2025
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Griffin
Customer profileNamed customers14 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Griffin technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability2 records
Feature5 records
Griffin partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Sidekick MoneycoreSidekick partnered with Griffin to upgrade customer wallets with FSCS protection and competitive interest rates. Contract to go-live in 8 weeks.
- AfrichangecoreNigeria-founded fintech Africhange partnered with Griffin to provide GBP bank accounts to UK users, enabling money management and seamless transfers between UK and Africa.
- TransferGocoreTransferGo partnered with Griffin for GBP wallets and savings accounts as part of its multi-currency business account launch. Leverages Griffin's safeguarding infrastructure.
- CablecoreGriffin partnered with Cable to strengthen its financial crime controls as part of its compliance infrastructure. Cable provides real-time financial crime detection capabilities.
- YondercoreCustomer using Griffin's embedded bank accounts for top-ups feature and debit card launch. Deep product integration.
- ProspercoreCustomer using Griffin's embedded banking infrastructure for wealth management hub with dedicated accounts and savings integration.
- LettsPaycoreCustomer using Griffin's client money accounts for letting agent regulatory compliance with CMP scheme requirements.
- SSV Capital PLCcoreSSV Capital uses Griffin Bank as the banking platform for its SmartAccount digital wallet product, with deposits safeguarded through Griffin.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Griffin competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Synctera: US-based BaaS platform pairing fintechs with sponsor banks for embedded banking products. Comparable BaaS model with developer-first platform approach, but US geographic focus.
- Unit: US-based Banking-as-a-Service platform partnering with banks to provide embedded financial products to companies. Comparable product/GTM approach, though operating in the US market rather than competing directly with Griffin in the UK.
- Allica Bank: UK challenger bank serving SMEs and embedded-banking-adjacent use cases. Comparable UK-regulated banking license and platform-banking ambitions, though currently more SME-focused than BaaS-platform-focused.
Direct peers
- ClearBank: UK-based clearing bank offering embedded banking and BaaS infrastructure to fintechs and platforms. Direct competitor to Griffin in the UK regulated banking-for-platforms space.
- Modulr: UK-based payments-as-a-service platform serving fintechs and platforms with accounts, payments, and embedded banking. Competes directly with Griffin for platform customers, though operating under EMI rather than full banking license.
- Swan: European Banking-as-a-Service platform (France-headquartered) offering embedded accounts, payments, and cards via API. Direct comparable on product breadth and target customer (platforms/fintechs), with geographic overlap in Europe.
- Solaris: Berlin-based Banking-as-a-Service platform with a full banking license serving European fintechs and platforms. Comparable business model, license structure, and API-first platform approach to Griffin.
- Treezor: French licensed payment institution (acquired by Société Générale) offering embedded banking and payment infrastructure to fintechs in Europe. Comparable BaaS offering to Griffin with similar regulatory positioning.
Broad incumbents
- Starling Bank: UK challenger bank with a Banking-as-a-Service division serving fintech platforms. Larger, broader incumbent offering business banking, consumer banking, and BaaS — competing with Griffin on enterprise banking infrastructure.
- Checkout.com: Global payments processor increasingly expanding into embedded banking and accounts for platforms. Larger, broader incumbent with overlap in payment infrastructure serving platform customers similar to Griffin's.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Griffin social profiles
Digital presenceGriffin compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
Griffin financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Griffin leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Griffin funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds9 records
Investors14 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Griffin M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Griffin
What does Griffin do?
Griffin provides a fully licensed UK banking infrastructure (PRA/FCA authorized) exposed via a REST/JSON API, enabling fintechs and platforms to embed bank accounts, payments, safeguarding, client money accounts, savings, and automated onboarding (KYC/KYB) directly into their products. The company operates its own proprietary core banking platform built on an immutable event log architecture, allowing it to deliver regulated banking-as-a-service to platform customers across payments, proptech, wealthtech, FX/remittance, lending, and payroll verticals.
Is Griffin a public or private company?
Griffin is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Griffin founded?
Griffin was founded in 2020. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Griffin based?
Griffin is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Griffin make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Platform Banking Subscription is the primary driver. The others are business Banking Fees, interest on Customer Deposits and payment Processing.
Who are Griffin's main competitors?
Regional players on record are Synctera, Unit and Allica Bank. Direct peers are ClearBank, Modulr, Swan, Solaris and Treezor. Broad incumbents are Starling Bank and Checkout.com.
Does Griffin have an API?
Yes. Griffin provides a purpose-built REST API using clean JSON. The API enables developers to embed bank accounts, payments, safeguarding, client money accounts, and onboarding (Verify) into their products. The core banking platform is based on a durable event log architecture with immutable design. Features include real-time payment notifications, simplified reconciliation, automated reporting, and programmatic account opening. A free sandbox environment is available for testing without sales calls, time limits, or NDAs. Developer documentation is at docs.griffin.com.
What industry is Griffin in?
Griffin's product category is Banking-as-a-Service Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAGALAE, Embedded Deposit Accounts & Digital Wallet Infrastructure, with a secondary code of FSAGALAK, Risk, Compliance & Controls for Embedded Finance (KYB/KYC/AML, Fraud, Disputes). Its NAICS code is 522110 and its SIC code is 6021.