Academy Bank

What Academy Bank does

Academy Bank, N.A. is a chartered national community bank headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, founded in 1966 and operating as a subsidiary of Dickinson Financial Corporation (DFC), which is family-owned and also owns Armed Forces Bank. The bank serves retail consumers, small and medium-sized businesses, commercial clients, and fintech companies through approximately 70+ banking centers across Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, and Missouri, with a workforce of 800+ across DFC. As of late 2025/early 2026, Academy Bank held approximately $2.9B in assets within DFC's $4.8B consolidated asset base, $4.0B in deposits, $3.2B in loans, and a 12.76% Tier 1 Capital ratio — a capitalization profile well above regulatory minimums.

The bank operates four primary product lines. Personal banking includes checking, savings, money market, CDs, HELOC, mortgages, and credit cards, increasingly delivered through the My Finance360 digital platform (launched December 2025). Business banking offers business checking/savings, SBA loans, treasury management, and the Business Payments Suite powered by Autobooks (launched June 2026), embedding invoicing and payment acceptance into the SMB platform. Commercial banking covers C&I lending, commercial real estate, and corporate banking with a stated ~25-year specialization in financial sponsor relationships. A Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) / embedded finance platform serves fintech partners, with reported triple-digit percentage user growth in the past year and a near-decade-long embedded partnership with commercial real estate firm SimonCRE.

The business model is conventional community banking — net interest income from deposits and lending, supplemented by fee income from treasury management, BaaS program management fees, mortgage banking, and deposit service charges — augmented by an asset-light embedded finance vector that monetizes the bank's charter and compliance infrastructure without proportional balance-sheet growth. Distribution combines physical branches, Smart ATMs/ITMs, and digital channels (online banking, mobile banking, My Finance360).

Name

Academy Bank

Legal name

Academy Bank, N.A.

Website

https://academybank.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Academy Bank, N.A. is a Kansas City-based community bank founded in 1966 and part of Dickinson Financial Corporation, serving retail, SMB, commercial, and fintech clients through 70+ branches across Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, and Missouri.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Banking

NAICS

Commercial Banking (52211), Depository Credit Intermediation (5221), Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (522)

SIC

National Commercial Banks (6021)

akta.pro primary industry

Mass-Market Consumer Deposit Banking (Checking/Savings) (FSABAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Retail Lending (Personal Loans, Auto, Credit Lines) (FSABAAAB), Credit Cards & Revolving Credit (FSABAAAC), BaaS Platforms & Sponsor Bank Enablement (FSAGALAA)

Keywords

• Community banking
• Personal banking services
• Commercial lending
• Banking as a service
• Small business lending

Headquarters

HQ city

Kansas City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Interest Income: Primary revenue from lending activities including commercial loans, mortgages, consumer loans, and HELOCs. Interest earned on $3.2 billion loan portfolio.
2. Deposit Income: Deposits from retail and commercial customers form basis of lending operations. $4.0 billion in total deposits.
3. Fee-Based Services: Various banking fees including account maintenance, transaction fees, loan origination fees, and credit card fees
4. Banking-as-a-Service: Embedded finance partnerships with fintech companies providing sponsor banking services and earning partnership fees

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Academy Bank is a community bank offering personal and business banking products and services through 70+ banking centers and digital channels across Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri and Arkansas. Core products include checking and savings accounts, certificates of deposit, personal and mortgage loans (including FHA, VA, Conventional, Jumbo and HELOC), business checking, SBA loans, lines of credit, term loans, commercial and industrial lending, commercial real estate, corporate banking and treasury management. The bank additionally provides Banking-as-a-Service sponsor banking partnerships to fintech companies and embedded digital tools such as My Finance360 and the Business Payments Suite.

Product overview

Academy Bank operates as a community bank offering a comprehensive suite of personal and business banking products. The product portfolio includes personal and business checking and savings accounts, a variety of loan products (personal loans, credit cards, mortgages including FHA, VA, Conventional, Jumbo, and Cash-Out Refinance options), and specialized programs like the Premier Choice Program for professionals. For business customers, the bank provides Business Checking accounts, SBA Loans, Lines of Credit, Term Loans, and Treasury Management services. The bank also offers Banking as a Service (BaaS) for embedded finance partnerships. Digital banking features include My Finance360 for personal financial management and the Business Payments Suite powered by Autobooks for integrated invoicing and payment processing. The product architecture combines traditional branch banking with digital-first tools, supporting mobile and online banking alongside a network of 70+ banking centers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Personal Checking Accounts Suite of FDIC-insured personal checking accounts for individual consumers including Simply Free Checking, Select Rewards Checking, Elite Investment Checking, Safe Spending Account and Student Checking, designed for everyday transactions, rewards, interest-bearing balances and students.
• Personal Savings, Money Market and CDs FDIC-insured personal savings products including a Savings Account, Premier Money Market (3.65% introductory APY for 6 months), 13-month Certificate of Deposit (3.75% APY), 9-month Certificate of Deposit (3.45% APY), Student Savings and Premier Money Market and CD IRAs for retirement savings.
• Express Personal Loan Unsecured personal loan for individual consumers providing quick access to funds for debt consolidation, major purchases or other financial needs, with APR based on credit score and an origination fee of 10% or $100, whichever is less.
• Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC) Revolving credit line secured by home equity allowing homeowners to borrow funds as needed with interest-only payments during the draw period at a 5.49% introductory APR for 6 months, borrowing up to 85% of home value, with annual fee waived on auto-draft and low or no closing costs.
• Visa Credit Card Standard consumer Visa credit card offering purchasing power and flexible payment options for personal banking customers.
• Credit Builder Secured Visa Credit Card Secured credit card backed by a deposit in a savings account designed to help individuals build or rebuild credit, with credit limits of $300 to $3,000 based on the deposit, automatic reporting to all three major credit bureaus, and no annual, application or over-limit fees.
• Mortgage and Home Loan Suite Comprehensive consumer mortgage product line including FHA Loans, VA Home Loans, Conventional Loans, Hero Home Loans, Jumbo Loans, Refinance Loans, Cash-Out Refinance and the Premier Choice Program for high-achieving professionals (doctors, attorneys, dentists, military officers O4+) offering up to 100% LTV, no mortgage insurance and same rates for jumbo loans with a minimum 720 credit score.
• Business Checking Accounts FDIC-insured business checking suite including Simple Business Checking for small businesses with straightforward needs, Business Checking with additional flexibility, Business Interest Checking that earns interest on balances, and Analyzed Business Checking with analysis tools and reporting to help optimize cash flow.
• Business Savings, Money Market and CDs FDIC-insured business deposit products including Business Savings, Business CD and Business Money Market for operating cash, reserves and short-term surplus funds.
• SBA Loans Small Business Administration guaranteed loans providing favorable government-backed financing for small businesses covering acquisitions, expansions and working capital needs.
• Business Line of Credit Business revolving credit line providing flexible access to funds for working capital, seasonal needs and unexpected expenses with interest-only payments on amounts drawn.
• Business Term Loan Business term loan providing fixed principal and interest payments over a set period for specific business investments, equipment purchases or expansion needs.
• Business Credit Cards Credit cards tailored for business spending including expense tracking, employee cards and rewards programs for business purchases.
• Commercial & Industrial Lending Middle-market commercial and industrial lending solutions providing customized financing structures for operations, equipment and growth initiatives for commercial clients.
• Commercial Real Estate Lending Financing solutions for commercial property acquisitions, developments and refinances including office buildings, retail centers and multi-family residential properties, supporting clients such as SimonCRE.
• Corporate Banking Comprehensive banking services for larger commercial clients including specialized lending, cash management and relationship banking, with a nearly 25-year niche in financial sponsor lending supporting private equity firms, family offices and established businesses for acquisitions and ownership transitions.
• Treasury Management Commercial banking service offering cash management, payment processing and liquidity solutions to help businesses optimize their financial operations.
• Business Payments Suite Integrated payment solution powered by Autobooks enabling Academy Bank business customers to create and send invoices, accept customer payments and track payment status directly within the banking platform.
• Banking as a Service Embedded banking platform enabling fintech companies to embed deposit, payment and lending services, with Academy Bank acting as the regulated sponsor bank combining banking stability and regulatory compliance; the bank tripled its partner user base in one year.
• My Finance360 Free personal financial management tool integrated into Academy Bank's online and mobile banking that helps users track spending, set budgets, automatically categorize expenses, manage debts, monitor net worth and achieve savings goals in one unified dashboard.
• Mobile and Online Banking Digital banking platform with web, iOS and Android applications supporting full account management, mobile check deposit, bill pay, debit card controls, person-to-person transfers and integration with Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, Google Pay, Venmo and PayPal.

Quantifiable outcome

• Tripled fintech partners' user base in one year through BaaS partnerships
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

AI capability3 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.

• AutobookscoreTechnology or Integration · 17 June 2026Business Payments Suite powered by Autobooks integrates invoicing, payment acceptance, and tracking services within Academy Bank's banking platform, addressing business challenges with slow payments and manual processes.
• CablestrategicTechnology or Integration · 22 October 2025Strategic partnership to enhance compliance testing capabilities and support growth in fintech partnerships. Enables Academy Bank to automate oversight of fintech partners' regulatory controls, particularly for Bank Secrecy Act.
• SimonCREcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term banking partnership spanning nearly a decade supporting real estate development from single-tenant projects to large-scale retail developments. Relationship centered on speed, trust and long-term growth.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Simmons Bank: Mid-sized regional bank with comparable consumer, mortgage, and commercial banking products across multiple states, similar asset size, and overlapping customer segments including small business and consumer lending.
• Sutton Bank: Ohio-based community bank serving as a leading sponsor bank for fintech partnerships including prepaid card programs, comparable to Academy Bank's BaaS sponsor banking model.
• UMB Financial: Kansas City-headquartered financial services company with comparable commercial banking, treasury management, and consumer banking operations; direct geographic overlap in the Midwest.
• Commerce Bank: Kansas City-based super-community bank offering similar consumer and commercial banking products across Missouri, Kansas, and adjacent states; directly competes for same regional deposit and loan customers.
• Pinnacle Financial Partners: Growth-oriented community bank focused on relationship-based commercial and consumer banking, with similar deposit-funded business model and comparable asset base to Academy Bank.
• Cross River Bank: New Jersey-based sponsor bank widely recognized for its fintech partnership and BaaS franchise, providing a comparison point for Academy Bank's embedded finance strategy and scale.
• Arvest Bank: Family/employee-owned regional community bank operating across the Midwest/South with similar consumer, mortgage, and commercial banking focus and comparable relationship-based service model.
• Lead Bank: Community bank that has pivoted aggressively into Banking-as-a-Service and embedded finance as a sponsor bank, offering direct BaaS model comparison and fintech partnership approach.
• BOK Financial: Tulsa-based regional bank with similar commercial banking, treasury management, and consumer mortgage operations across the Midwest and Southwest, including overlapping presence in Kansas, Missouri, and Colorado.

Broad incumbents

• First Horizon Bank: Larger regional bank with broader commercial, consumer, and capital markets offerings; competes for similar commercial banking customers but operates at materially greater scale and geographic reach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/i/flow/login?redirect_after_login=%2Fbankwithacademy
• Facebookfacebook.com/bankwithacademy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/academy-bank
• Instagraminstagram.com/academybank

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A2 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Academy Bank