Southern First Bank
Southern First Bank (NASDAQ: SFST) is a Greenville, SC-based regional community bank with $4.6 billion in assets, operating 13 branches across South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, and Virginia to serve small-to-medium-sized businesses and individual consumers with relationship-driven personal and business banking.
- Company typePublic
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersGreenville, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Southern First Bank does
Southern First Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ: SFST) operates Southern First Bank, a $4.6 billion-asset regional community bank headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina, serving clients across South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, and Virginia through a 13-branch network. The bank provides a full-service suite spanning personal banking (checking, savings, money market, mortgages, and consumer loans) and business banking (tiered business checking, money market, CDs, commercial real estate loans, business term loans, lines of credit, equipment loans, and commercial credit cards). Its product architecture includes purpose-built variants such as the Dream Mortgage (up to 100% financing, no PMI), Community FIRST for nonprofits, Corporate FIRST Analysis for transaction-heavy accounts, and Southern Legacy for customers aged 55 and older.
The bank runs a relationship-led go-to-market model where each client is assigned a dedicated banker team, layered on top of a digital platform consisting of iOS/Android mobile apps, online banking with 18 months of transaction history, Zelle peer-to-peer payments, Remote Deposit Capture, Autobooks small-business accounting, and a Lockbox Portal. Underlying technology is described as a standard regional banking platform with no disclosed proprietary AI/ML capabilities, and integrations are primarily third-party fintech services. The bank is FDIC-insured, operates as an Equal Housing Lender, and holds NMLS #754127 for mortgage operations.
Revenue is generated primarily through net interest income on commercial, real estate, mortgage, and consumer loans, net of interest paid on deposits, supplemented by non-interest income from account fees, loan origination fees, and service charges. Pricing across the six business checking tiers, personal checking tiers, and savings products is balance- and transaction-based rather than subscription SaaS pricing, consistent with traditional community-bank economics. The bank employs 251-500 staff and reported Q4 2025 quarterly revenue of $31.83 million with diluted EPS of $1.21.
Southern First Bank firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Southern First Bank
- Legal name
- Southern First Bancshares, Inc.
- Website
- https://southernfirst.com
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Southern First Bank (NASDAQ: SFST) is a Greenville, SC-based regional community bank with $4.6 billion in assets, operating 13 branches across South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, and Virginia to serve small-to-medium-sized businesses and individual consumers with relationship-driven personal and business banking.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Southern First Bank industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Banking
- NAICS
- Commercial Banking (52211), Depository Credit Intermediation (5221)
- SIC
- State Commercial Banks (6022)
- akta.pro primary industry
- SME Sector/Specialty Banking (Vertical-focused: Healthcare, Agri, Tech, etc.) (FSABABAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Mass-Market Consumer Deposit Banking (Checking/Savings) (FSABAAAA), Small Business Banking (Microbusiness/Sole Proprietor) (FSABAAAI), Retail Lending (Personal Loans, Auto, Credit Lines) (FSABAAAB)
Keywords
Where Southern First Bank is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Greenville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices13 records
Markets served
Southern First Bank business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Net Interest Income: Primary revenue stream from interest earned on loans including commercial loans, real estate loans, mortgages, and consumer loans, net of interest paid on deposits.
- Non-Interest Income: Fee income from banking services including account fees, loan origination fees, and other banking service charges.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Business Checking - Business FIRST: Low minimum balance account with no service fee if daily balance equals or exceeds $500 |
| Subscription | Monthly | Business Checking - Business FIRST Interest: Interest-bearing account with $5,000 minimum balance |
| Subscription | Monthly | Business Checking - Community FIRST: Non-profit account with no balance-based monthly fee |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Monthly | Business Checking - Corporate FIRST Analysis: Pay-per-transaction analysis account |
| Subscription | Monthly | Personal Checking - Southern FIRST: No monthly maintenance fees with $100 minimum opening |
| Subscription | Monthly | Business Money Market: Interest-bearing savings with $5,000 minimum |
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
Southern First Bank product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Southern First Bank is a regional community bank headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina, that provides personal and business banking products and services including checking accounts, savings, money market accounts, mortgages, and commercial loans. Operating across the Southeast United States (South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, and Virginia), the bank holds approximately $4.6 billion in assets and serves both retail consumers and commercial clients through a combination of branch locations and digital channels.
Product overview
Southern First Bank is a regional bank offering a comprehensive suite of banking products through a unified banking platform. The product portfolio spans personal banking (checking, savings, mortgages, and personal loans), business banking (checking, savings, and commercial loans), and digital banking services. Digital access is provided through online and mobile banking platforms with features including mobile check deposit, external transfers, and transaction alerts. Key product lines include the Southern FIRST family of checking and savings accounts, Dream Mortgage for zero-down financing, various commercial loan products, and add-on services like Zelle for payments, Savings Made Simple for automated savings, and business tools including Autobooks, Remote Deposit Capture, and Lockbox Portal.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Southern First: Relationship-driven personal and business banking services
- Business FIRST
- Business FIRST Interest
- Community FIRST
- Corporate FIRST Analysis
- Southern FIRST
- ClientFIRST
- Southern Legacy
- Dream Mortgage Center
- FIRST Savings
- ClientFIRST Money Market
Products and services
- Southern FIRST Checking
Companies that use Southern First Bank
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Southern First Bank technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Southern First Bank partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators11 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Southern First Bank competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- United Community Bank: GA-headquartered regional bank with similar Southeast footprint across GA, NC, SC, TN, FL. Closely comparable in SMB/commercial banking focus, scale ($20B+ assets vs. SFST's $4.6B), and relationship-led GTM. Southern First's CFO Chris Zych was previously Director of Corporate Development at UCBI.
- SouthState Corporation: SC-based regional bank holding company with deep Southeast presence. Directly comparable in commercial and consumer banking product mix, geographic overlap in SC/NC/GA, and similar SMB-relationship GTM. Acquired Park Sterling Bank (founded by new SFST board member Bryan Kennedy) in 2017.
- First Citizens BancShares: NC-headquartered bank with significant Southeast presence offering commercial, consumer, and wealth banking. Comparable in regional commercial banking focus and product breadth, though considerably larger in scale.
- Pinnacle Financial Partners: TN-based regional bank with relationship-driven commercial banking model. Comparable in SMB and middle-market commercial focus, dedicated banker teams, and growth-oriented regional strategy, though geographically oriented to TN and the Mid-South.
- ServisFirst Bancshares: AL-headquartered regional bank focused on commercial and business banking across the Southeast. Directly comparable in commercial/SMB banking emphasis and Southeast regional footprint, similar scale band, and relationship-driven GTM.
- Atlantic Capital Bancshares: Atlanta-based commercial bank serving middle-market and SMB clients in the Southeast. Comparable in commercial-banking focus and Atlanta market presence, though now part of SouthState (acquired 2022).
Broad incumbents
- Cadence Bank: MS-headquartered super-regional bank serving the Southeast and Texas with commercial, consumer, and wealth banking. Overlapping commercial banking product suite and Southeast footprint make it a broader incumbent comparable.
- Regions Financial: AL-headquartered super-regional bank with deep Southeast presence across consumer, commercial, and wealth. Overlaps in commercial banking products and Southeast geography, but at materially greater scale and product breadth.
- Truist Financial: Top-10 US bank with significant Carolinas and Southeast presence from the BB&T/SunTrust merger. Operates commercial and consumer banking at massive scale, serving overlapping SMB and consumer segments in the same geographies as SFST.
- First Horizon National: TN-headquartered regional bank with Southeast presence spanning commercial, consumer, and wealth banking. Overlaps in commercial banking products and Southeast footprint, though serving a broader Mid-South geography.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Southern First Bank social profiles
Digital presenceSouthern First Bank compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Southern First Bank financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Southern First Bank leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
Southern First Bank funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Southern First Bank 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 Southern First Bank
What does Southern First Bank do?
Southern First Bank is a regional community bank headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina, that provides personal and business banking products and services including checking accounts, savings, money market accounts, mortgages, and commercial loans. Operating across the Southeast United States (South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, and Virginia), the bank holds approximately $4.6 billion in assets and serves both retail consumers and commercial clients through a combination of branch locations and digital channels.
Is Southern First Bank a public or private company?
Southern First Bank is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was Southern First Bank founded?
Southern First Bank was founded in 2006. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Southern First Bank based?
Southern First Bank is headquartered in Greenville, United States, in the North America region.
How does Southern First Bank make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Net Interest Income is the primary driver. The others are non-Interest Income.
Who are Southern First Bank's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are United Community Bank, SouthState Corporation, First Citizens BancShares, Pinnacle Financial Partners, ServisFirst Bancshares and Atlantic Capital Bancshares. Broad incumbents are Cadence Bank, Regions Financial, Truist Financial and First Horizon National.
Does Southern First Bank have an API?
No public API is recorded for Southern First Bank.
What industry is Southern First Bank in?
Southern First Bank's product category is Community Banking. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSABABAI, SME Sector/Specialty Banking (Vertical-focused: Healthcare, Agri, Tech, etc.), with a secondary code of FSABAAAA, Mass-Market Consumer Deposit Banking (Checking/Savings). Its NAICS code is 52211 and its SIC code is 6022.