Commercial Bank of California

What Commercial Bank of California does

Commercial Bank of California (CBC) is a privately held, full-service commercial bank headquartered in Irvine, California, founded in 2003 and recognized as the largest Latino-owned bank in California and a certified Minority Depository Institution (MDI). The bank operates ten offices across California — Southern California (Irvine, Los Angeles, Anaheim, Fairfax, Costa Mesa, Santa Monica) and Northern California (Oakland, Danville, San Mateo, San Jose) — staffed by SVP-level Regional Managers who deliver relationship-based banking to business, real estate, nonprofit, hospitality, construction, and innovation-economy clients. The franchise is anchored by Ash Patel (CEO, President, and Chairman since 2013), under whom assets grew from approximately $200 million to $2.5 billion (September 2024) and to roughly $3.5 billion following the November 2024 acquisition of Bay Community Bancorp.

The product set spans business deposit products (Business Checking, Savings, CDs), a treasury management suite (ACH origination, wire, lockbox, remote deposit, positive pay, merchant services, Zelle, CBCash with Real Time Payments), and a broad lending platform covering working capital and asset-based lines of credit, SBA Preferred Lender loans, USDA loans, equipment financing, construction loans, owner-occupied financing, and hospitality and commercial real estate lending. The bank's proprietary ACH processing platform — consolidated from the 2017 VeriCheck and January 2022 ACHWorks acquisitions and re-platformed on Microsoft Azure in April 2024 — processes more than $50 billion annually for nearly 10,000 merchants and forms the core of the CBC Payments division, which also offers ISO sponsorship and merchant acquiring. Sub-brands include CBCash (RTP/cashflow) and the California Green Fund, which earmarks deposits for sustainable-business lending in clean energy, green real estate, and sustainable food systems.

CBC is a privately held institution under holding company CBC Bancorp, with revenue driven by net interest income (the spread on its $1.8B net loan book against $2.1B in deposits) plus fee income from payment processing ($13.7M for 9M 2024), bank service charges, and SBA/USDA loan sales. For the first nine months of 2024, net interest income reached $59.3M (+19.7% year-over-year) and net income $15.5M (+53% year-over-year). Distribution is sales-led through dedicated regional managers and banking partners, supplemented by the CBC Business and CBC Personal mobile apps and online banking channels. The bank's MDI designation, Latino-owned identity, SBA Preferred Lender status, and community reinvestment focus are positioned as its core differentiators relative to larger national and regional competitors.

Name

Commercial Bank of California

Legal name

Commercial Bank of California

Website

https://cbcal.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Banking

NAICS

Commercial Banking (52211)

SIC

State Commercial Banks (6022)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYFSABABAA

General SME & Middle-Market Commercial Banking

Financial & Insurance/Banking (Commerical, Retail & Consumer)/Commercial Banking (SME & Middle Market)

SECONDARYFSABABAC

SME Deposits & Business Accounts (Operating, Savings, CDs)

Financial & Insurance/Banking (Commerical, Retail & Consumer)/Commercial Banking (SME & Middle Market)

SECONDARYFSABABAB

SME Business Lending (Term Loans, Lines of Credit, Overdrafts)

Financial & Insurance/Banking (Commerical, Retail & Consumer)/Commercial Banking (SME & Middle Market)

SECONDARYFSABABAG

SME Commercial Real Estate (CRE) Lending

Financial & Insurance/Banking (Commerical, Retail & Consumer)/Commercial Banking (SME & Middle Market)

SECONDARYFSAKAGAI

SBA/Government-Backed & Development Finance Loans

Financial & Insurance/Lending & Consumer Finance/Small Business & Microenterprise Lending

Keywords

• Commercial banking services
• Business lending
• Treasury management
• ACH payment processing
• Real estate lending

Headquarters

HQ city

Irvine

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Net Interest Income: Interest income earned from lending activities minus interest paid on deposits. Primary revenue driver representing the spread between loan yields and deposit costs. For nine months ending September 2024: $59.3 million, up 19.7% year-over-year.
2. Payment Processing Fees: Fee income from ACH processing, merchant services, and payment solutions. Processing over $50 billion annually in ACH transactions for nearly 10,000 merchants. For nine months ending September 2024: $13.7 million in payment processing fee income.
3. Bank Service Charges and Fees: Fees from deposit accounts including maintenance fees, overdraft fees, wire transfer fees, and other banking service charges.
4. Lending Origination Fees: Income from loan origination including SBA loan sales, term loans, lines of credit, and real estate lending. SBA Preferred Lender status enables expedited processing and fee income from guaranteed loan sales.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Commercial Bank of California is a full-service commercial bank offering business deposit accounts (checking, savings, CDs, specialty deposits), commercial and real estate lending (SBA, USDA, term loans, lines of credit, construction, hospitality, owner-occupied), treasury management and the CBCash suite with Real Time Payments, merchant card acceptance, and ACH payment processing on a proprietary Microsoft Azure-based platform processing over $50 billion annually. The bank serves business owners, entrepreneurs, real estate investors, and nonprofit organizations primarily in California through 10 branches and dedicated relationship managers.

Product overview

Commercial Bank of California operates as a full-service bank offering a comprehensive suite of banking products organized around business banking, real estate lending, payments processing, and private banking. The core deposit products include Business Checking, Business Savings, and Certificates of Deposit, supplemented by Treasury Management services for cash flow optimization. Business Lending provides working capital lines, asset-based credit, SBA loans, USDA loans, equipment financing, and construction loans. Real Estate Lending covers commercial, multifamily, hospitality, and owner-occupied properties, while the California Green Fund enables sustainable financing for clean energy, green real estate, and environmental projects. The payments division, branded as CBC Payments, encompasses merchant payment processing, ISO sponsorship, ACH processing (processing over $50 billion annually), and tools like CBCash (Real Time Payments and CBCashflow). Consumer and private banking services include Private Banking, Zelle (both business and personal), and dedicated nonprofit banking for 501(c)(3) organizations. CBC recently acquired Bay Community Bancorp (November 2024), expanding to approximately $3.5 billion in combined assets with locations across Northern and Southern California.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• California Green Fund: A deposit designation program that directs client deposits into loans for environmentally sustainable businesses and projects in sectors like clean energy, green real estate, and sustainable food systems.
• CBCash
• VeriCheck (VCI)

Products and services

• Business Checking Business checking accounts offering convenience and features to power business operations, with multiple account types and personalized account representative guidance for business owners.
• Business Savings Interest-earning business savings accounts with the ability to withdraw or transfer up to six times each month.
• Certificates of Deposit (CDs) Certificate of Deposit accounts with competitive rates and multiple term lengths for business and personal deposit needs.
• Specialty Deposits Banking solutions tailored for specific industries including real estate, construction, land titles, mortgage lending, title and escrow, HOAs, property management, and 1031 exchanges.
• Working Capital Line of Credit Short or long-term revolving credit solutions for managing cash flow effectively and seizing growth opportunities.
• Asset Based Line of Credit Credit facilities that maximize borrowing capacity while minimizing risk through smart leveraging of business assets.
• Business Term Loans Longer-term borrowing solutions for equipment purchases, business expansion, acquisitions, permanent working capital, or refinancing of existing business debts, with fixed and variable rate options.
• SBA Loans SBA Preferred Lender Program (PLP) loans with expedited services, favorable terms including low down payments, longer maturities, and smaller monthly payments.
• USDA Loans USDA Business and Industry Guaranteed Loan Program solutions for rural community businesses, offering higher loan-to-value structures and longer repayment terms.
• Equipment Financing Assorted loan structures, terms, and interest rate options for equipment acquisitions, including fully amortizing term loans, revolving credit lines, and pre-approved guidance lines.
• Construction Loans Active construction lending supporting disbursement processing for specialty product types including hospitality properties.
• Real Estate Lending Financing for purchase, refinance, construction, or renovation of commercial investment properties including retail, industrial, apartment, hospitality, self-storage, land, and residential healthcare facilities; includes hospitality lending and owner-occupied financing solutions.
• Treasury Management Full suite of treasury management services including cash vault services, automated sweep, merchant services, positive pay, ACH credit and debit origination, wire transfers, lockbox, remote deposit capture, and bill payment for cash flow management.
• CBCash Suite Suite of cash management products including Real Time Payments (RTP) for instant transaction processing and CBCashflow for invoice management, payment tracking, and direct deposit capabilities.
• ACH Processing ACH payment processing services processing over $50 billion annually with nearly 10,000 merchants served, featuring risk management, customizable platform, and API integration, built on Microsoft Azure cloud.
• Merchant Services Merchant payment processing solutions with competitive pricing, flexible services, Visa/MasterCard/Discover/AmEx acceptance, live 24/7 client support, secure technology, and integration with point-of-sale systems for businesses.
• ISO Sponsorship Bankcard acquiring and ISO sponsorship services offering flexible pricing, streamlined underwriting, delegated authority for merchant approvals, late merchant funding, unique BINS and ICAs, and ACH processing solutions for acquiring partners.
• California Green Fund A deposit designation program that directs client deposits into loans for environmentally sustainable businesses and projects in sectors like clean energy, green real estate, sustainable food systems, and environmental stewardship.
• Private Banking High-touch private banking services for entrepreneurs and business owners, offering personalized financial management with low lobby traffic, service-focused approach, and access to leadership.
• Nonprofit Banking Banking services designed for 501(c)(3) and nonprofit organizations including community impact checking and savings accounts, money market accounts, nonprofit lending, and Zelle for donations.
• Zelle Business Digital payment service enabling small businesses to send and receive money via the CBC Business app, with fast transfers typically within minutes and no fees.
• Zelle Personal Fast, safe, and easy digital payment service for personal use to send money to friends and family using just an email or mobile number, available through the CBC Mobile App.

Quantifiable outcome

• Grew from approximately $200 million in assets in 2013 to $2.5 billion as of September 2024
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

AI capability1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Bay Community Bancorp (Community Bank of the Bay)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2024CBC Bancorp completed acquisition of Bay Community Bancorp, merging two leading California banks to create a combined institution with approximately $3.5 billion in assets. Community Bank of the Bay becomes a division of CBC as a privately held bank. The merger combines CBC's business banking expertise with CBB's community banking experience, adding four new locations in the greater San Francisco Bay area.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• East West Bank: Much larger California-headquartered commercial bank serving the Asian American and broader SME community; comparable customer segments (immigrant/minority business owners) but with significantly broader national footprint and asset base.
• Banc of California: California-focused commercial bank with a much larger asset base and broader product suite; overlapping in SME and CRE lending but with greater geographic reach within California.

Emerging players

• Optus Bank: Certified MDI community bank focused on minority business owners and underserved markets — analogous to CBC's MDI positioning and Latino business banking focus, though operating in the Southeast rather than California.
• Plaid: Fintech providing ACH and payment infrastructure APIs to banks and fintechs; competes with CBC's proprietary ACHWorks/VeriCheck platform on payment processing capabilities and merchant integrations.

Direct peers

• Beneficial State Bank: Certified MDI and B-Corp community bank serving California, Oregon, and Washington with nonprofit, environmental, and SME banking focus — direct competitor in the mission-driven California MDI segment.
• Bank of Southern California: San Diego-headquartered community commercial bank serving SMEs and professionals in Southern California — directly comparable in target market, relationship banking model, and asset size.
• CVB Financial (Citizens Business Bank): California-based commercial bank serving SMEs, nonprofits, and commercial real estate borrowers with similar deposit/lending mix and geographic concentration in California.
• Heritage Commerce Corp: California community bank holding company operating Heritage Bank of Commerce with similar SME, CRE, and business banking focus in Northern and Central California markets.
• Pacific Premier Bancorp: California-headquartered commercial bank focused on SMEs, business banking, and treasury management — directly comparable to CBC in California market, business customer base, and product mix.
• First Foundation Inc. California-based commercial bank offering business banking, real estate lending, and private banking to SMEs and professionals — directly overlapping with CBC's customer segments and product offerings.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cbcal
• Facebookfacebook.com/CommercialBankofCalifornia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/commercial-bank-of-california

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A1 record

Investments1 record

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

Frequently asked questions about Commercial Bank of California