BSF
Bank of San Francisco is an FDIC-insured community bank founded in 2005 that provides deposit, lending, treasury, SBA, and private banking services to Bay Area small businesses, nonprofits, and high-net-worth individuals.
- Company typePublic
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What BSF does
Bank of San Francisco (BSF) is a San Francisco-based community bank founded in 2005 by Ed Obuchowski and Wendy Ross, operating as a California state-chartered, FDIC-insured institution publicly traded on OTCQX under ticker BSFO. The bank serves four primary customer segments: Bay Area small and mid-size businesses (with SBA 7(a)/504 Preferred Lender status), nonprofit organizations (with quarterly lunch-and-learn programming and IOLTA/endowment expertise), high-net-worth individuals (via the Private Banking division launched in 2023), and personal banking families. It operates from two San Francisco locations — its Financial District headquarters at 345 California Street and the newly opened Laurel Village office in Pacific Heights — and reached $623M in loans and $637.6M in deposits by year-end 2025.
The core product portfolio spans deposit services (interest checking, money market, CDs, IRAs, IntraFi Network Deposits), lending (commercial real estate, construction, SBA, business acquisition, residential including TIC/Co-Op and HELOC), Treasury Management (remote deposit capture, ACH, Positive Pay, wires, QuickBooks/Quicken/Plaid connectivity), and Private Banking. The technology layer is a standard digital banking platform with iOS/Android apps, online portal, Zelle P2P integration (via Early Warning Services), biometric and multifactor authentication, and remote deposit. Distribution is entirely relationship-manager-led; the bank explicitly avoids call centers and 800-number routing.
The revenue model is anchored in net interest income from the loan portfolio (4.32% NIM in 2025, up from 3.96%), supplemented by deposit fees, SBA fee income, treasury management fees, and private banking service revenue. GTM is referral-based and community-driven: the founding team's networks from prior banks (especially First Republic) supply a large share of new client acquisition, and the bank leans on community events, quarterly workshops, and e-newsletters rather than digital advertising. The bank has been profitable since its 32nd month of operation, completed a buyout of Capitol Bancorp's 51% stake in 2010 for full independence, listed on OTCQX in 2018, and is preparing for its 20th-anniversary year in 2025 alongside a planned leadership succession now substantially complete.
BSF firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- BSF
- Legal name
- Bank of San Francisco
- Website
- https://bankbsf.com
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Bank of San Francisco is an FDIC-insured community bank founded in 2005 that provides deposit, lending, treasury, SBA, and private banking services to Bay Area small businesses, nonprofits, and high-net-worth individuals.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
BSF industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Banking
- NAICS
- Commercial Banking (52211)
- SIC
- National Commercial Banks (6021)
- akta.pro primary industry
- SME Deposits & Business Accounts (Operating, Savings, CDs) (FSABABAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- SBA/Government-Backed & Development Finance Loans (FSAKAGAI)
Keywords
Where BSF is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
BSF business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Net Interest Income: Interest earned on loan portfolio including commercial real estate loans, construction loans, residential mortgages, HELOCs, and business loans. The bank achieved net interest margin of 4.32% in 2025, up from 3.96%
- Deposit Services and Fees: Fee income from deposit accounts, debit cards with worldwide ATM fee reimbursement, wire transfers, and other banking services
- SBA and Government-Guaranteed Lending: SBA 7(a) and 504 loans as a Preferred Lender, generating fee income and serving small businesses and nonprofits
- Private Banking Services: High-touch banking services for high-net-worth individuals, encompassing deposit, lending, and wealth management advisory services
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | 7-Month CD with Relationship Premium |
| Subscription | Annual | Associate Vice President, IT Operations |
| Subscription | Annual | Central Operations Specialist |
| Subscription | Annual | Relationship Manager |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
BSF product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Bank of San Francisco is a community bank that provides relationship-based commercial and consumer banking services to Bay Area clients. Core offerings include commercial real estate and construction loans, SBA 7(a) and 504 loans as a Preferred Lender, residential mortgages and HELOCs, business and personal deposit services, treasury management, and a Private Banking division launched in 2023 for high-net-worth clients. The bank also specializes in nonprofit banking with dedicated loan, deposit, IOLTA, and merchant services, supported by a digital banking platform with Zelle, remote deposit, and worldwide ATM fee reimbursement.
Product overview
Bank of San Francisco operates as a community bank offering a comprehensive suite of banking products across personal, business, and nonprofit segments. The core product portfolio includes deposit services (personal checking/savings, business checking, money market, CDs, IRAs), lending products (home loans, commercial loans, SBA loans, construction loans, HELOCs, TIC/Co-Op loans), and digital banking services. The bank differentiates through its Private Banking division offering holistic services for high-net-worth clients, Treasury Management for business clients with QuickBooks/Quicken/Plaid connectivity, and specialized nonprofit banking. All services are supported by a digital banking platform with Zelle integration, biometric authentication, and worldwide ATM fee reimbursement. The bank operates as OTCQX: BSFO, headquartered in San Francisco.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Personal Deposit Services
- Home Loans
- Digital Banking
- Business Deposit Services
- Commercial Loans
- SBA Loans
- Nonprofit Banking
- Treasury Management
- Private Banking
- Certificate of Deposit (CD)
- IntraFi Network Deposits
Quantifiable outcome
- 20%+ year-over-year growth in loans and deposits in 2025
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use BSF
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
BSF technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration6 records
Feature3 records
BSF partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Early Warning Services (Zelle)coreBank of San Francisco integrated Zelle into its mobile banking app, enabling clients to send and receive money typically within minutes using just an email address or U.S. mobile phone number. Zelle is a fast, safe, and easy payment service owned by Early Warning Services, LLC.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights5 records
BSF competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Beneficial State Bank: California-based community bank (formerly One California Bank) serving nonprofits, social enterprises, and underserved communities. Comparable Bay Area presence and nonprofit specialization; BSF Director Jeffrey Cheung was founding CEO.
- Bank of Marin Bancorp: Northern California community bank serving businesses and consumers in the San Francisco Bay Area and North Bay. Comparable in business model, relationship-driven approach, and Bay Area focus, though larger in asset scale.
- Community Bank of the Bay: Oakland-based community bank focused on Bay Area businesses and nonprofits. Highly comparable business model and geographic focus; BSF CEO William Keller previously served as CEO of this bank.
- Presidio Bank: San Francisco-based community bank serving Bay Area businesses, nonprofits, and professionals. Closely comparable to BSF in size, geographic focus, and target segments including SMBs and nonprofits; multiple BSF executives previously worked at Presidio Bank.
- Mechanics Bank: California-headquartered community bank with strong Bay Area presence serving businesses, nonprofits, and individuals. Comparable relationship-driven model and SMB/nonprofit focus, with somewhat larger balance sheet.
Regional players
- CVB Financial: Holding company for Citizens Business Bank, a California-focused community bank serving SMBs. Comparable business banking emphasis on relationship-based service and CRE/middle-market lending, though significantly larger.
- Pacific Premier Bancorp: Irvine, CA-based bank holding company for Pacific Premier Bank, with West Coast community banking operations. Comparable relationship-driven SMB and commercial banking model across the western U.S., though larger and more geographically diversified than BSF.
- Heritage Commerce Corp: Holding company for Heritage Bank of Commerce, a Silicon Valley/Bay Area community bank. Comparable Bay Area focus and SMB/commercial lending model, but operates at materially larger scale across more branches.
- Westamerica Bancorp: Northern California community bank holding company serving businesses and consumers. Comparable in regional California focus and commercial banking model, though substantially larger and more branch-dense.
Broad incumbents
- First Republic Bank (predecessor entity): Predecessor franchise once dominant in Bay Area private banking; acquired by JPMorgan in 2023 after collapse. Highly comparable relationship-driven private banking model that BSF explicitly references and from which it has hired extensively to staff its Private Banking division.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
BSF social profiles
Digital presenceBSF compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
BSF financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
BSF leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles18 records
BSF funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
BSF 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 BSF
What does BSF do?
Bank of San Francisco is a community bank that provides relationship-based commercial and consumer banking services to Bay Area clients. Core offerings include commercial real estate and construction loans, SBA 7(a) and 504 loans as a Preferred Lender, residential mortgages and HELOCs, business and personal deposit services, treasury management, and a Private Banking division launched in 2023 for high-net-worth clients. The bank also specializes in nonprofit banking with dedicated loan, deposit, IOLTA, and merchant services, supported by a digital banking platform with Zelle, remote deposit, and worldwide ATM fee reimbursement.
Is BSF a public or private company?
BSF is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was BSF founded?
BSF was founded in 2005. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is BSF based?
BSF is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does BSF make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Net Interest Income is the primary driver. The others are deposit Services and Fees, SBA and Government-Guaranteed Lending and private Banking Services.
Who are BSF's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Beneficial State Bank, Bank of Marin Bancorp, Community Bank of the Bay, Presidio Bank and Mechanics Bank. Regional players are CVB Financial, Pacific Premier Bancorp, Heritage Commerce Corp and Westamerica Bancorp. First Republic Bank (predecessor entity) is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does BSF have an API?
No public API is recorded for BSF.
What industry is BSF in?
BSF's product category is Community Banking. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSABABAC, SME Deposits & Business Accounts (Operating, Savings, CDs), with a secondary code of FSAKAGAI, SBA/Government-Backed & Development Finance Loans. Its NAICS code is 52211 and its SIC code is 6021.