C3bank

What C3bank does

C3bank is a privately held, nationally chartered community bank headquartered in Encinitas, California, operating four branch locations across California (Encinitas, Riverside, San Marcos) and Tennessee (Nashville). Originally founded in 1981, the bank was acquired in 2014 by a group of three local investors led by Michael Persall (Founder/Chairman of ABP Capital) and re-launched under the C3bank brand in April 2017. It serves both personal and business customers with a portfolio spanning deposit products (checking, savings, money market, CDs, IRAs), commercial and consumer lending, and digital banking services.

The bank's core competency is commercial real estate (CRE) lending, with $1.3 billion+ in loan originations over the past ten years spanning retail, warehouse/industrial, multifamily, office, mixed-use, and hospitality properties, supplemented by SBA 504/7(a) loans under its SBA Preferred Lender Program (PLP) status, business term loans, lines of credit, and home equity products. Technology is delivered through a Fiserv-powered digital banking platform with iOS/Android mobile apps, online and text banking, Zelle, Quicken/QuickBooks integration, and CDARS for multi-million-dollar FDIC coverage. AI capability is delivered via a strategic partnership with Blooma (in which Chairman Persall is a board member and lead investor), using AI-powered data retrieval to augment CRE loan underwriting.

The business model is a traditional community bank: interest income from loans is the primary revenue stream, with supplementary fee income from deposit accounts, debit card interchange, cash management services, and partner-referred merchant/payroll services. GTM is sales-led and relationship-driven through four physical branches and a digital channel, with channel partnerships (Visa, Fiserv, Deluxe, CDARS, merchant services partners) extending product reach. The bank holds BauerFinancial's 5-Star Superior rating, has 11–50 employees, and is recognized for its local market presence in CRE-heavy Southern California.

Name

C3bank

Legal name

C3bank National Association

Website

https://c3bank.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Banking

NAICS

Commercial Banking (52211), Commercial Banking (522110), Depository Credit Intermediation (5221)

SIC

National Commercial Banks (6021), Mortgage Bankers & Loan Correspondents (6162)

akta.pro primary industry

Construction & Development (C&D) Lending — Commercial/Multifamily (FSALADAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Real Estate (Commercial Property, REITs) (FSABACAH), SBA/Government-Backed & Development Finance Loans (FSAKAGAI)

Keywords

• Commercial real estate lending
• Community banking services
• Business banking products
• SBA loan programs
• Personal deposit accounts

Headquarters

HQ city

Encinitas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Interest Income from Loans: Primary revenue stream from commercial real estate loans, business term loans, lines of credit, SBA loans, and personal home equity products. The bank specializes in commercial real estate financing including retail, warehouse/industrial, multifamily, office, mixed-use and hospitality properties.
2. Deposit Account Fees and Service Charges: Monthly maintenance fees on certain accounts (e.g., $10 for Money Market accounts if balance falls below minimum), transaction fees on business analysis checking accounts, and various service charges.
3. Debit Card Interchange: Revenue generated from Visa debit card transactions. Free with business checking accounts, with first five ATM/POS transaction fees waived.
4. Cash Management and Merchant Services: Fees from cash management sweep accounts, ACH processing, merchant capture services, and merchant credit card processing through business partners.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

C3bank is a community-focused commercial bank that provides deposit accounts (checking, savings, money market, CDs), commercial and personal loans (specializing in commercial real estate financing for retail, multifamily, office, mixed-use, and hospitality properties), SBA 504 and 7(a) loans, cash management services, and digital banking (online, mobile, tablet, text). The bank delivers these services through four physical branch locations in California and Tennessee, complemented by an online and mobile banking platform with AI-assisted loan origination.

Product overview

C3bank offers a comprehensive community banking platform serving both personal and business customers with a full suite of deposit, lending, and digital banking products. The core offering centers on commercial real estate and business lending (including SBA loans, term loans, and lines of credit), complemented by personal loan products such as home equity offerings. Digital banking services include online banking, mobile/tablet banking, and text banking for both personal and business customers. Cash management services, merchant services, and Remote Deposit round out the business banking capabilities. The bank also provides traditional banking conveniences like safe deposit boxes, notary services, and night depositories at select locations. CDARS service enables expanded FDIC coverage for larger deposits. All products are delivered through a relationship-focused community banking model with locations in California and Tennessee.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Commercial Real Estate & Construction Loans Fixed and adjustable rate commercial financing for retail, warehouse/industrial, multifamily, office, mixed-use, and hospitality properties, plus construction or rehabilitation loans for commercial and residential properties, offered to commercial real estate investors and developers.
• Business Term Loans Permanent working capital, equipment purchases, tenant improvements, and business expansion or acquisition financing with flexible terms for small and mid-sized businesses.
• Business Lines of Credit Revolving credit lines for short-term financing needs including temporary working capital, inventory purchases, and accounts receivable management for businesses.
• SBA 504 and 7(a) Loans Small Business Administration guaranteed loans offering long-term financing with extended terms and competitive pricing for owner-user real property through the SBA Preferred Lender Program.
• C3 Business Checking Business checking account with no monthly maintenance fee, including online banking, mobile banking, remote deposit, e-statements, check imaging, and a business debit card, for small and mid-sized businesses.
• Business Account Analysis Checking Analysis checking account for businesses with variable earnings credit to offset transaction fees based on account balance, with $100 minimum opening deposit.
• Business Platinum Money Market Interest-bearing money market account for businesses with $1,000 minimum opening deposit and six transfers/withdrawals per statement period limit.
• Basic Business Savings Business savings account with $100 minimum opening deposit, $6 quarterly service charge (waived with $500 minimum daily balance), and six included transactions per month.
• Business Certificates of Deposit FDIC-insured CDs with terms from 60 days to 3 years, minimum $1,000 opening deposit, automatically renewable with penalty for early withdrawal, offered to businesses.
• Personal Checking Accounts Personal checking accounts including Personal Checking, Senior Advantage Checking, Royal Club Checking, and Personal Money Market variants with different fee structures, minimum balance requirements, and waived monthly fees at specified balance thresholds, for individual consumers.
• Personal Savings Accounts Personal and Minor Savings accounts with interest-bearing options, minimum deposits starting at $25, and limited monthly withdrawals per federal regulations, for individual consumers.
• Personal Certificates of Deposit Personal FDIC-insured CDs with promotional APY rates on terms ranging from 4 months to 12 months, offered to individual consumers, new money requirement.
• Home Equity Lines of Credit Revolving credit lines secured by home equity for home improvements, debt consolidation, college tuition, and large purchases, offered to individual homeowners.
• Home Equity Loans Fixed-rate lump sum loans for major or one-time personal expenses, disbursed upfront with predictable monthly payments over the loan term.
• CDARS (Certificate of Deposit Account Registry Service) Service enabling multi-million dollar FDIC insurance by placing deposits across CDARS network member banks through a single relationship with C3bank, for personal and business depositors seeking expanded insurance coverage.
• Retirement Accounts (Traditional IRA and Roth IRA) Tax-advantaged retirement accounts including Traditional IRA (pre-tax contributions, tax-deferred growth) and Roth IRA (after-tax contributions, tax-free growth), offered to individual consumers for retirement planning.
• Cash Management Services Business cash management suite including ACH Manager, Merchant Capture, direct deposit, and cash sweep accounts for automated liquidity management, offered to business customers.
• Remote Deposit Electronic check deposit service allowing businesses to deposit checks remotely 24/7 without visiting a branch, available to business customers.
• Letters of Credit Guarantee instrument providing suppliers assurance that a business will fulfill contract terms, issued by C3bank on behalf of business customers.
• Merchant Services Credit card processing and payroll processing services offered to business customers through business partners, helping reduce merchant processing costs.
• Business Online Banking 24/7 online banking platform for businesses with account access, transaction viewing, dual-control processes, user permissions, and fund transfers, including Quicken and QuickBooks download support.
• Personal Online Banking Internet-based personal banking service providing account access, statements, fund transfers, Popmoney, Zelle, account alerts, and Quicken/QuickBooks downloads for individual consumers.
• Mobile & Tablet Banking Applications Native mobile and tablet applications for iOS and Android devices with Touch ID login, mobile deposit, instant balance viewing, bill pay, and full banking functionality for personal and business customers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $1.3 billion in loan originations in the past 10 years
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers23 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

AI capability3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BloomacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBlooma is an AI-powered loan origination platform. C3bank uses Blooma to automate data gathering for commercial real estate deals, tapping into third-party databases for local real estate market information and scours the web for neighborhood crime statistics and other relevant information. Founder Michael Persall is a Board Member and Lead Investor of Blooma.
• VisacoreTechnology or IntegrationVisa provides debit card services for C3bank customers. The bank offers Visa debit cards free with business checking accounts, usable for signature-based transactions, PIN transactions, and ATM withdrawals.
• Promontory Interfinancial Network (CDARS)coreTechnology or IntegrationCDARS (Certificate of Deposit Account Registry Service) allows C3bank to provide multi-million dollar FDIC insurance on CD investments by placing funds into CDs issued by other CDARS Network members, all through a single relationship with C3bank.
• DeluxeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDeluxe provides business check reordering services for C3bank customers through the DeluxeForms website.
• Merchant Services PartnersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party business partners provide merchant credit card processing and payroll processing services on behalf of C3bank, allowing the bank to offer these services to business customers.
• FiservcoreTechnology or IntegrationMobile banking technology provider powering C3bank's downloadable mobile applications for personal and business banking on iOS and Android devices.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Banc of California: California-headquartered commercial bank with national charter and broader CRE, SBA, and business banking franchises. Comparable to C3bank in California geographic focus and CRE/SBA lending orientation, but materially larger in scale, deposit base, and branch footprint.
• Pacific Premier Bancorp: West Coast community and commercial bank with strong CRE and business banking focus. Directly comparable to C3bank in commercial real estate and SMB lending model, but operates across multiple states and at meaningfully greater scale.
• CVB Financial (Citizens Business Bank): California-based community commercial bank with CRE, commercial, and SBA lending franchise. Closely comparable business mix to C3bank with greater scale and a longer track record in California middle-market CRE lending.

Direct peers

• Bank of Southern California: Southern California-headquartered community bank focused on commercial and CRE lending to businesses and professionals. Comparable target market and product set to C3bank, with overlapping San Diego / Southern California geography.
• Sunwest Bank: California-based community commercial bank with CRE, SBA, and business banking franchise. Highly comparable business model and lending focus; notably, C3bank's mobile app store listings still reference the SunWest Bank name, suggesting legacy technology infrastructure lineage.
• First Foundation Bank: California and Nevada-headquartered community bank with CRE, multifamily, and business banking focus. Comparable to C3bank in CRE and SMB lending orientation, particularly multifamily exposure, with greater scale and multi-city Southern California presence.
• Community West Bancshares: California-based community commercial bank (Community West Bank) with CRE and SBA lending focus. Closely comparable product mix and California-focused footprint to C3bank at a similar community-bank scale.

Emerging players

• Axos Financial: Digital-first national bank with growing CRE and business lending franchise. Represents the digital-native competitor C3bank's mobile and online banking platforms must keep pace with, particularly as customer expectations shift toward seamless digital experiences.
• Live Oak Bancshares: Technology-forward community bank with leading SBA lending franchise. Comparable SBA lending orientation and tech-augmented underwriting approach; C3bank's Blooma AI partnership reflects similar ambitions toward digital underwriting advantage.

Regional players

• Pinnacle Financial Partners: Southeast / Tennessee-headquartered community bank with strong CRE, business banking, and SBA lending franchise. Relevant peer for C3bank's Nashville expansion strategy, providing a template of how a community bank can scale in Tennessee's CRE-rich banking market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/c3bank
• Xx.com/C3bank

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about C3bank