What Digital Banking Report does

Digital Banking Report is an independent research publication focused on digital transformation in the financial services sector, operated as DBR Media, LLC and headquartered in Brecksville, Ohio. Founded in 1994, the company produces a library of over 200 in-depth research reports covering retail banking, fintech innovation, AI and agentic AI in banking, branch transformation, digital lending, payments, and financial services marketing. The research methodology relies on surveys of banking and credit union executives combined with crowdsourced insights from over 100 global financial services leaders and broader market analysis. The firm is owned and published by Jim Marous, recognized as a top 5 global influencer in banking and co-publisher of The Financial Brand.

The core product is the Digital Banking Report platform, a subscription-based research library organized around flagship annual trend reports (Retail Banking Trends and Priorities series), innovation-focused reports (Innovation in Retail Banking series), and topical deep-dives. Recent publications include the 2026 Retail Banking Trends and Priorities report, the 2026 Future of Branch Banking, the Innovation in Retail Banking 2025 report (16th edition), and the Agentic AI: Powering the Self-Driving Bank report. Reports are produced with the support of fintech and banking technology sponsors including Q2, MeridianLink, EdgeVerve Systems Limited, Qorus, Newgen Software, Alkami, Kony, Deluxe, Personetics, and Kofax; the company states it maintains editorial independence from these sponsors. All reports are now freely accessible after registration, with paid individual and team subscriptions layered on top.

The business operates on a hybrid revenue model combining sponsored research reports and multi-user team subscriptions. The company employs 11-50 staff and reports its research is consumed by executives at more than 300 companies worldwide, with survey coverage spanning bankers, credit union executives, industry analysts, and fintech followers across Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Europe, and Australia. The firm has no disclosed external institutional investment or venture funding, is privately held under the LLC structure of DBR Media, and has no history of acquisitions or structural change beyond ongoing partnerships and content launches.

Name

Digital Banking Report

Legal name

DBR Media, LLC

Website

https://digitalbankingreport.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Digital Banking Report is an independent research publication that produces a 200+ report library on digital banking transformation, fintech innovation, and AI adoption, serving banking executives, credit union leaders, and fintech vendors across more than 300 companies worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Brecksville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Sponsored Research Reports: Financial technology companies and solution providers sponsor research reports, with sponsors including Q2, MeridianLink, EdgeVerve Systems Limited, Qorus, Newgen Software, Alkami, Kony, Deluxe, Personetics, and Kofax. Sponsors receive visibility and branding within the research while Digital Banking Report maintains editorial independence.
2. Subscription Services: Individual and team subscription plans for organizations requiring multi-user access to the report library. Terms indicate individual subscriptions are for one person only, with team subscriptions (e.g., 10-user) available for assigned members only.
3. Free Content Distribution: All research reports are freely accessible after registration, enabling wide distribution of insights to banking and credit union executives at over 300 companies worldwide, with revenue generated through sponsorship rather than content sales.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Digital Banking Report operates an independent research publication platform that produces and distributes 200+ in-depth research reports on digital banking transformation, retail banking trends, fintech innovation, AI adoption, digital lending, branch banking, payments, and customer experience in financial services. All reports are freely accessible to registered users and revenue is generated primarily through sponsored research from banking technology and fintech solution providers (such as Q2, MeridianLink, EdgeVerve, and Qorus), with supplemental individual and team subscriptions for multi-user library access.

Product overview

Digital Banking Report is a research subscription platform providing access to over 200 in-depth reports on digital transformation in retail banking and financial services. The core platform offers a searchable report library with products organized as annual trend reports (Retail Banking Trends and Priorities series), specialized topic reports (AI, digital lending, branch banking, payments, marketing), and white papers. The company operates on a subscription model with individual and team subscription tiers, all reports now offered free of charge with registration. The report portfolio includes flagship annual publications (2026/2025/2024 Retail Banking Trends), innovation-focused reports (Innovation in Retail Banking series), and topical deep-dives on Agentic AI, digital lending, and branch transformation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Digital Banking Report Platform An independent research publication platform providing registered users with free unlimited digital access to over 200 in-depth reports on digital transformation in retail banking, fintech innovation, AI in banking, digital lending, payments, customer experience, and financial services marketing, supported by sponsorships from banking technology vendors.
• Report Library A searchable catalog of over 200 Digital Banking Report research reports spanning from 1998 to 2026, covering AI in banking, digital lending, mobile payments, fintech, branch transformation, customer experience, and marketing trends, with subscription tiers available for individual users and teams.

Quantifiable outcome

• Research used by 300+ companies worldwide
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• EdgeVerve Systems LimitedcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 December 2025EdgeVerve Systems Limited co-funded the Innovation in Retail Banking 2025 report, contributing to industry research on digital transformation and innovation in banking.
• QoruscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 December 2025Qorus co-funded the Innovation in Retail Banking 2025 report, supporting research on banking innovation and transformation.
• Q2flagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Q2 is a primary sponsor of the annual Retail Banking Trends and Priorities reports (2025 and 2026 editions). Q2 provides cloud-based digital banking solutions and uses the research to demonstrate thought leadership in the banking technology space.
• MeridianLinkcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 August 2024MeridianLink sponsored the 2024 State of Digital Lending report, focused on digital lending transformation in financial institutions.
• Newgen SoftwareminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 October 2022Newgen Software sponsored the Best Practices for Successful Digital Account Opening white paper, focused on digital account opening capabilities for banks and credit unions.
• AlkamiminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 October 2021Alkami sponsored the Gaining Competitive Advantage with Data and Analytics report, supporting research on data maturity in banking.
• BurnmarkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2017Burnmark, led by Devie Mohan, partnered in the development of The Challenger Bank Battlefield report, providing specialized research on digital disruption and challenger banks.
• Deluxe CorpcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 February 2017Deluxe Corp sponsored the Improving the Customer Experience in Banking report, enabling comprehensive research on CX maturity in financial institutions.
• KofaxcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 September 2016Kofax sponsored the State of the Digital Customer Journey report, supporting comprehensive research on digital account opening and customer onboarding.
• PersoneticsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 March 2016Personetics sponsored The Power of Personalization in Banking report, in partnership with GfK for consumer research on personalization in banking.
• Kony, Inc.coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 December 2015Kony, Inc. sponsored the 2016 and 2017 Retail Banking Trends and Predictions reports, providing support for comprehensive industry trend analysis.
• DeluxecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 December 2015Deluxe sponsored the 2016 State of Financial Marketing report, supporting research on marketing trends in retail banking.
• The Financial BrandcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Financial Brand is a co-publishing partner with Jim Marous, who serves as co-publisher. This partnership extends distribution of Digital Banking Report content to the broader Financial Brand audience of banking executives.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Celent: Research and advisory firm serving financial institutions and technology vendors with deep analyst reports on banking technology, digital channels, and innovation. Comparable research depth but broader advisory services and institutional sales motion.
• Forrester: Global research and advisory firm with substantial coverage of digital banking, fintech, and financial services technology. Comparable in producing research reports sold to banks and technology vendors, though at far greater scale and breadth.
• American Banker: Established B2B media brand covering the U.S. banking industry, including digital transformation, regulation, and technology. Broader scope and longer history than Digital Banking Report, but overlaps significantly in audience and advertiser base.
• Cornerstone Advisors: Research and advisory firm focused on banks, credit unions, and fintech. Publishes benchmark studies on digital banking, technology, and innovation, overlapping with DBR's core coverage areas but with a heavier consulting offering.
• Banking Dive: Trade publication covering retail banking, digital banking, and fintech news for banking executives. A broader news-led publication that overlaps with DBR on audience and topics but competes less on deep research.
• Gartner: Global research and advisory firm covering banking and financial services technology. Far larger and broader in scope, but competes for the same enterprise banking audience and technology vendor sponsorship/demands for analyst reports.

Direct peers

• Finextra: Financial services news, research, and community platform serving banks, fintechs, and technology vendors globally. Comparable in audience and editorial coverage of digital banking trends and fintech innovation.
• Bank Innovation: B2B media and research platform covering digital banking transformation, retail banking innovation, and fintech trends. Closely comparable in audience (banking executives), content format (research reports and articles), and sponsorship model.
• Tearsheet: B2B media and research firm covering financial services, fintech, and wealth management. Comparable in publishing research-driven content and serving financial institution executives, though with a different sponsor ecosystem.
• The Financial Brand: B2B media platform for retail banking and credit union marketing, digital transformation, and innovation. Both a co-publishing partner and a content competitor with overlapping audiences and sponsor base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/digitalbankrpt
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/jimmarous

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Digital Banking Report