Banco Interatlântico

What Banco Interatlântico does

Banco Interatlântico, S.A. is a Cape Verdean-registered commercial bank headquartered in Praia, Santiago, that operates as the in-country reference bank of the Caixa Geral de Depósitos (CGD) Group, with CGD holding 70% of its share capital and the remaining 30% distributed among local Cape Verdean entrepreneurs and companies. Established in 1999 from a CGD branch inaugurated in February 1998, the bank operates 9 branches and 2 offices across Cape Verde's four principal islands — Santiago (5), São Vicente (1), Sal (2), and Boa Vista (1) — serving retail individuals, business and corporate clients, Cape Verdean emigrants abroad, and property buyers through a "Live in Cabo Verde" financing program.

The bank's product portfolio is organized across three main segments. Retail banking offers demand deposits (Conta à Ordem), savings (Conta BI Poupança), fixed-term deposits (Depósito a Prazo), personal credit, university credit, consumption credit, mortgages (Crédito Habitação), auto loans with up to 8-year terms and 48-hour approval, salary advances (BI Salário), and a card suite including Vinti4 debit, credit, prepaid, and the BI Woman female-segment card. Corporate banking includes the Linha Trade Finance foreign-currency line, Conta Corrente Caucionada overdrafts, business real estate financing, bank guarantees, promissory note discounting, and merchant acquiring via TPA terminals. International services span payment orders, forward FX hedging, international bank checks, documentary credits, and documentary remittances. Digital channels include BIn@net Internet Banking and the BI Mobile iOS/Android application, secured via multi-layer authentication and 3D Secure, with Vinti4 and Visa-branded cards accepted across the national payment network.

The bank earns revenue primarily through interest income on personal, housing, vehicle, business, trade finance, and overdraft credit; commissions on accounts, transactions, cards, and FX; the spread between deposit-taking and lending rates; and fees on trade finance, forward contracts, documentary credits, and emigrant remittances. Share capital increased from 600 million to 1 billion Cape Verdean escudos in April 2010, and the bank issued 500 million CVE in subordinated bonds through the Cape Verde Stock Exchange in 2008, fully repaid in 2018. Compliance frameworks include AML/CTF, FATCA, GDPR-aligned data protection, Wolfsberg AML Questionnaire, customer acceptance policy, and participation in the Cape Verde Deposit Guarantee Fund under Law No. 07/IX/2017. The bank was the first in Cape Verde to publish a Sustainability Report (May 2015) and has won "Bank of the Year Cabo Verde" from The Banker consecutively from 2018 through 2025.

Name

Banco Interatlântico

Legal name

Banco Interatlântico, S.A.

Website

https://bi.cv

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Banco Interatlântico is a Cape Verdean commercial bank, 70% owned by Portugal's Caixa Geral de Depósitos, serving retail, corporate, emigrant, and property-buyer customers through 9 branches across four islands, complemented by BIn@net internet banking and a mobile app.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Banking

NAICS

Commercial Banking (52211)

SIC

State Commercial Banks (6022)

akta.pro primary industry

General SME & Middle-Market Commercial Banking (FSABABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Mass-Market Consumer Deposit Banking (Checking/Savings) (FSABAAAA), SME Deposits & Business Accounts (Operating, Savings, CDs) (FSABABAC), SME Business Lending (Term Loans, Lines of Credit, Overdrafts) (FSABABAB)

Keywords

• Retail banking services
• Corporate banking
• Trade finance
• Digital banking
• Emigrant banking

Headquarters

HQ city

Praia

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Interest Income on Loans and Credit: The bank earns interest income from various credit products including personal credit, housing credit, vehicle financing, business credit, trade finance lines, and overdraft facilities.
2. Commission Income: Commissions earned on account maintenance, transactions, card operations, payment services, and foreign exchange operations.
3. Deposit-Taking and Interest Expense Spread: The bank takes deposits (demand deposits, savings accounts, term deposits) and extends credit, earning the spread between borrowing and lending rates.
4. Trade Finance and Foreign Exchange Services: Fees and spreads from trade finance operations, forward exchange contracts, documentary credits, and international money transfers for emigrants and businesses.
5. Subordinated Bonds Issuance: Capital raising through public bond issuance on the Cape Verde Stock Exchange (BVC), as demonstrated by the 500,000 CVE subordinated bond issued in 2008.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Banco Interatlântico is a Cape Verde-registered commercial bank that provides retail, corporate, and emigrant banking products and services including current and savings accounts, fixed-term deposits, personal and mortgage credit, auto loans, business credit lines, trade finance, foreign exchange hedging, and card products, distributed through a 9-branch island network and digital channels (BIn@net Internet Banking and BI Mobile app). The bank operates as the reference institution of the Caixa Geral de Depósitos (CGD) Group in Cabo Verde, with CGD holding 70% of share capital.

Product overview

Banco Interatlântico operates as a full-service retail and corporate bank serving clients in Cape Verde through a multi-channel platform spanning physical branches, internet banking (BIn@net), and a mobile application (BI Mobile). The product portfolio is organized into three main segments: (1) Retail Banking (Particulares) — comprising demand deposits (Conta à Ordem), savings accounts (Conta BI Poupança), fixed-term deposits (Depósito a Prazo), and a full suite of credit products including personal loans (Crédito Pessoal/Crediconsumo/Crédito Universitário), salary advances (BI Salário), mortgages (Crédito Habitação), and auto loans (Crédito Viatura), alongside a card portfolio that includes Vinti4 debit cards, credit cards, prepaid cards, and the women-focused Cartão BI Woman; (2) Corporate Banking (Empresas) — offering business credit lines (Linha Trade Finance, Conta Corrente Caucionada, Crédito Imobiliário, Garantias Bancárias, Desconto de Livrança), international trade services (Ordens de Pagamento, Forward Cambial, Crédito Documentário, Remessas Documentárias), and merchant acquiring via TPA terminals; and (3) Emigrant Banking (Emigrantes) — dedicated savings and current accounts for Cape Verdeans abroad. Digital channels (BIn@net and BI Mobile) serve as the unified access layer across all segments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BI Salário: Credit product allowing salary advance with negotiated overdraft facility for customers with domiciled income.
• Cartão BI Woman
• BI Mobile
• BIn@net
• Vinti4

Products and services

• Conta à Ordem (Current Account) Core demand deposit account enabling day-to-day banking operations including deposits, withdrawals, and transfers for individual clients.
• Conta BI Poupança (Savings Account) Savings account designed to help clients accumulate funds over time with interest earnings.
• Depósito a Prazo (Fixed-Term Deposit) Fixed-term deposit product with predefined interest rates based on chosen maturity periods, designed for clients seeking to grow their savings.
• BI Salário (Salary Account) Salary account with a negotiated overdraft facility that allows clients to anticipate domiciled income and make payments and purchases.
• Crédito Pessoal (Personal Credit) Personal credit facility for individual clients covering general financial needs, consumption purchases, and university expenses.
• Crédito Universitário (University Credit) Unsecured personal loan designated for higher education expenses.
• Crediconsumo (Consumer Credit) General-purpose personal credit for consumption-related purchases.
• Crédito Habitação (Mortgage) Long-term financing secured by real estate for the acquisition, construction, or renovation of residential property.
• Crédito Viatura (Auto Loan) Vehicle financing product offering repayment terms up to 8 years, competitive interest rates, up to 100% financing, and fast approval within 48 hours.
• Live in Cabo Verde Credit facility tailored for foreigners or emigrants relocating to Cape Verde, covering housing and living expenses.
• Cartão BI Débito (Vinti4 Debit Card) Visa debit card on the national Vinti4 network enabling cash withdrawals, payments, and POS transactions.
• Cartão de Crédito (Credit Card) Credit card product enabling deferred payment purchases and cash advances.
• Cartão Pré-Pago (Prepaid Card) Reloadable prepaid card for controlled spending, available on the Vinti4 network.
• Cartão BI Woman Debit card with a modern, distinctive design issued exclusively for the female segment of Banco Interatlântico's clients, operating on the Vinti4 network.
• Terminais de Pagamento Automático (TPA) Point-of-sale (POS) terminal enabling merchants to accept electronic card payments from clients.
• Linha Trade Finance Foreign currency credit line supporting companies and entrepreneurs engaged in international import trade.
• Conta Corrente Caucionada Overdraft facility on a current account allowing companies to manage short-term liquidity gaps.
• Crédito Imobiliário (Business Mortgage) Real estate financing product for commercial properties and business premises.
• Garantias Bancárias Bank guarantee instruments issued to support companies in bidding processes, contract execution, or regulatory requirements.
• Desconto de Livrança Discounting of a promissory note (livrança) for immediate liquidity, typically tied to commercial transactions.
• Ordens de Pagamento (International Payment Orders) International payment orders enabling companies to make cross-border fund transfers.
• Forward Cambial (FX Forward) Hedging instrument allowing companies to lock in exchange rates for future foreign currency transactions, mitigating currency risk.
• Cheques Bancários (International Checks) International check collection and payment service for cross-border commercial transactions.
• Crédito Documentário (Letter of Credit) Letter of credit issued by a bank to guarantee payment in international trade transactions, reducing counterparty risk.
• Remessas Documentárias Documentary remittance service for collection of payment against documents in international trade.
• BIn@net (Internet Banking) Comprehensive internet banking platform for retail clients enabling account management, transfers, and bill payments 24/7.
• BI Mobile Mobile banking application for iOS and Android devices enabling account queries, transfers, payments, mobile phone and prepaid card recharges, and card management.
• Conta Emigrante (Emigrant Account) Savings and current account products specifically designed for Cape Verdean emigrants, offering remote account management and favorable conditions for international transfers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Net profit of approximately 477 million CVE in 2019 — the best result in the bank's history
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• AFD – Agence Française de Développement (French Development Agency)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBanco Interatlântico signed financing agreements with AFD to boost lending capacity for municipalities. These agreements include commitments to promote good corporate governance and apply high social and environmental sustainability standards. Project evaluation considers local development impact including job creation, knowledge transfer, professional training, wealth distribution, and environmental impact.
• SOFID – Sociedade de Financiamento de Desenvolvimento (Development Financing Society)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBanco Interatlântico signed agreements with SOFID to boost financing capacity for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The partnership includes commitment to promoting good corporate governance principles and applying high social and environmental sustainability standards in project evaluation.
• VisacoreTechnology or IntegrationBanco Interatlântico issues Visa-branded cards and participates in the Visa payment network, providing international card acceptance and emergency services for cardholders. VISA emergency contact is available at +238 260 25 46.
• Vinti4 (National Payment Network)coreTechnology or IntegrationBanco Interatlântico operates and participates in the Vinti4 national payment network, offering debit and credit cards accepted across all ATMs and POS terminals in Cabo Verde. BI was a pioneer with the launch of the Vinti4 network debit card for the female segment (BI Woman).
• BCV – Banco de Cabo Verde (Central Bank of Cabo Verde)coreOthersAs the national central bank and financial regulator, BCV supervises Banco Interatlântico's operations. BI actively participates in BCV public consultations on regulatory matters such as climate-related risk disclosure, demonstrating a collaborative regulatory relationship.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Caixa Geral de Depósitos (CGD) - Parent: Portugal's largest state-owned banking group and BI's 70% parent. Operates broadly in retail, corporate, and wealth management across Portugal and select international markets including Cape Verde (through BI). The parent provides group-level benchmarking and shared platforms.

Regional players

• BFA - Banco de Fomento Angola: Angolan commercial bank majority-owned by BPI Group (CaixaBank), operating a similar franchise model in a Portuguese-speaking African market. Useful comparison for retail/SME/corporate banking economics in similar regulatory environments.
• Banco BCI (Mozambique): Portuguese-speaking African (Mozambique) commercial bank with comparable retail/SME focus and Lusophone institutional ties. Relevant as regional peer for benchmarking product mix and segment strategy in Portuguese-speaking markets, but does not directly compete with BI.
• Banco BIC (Angola): Angolan universal bank operating in a parallel Portuguese-speaking African market with comparable retail/SME/corporate product mix. Indirect comparator as another Lusophone commercial bank franchise.

Direct peers

• Orabank (Atlantic Bank International): West African banking group with presence in Portuguese-speaking African markets including Cape Verde. Comparable retail/SME focus and similar cross-border remittance franchise.
• Caixa Económica de Cabo Verde: State-owned savings bank operating in Cape Verde, offering retail and corporate banking products with similar branch-based distribution across the islands. Directly competes with BI for deposits and SME/corporate lending in the same domestic market.
• Ecobank Cabo Verde: Subsidiary of pan-African Ecobank Group serving Cape Verde's retail and corporate banking market. Comparable full-service bank competing head-to-head with BI in the same domestic segment.
• BAI Cabo Verde (Banco Africano de Investimentos): Subsidiary of Angola's BAI operating in Cape Verde, providing retail and corporate banking. Closest direct peer by product mix, segment coverage, and island-based distribution model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance7 records

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 Banco Interatlântico