Ekobanken

What Ekobanken does

Ekobanken Medlemsbank is a Swedish member-owned cooperative bank licensed by Finansinspektionen and operating exclusively within Sweden. Founded approximately 30 years ago, the bank operates on a cooperative model (medlemsbank) in which customers become co-owners by purchasing share capital — a base share priced at 1,000 SEK with additional shares at 1,543 SEK per 1,000 SEK as of January 2026. Each share enables the bank to lend up to 12 times that amount, creating a capital multiplier that ties membership growth directly to lending capacity. The bank's defining feature is full loan transparency: every business loan is published publicly with borrower name, purpose, and the ecological, social, or cultural value created, segmented across three lending areas — Ecological, Social, and Cultural.

The product portfolio spans deposit accounts, residential and green mortgages, business loans, Transition Loans (Omställningslån) for sustainability-conversion projects, microfinance up to 250,000 SEK, crowdfunding mechanisms, and children's savings. Technology infrastructure includes an internet banking platform and mobile banking application with BankID authentication, plus open banking APIs compliant with EU PSD2 requirements. Revenue is generated primarily through net interest income on the lending book, supplemented by monthly account and transaction fees and one-time payments for membership shares. The bank maintains 15 full-time employees, headquarters in Järna (Södertälje municipality), and a customer-facing office in Stockholm's Gamla Stan.

The bank serves sustainability-focused businesses and associations, social economy organizations (Waldorf schools, elderly care cooperatives, social enterprises), values-based private individuals seeking ethical banking, and enterprises undertaking sustainability transitions. Distribution relies on direct relationships, internet/mobile banking, and a partner ecosystem including Mikrofonden (co-founded risk-capital cooperative), GABV, Oikocredit, Coompanion, Almi, JAK Medlemsbank, and RISE Research. The bank topped the Fair Finance Guide sustainability ranking for seven consecutive years and was the first Swedish bank to sign the Paris Pledge on climate, establishing category leadership in values-based banking despite its small absolute scale.

Name

Ekobanken

Legal name

Ekobanken Medlemsbank

Website

https://ekobanken.se

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ekobanken Medlemsbank is Sweden's only fully transparent member-owned cooperative bank, providing sustainable deposit, mortgage, microfinance, and transition lending products to values-based individuals, social economy organizations, and sustainable enterprises across Sweden.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Södertälje

HQ country

Sweden

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 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: The primary revenue stream from lending activities. The bank provides various loan products including mortgages, green mortgages, business loans, transformation loans, and microfinance. Interest rates are publicly disclosed for private and business customers.
2. Account and Transaction Fees: Monthly fees for account maintenance and transaction processing. The bank offers various account types for private individuals and businesses with transparent fee structures.
3. Membership Shares (Medlemsinsatser): Revenue from the sale of membership shares. Basic share is 1,000 SEK with additional shares at market rate (1,543 SEK per 1,000 as of January 2026). These shares enable the bank to expand its lending capacity.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Ekobanken is a Swedish member-owned cooperative bank that provides deposit accounts, savings products, and a range of loans — including residential mortgages, green mortgages, business loans, transition loans, and microfinance — to private individuals, businesses, and associations. Its lending portfolio is restricted to sustainable and socially beneficial projects, and the bank publishes transparency reporting on how customer funds are used.

Product overview

Ekobanken is a Swedish member-owned (cooperative) bank operating as a single unified financial institution with a values-driven, sustainability-focused banking platform. The product portfolio spans three interconnected layers: (1) core deposit and lending products including personal and business accounts, residential mortgages (including Green Mortgages), microfinance, transition loans (Omställningslån), and crowdfunding mechanisms; (2) a transparent lending platform that publishes all business borrowers and their ecological, social, or cultural impact across three lending areas — Ecological, Social, and Cultural; and (3) digital banking channels (Internet Banking and Mobile Banking) providing customers self-service access to accounts, payments, and messaging. Membership shares (Medlemsinsatser) allow customers to become co-owners of the bank, directly linking the bank's capital base to its lending capacity (up to 12x the equity). Additional services include children's savings, Mikrofonden guarantees for collateral-short businesses, and advisory services connecting borrowers to external sustainability advisors. The bank participates in open banking and partners with Swish, Fortnox, Verified, Bankgirocentralen, and UC for payment processing, credit checks, and electronic identification.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sparkonto (Savings Account) A standard savings account for private individuals, designed to fund the bank's sustainable lending portfolio.
• Fasträntekonto (Fixed-Rate Account) A fixed-term savings account that offers a locked interest rate for an agreed period.
• Bostadslån (Residential Mortgage) Mortgage product for private individuals used to finance residential property.
• Gröna bolån (Green Mortgage) Mortgage product for private individuals financing energy-efficient or environmentally certified residential properties.
• Företagskonto (Business Account) Business account for companies and associations, paired with the bank's sustainable lending portfolio.
• Företagslån (Business Loan) Business loan for small and medium-sized enterprises and associations, extended exclusively to sustainable and socially beneficial projects.
• Omställningslån (Transition Loan) Loan product designed to finance businesses' transition to more sustainable operations.
• Mikrolån (Microfinance) Small-scale loan product for micro-enterprises and social economy projects that lack access to mainstream bank financing.
• Rådgivning (Advisory) Advisory service for businesses and associations on sustainable transition financing and banking matters.
• Medlemsinsats (Member Share) One-time member share that grants the holder voting rights at the annual general meeting and the right to interest on the share, reflecting the bank's cooperative ownership model.

Quantifiable outcome

• Each membership share of 1,000 SEK enables the bank to lend up to 12,000 SEK for sustainable projects
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Mikrofonden för social ekonomi och lokal utvecklingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEkobanken is one of the founders of Mikrofonden, which is civil society's and cooperation's own risk capital cooperative and Sweden's largest social investor with over 100 investments in the social economy portfolio. Mikrofonden offers guarantees and capital investments for enterprises, associations, cooperatives, and projects within social economy and local development.
• Global Alliance for Banking on Values (GABV)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEkobanken is a member of GABV, an international network of banks working to make capital sustainable and transparent. The bank participates in Triple Bottom Line reporting coordinated through GABV and represents Sweden in the values-based banking movement.
• Oikocredit Ecumenical Development CooperativeStrategic or Co-development PartnerEkobanken offers Oikocredit investment accounts allowing customers to support microfinance and development projects globally. The partnership enables financing for larger renewable energy and fair trade projects through Oikocredit's international network.
• Coompanion StockholmminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Coompanion for advising on cooperative business startups. Coompanion provides free consulting for joint enterprises and projects, referring potential borrowers to Ekobanken.
• JAK MedlemsbankminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperative banking partner within the Nordic cooperative banking network including Merkur Andelskasse and Cultura Sparebank. Collaboration on values-based banking development and best practice sharing.
• Social Venture Network Sweden (SVN)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaborative partnership for organizing sustainability events including Almedalsveckan seminars. SVN and Ekobanken co-host meetings focused on transition to a sustainable world through collaboration.
• Almi FöretagspartnerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState-owned risk capital company providing financing for startups when traditional banks cannot. Almi offers risk-bearing loans without collateral requirements, complementing Ekobanken's lending for sustainable enterprises.
• Fair Finance GuidecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerEkobanken participates in the Fair Finance Guide assessment process, which evaluates Swedish banks' sustainability practices. The bank has topped this assessment for seven consecutive years.
• RISE Research Institutes of SwedenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on the 'Financing Circular Business Models' project funded by Vinnova. Research on how financiers' risk assessment and collateral requirements could enable rather than hinder the transition to circular economy.
• Nordic Circular HotspotminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMembership in Nordic Circular Hotspot network supporting circular economy transition in the Nordic region. Collaboration on sustainable business model development.
• Finance For BiodiversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational initiative calling on financial sector to commit to biodiversity measurement and disclosure. Ekobanken participates in advancing biodiversity considerations in banking.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Nordea: Largest Nordic bank with broad retail and corporate operations and a rapidly expanding sustainable finance product suite. Represents the broad incumbent competitive context Ekobanken operates within, with overlapping green mortgage and ESG offerings at much greater scale.

Direct peers

• Merkur Andelskasse: Danish cooperative bank (andelskasse) with member-owned structure and sustainable lending focus across social economy and ecological projects. Direct Nordic peer with shared cooperative ownership model and values-based lending mandate.
• Triodos Bank: Leading European values-based bank operating across the Netherlands, Belgium, UK, Germany, and Spain with full transparency on lending and a focus on sustainable, social, and cultural projects. Most directly comparable peer due to shared sustainable-only mandate, public loan disclosure, and multi-country cooperative-style positioning.
• GLS Bank: German sustainable bank focused on social, ecological, and cultural lending with full transparency on loan portfolio. Direct peer in transparent values-based banking serving aligned customers with similar mission-driven lending criteria.
• Charity Bank: UK ethical bank lending exclusively to charities, social enterprises, and community projects. Direct peer in mission-aligned banking serving social economy borrowers with values-based underwriting criteria.
• Ecology Building Society: UK building society focused exclusively on environmental lending, including green mortgages and ecological building projects. Direct peer in environmental-lending niche with similar transparency and values-based positioning.
• JAK Medlemsbank: Swedish cooperative member bank with interest-free lending model. Direct peer in Swedish member-owned cooperative banking space, explicitly named as Ekobanken's partner in the Nordic cooperative banking network.
• Cultura Sparebank: Norwegian values-based savings bank focused on ethical lending to sustainable enterprises and social economy organizations. Directly comparable Nordic peer in mission, customer base, and transparent lending approach; named as partner of Ekobanken in the Nordic cooperative banking network.

Others

• Mikrofonden: Sweden's largest social investor and risk-capital cooperative co-founded by Ekobanken. Ecosystem partner providing guarantees and capital investments that enable Ekobanken to serve collateral-short social economy borrowers.
• Coompanion Stockholm: Stockholm-based cooperative development advisory organization providing free consulting to cooperative startups. Ecosystem partner that refers prospective sustainable borrowers to Ekobanken for financing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/_ekobanken
• Facebookfacebook.com/ekobanken
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ekobanken
• Instagraminstagram.com/_ekobanken

Compliance4 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 Ekobanken