Environment Bank
UmweltBank AG (Environment Bank) is a publicly listed German direct bank, founded in 1997 in Nürnberg, that exclusively finances sustainable and environmental projects. It serves retail and business customers in Germany with digital-only current accounts, savings, ETFs, funds, and corporate real estate and project financing.
- Company typePublic
- Founded1997
- HeadquartersNuremberg, Germany
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Environment Bank does
UmweltBank AG (Environment Bank) is a publicly listed German direct bank (Direktbank) headquartered at Laufertorgraben 6, 90489 Nürnberg, Germany, founded in 1997 and registered in the commercial register of Amtsgericht Nürnberg (HR B 12.678). The bank operates exclusively as a digital institution with no physical branches, distributing its products through the UmweltBanking App (iOS and Android), a web-based online banking portal, and phone and contact-form customer service. It positions itself as Germany's first and only bank focused entirely on sustainable finance, with deposits and lending exclusively directed to environmental projects, and it is supervised by the European Central Bank and BaFin.
The core product set covers retail current accounts (Girokonto with promotional pricing), savings products (Tagesgeld up to 3% p.a., Festgeld up to 3% p.a. with terms from 6 months to 10 years), and investment products including proprietary ETFs (UmweltBank Aktien-ETF and UmweltBank Anleihen-ETF), third-party funds, fee-free savings plans (Sparpläne) from €10 per month, and a securities depot. Cards are issued in partnership with DZ Bank AG. For corporate customers, the bank provides real estate and project financing. Core banking infrastructure is supplied by Atruvia AG, identity verification uses Post-Ident (Deutsche Post AG) and Video-Ident (Atruvia), and credit checks run through SCHUFA.
Revenue is generated through traditional banking net interest income on lending and deposits, account and card fees (after first-year free period on the current account), and transaction-based revenue from ETF and fund distribution plus securities brokerage. The bank serves two customer segments — retail (Privatkund:innen) and business (Firmen) — exclusively within Germany. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via digital channels, supported by content marketing (UmweltBank Magazin), social media presence on Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, and XING, email newsletters, paid digital advertising, and a 50€ referral program.
Environment Bank firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Environment Bank
- Legal name
- UmweltBank AG
- Website
- https://umweltbank.de
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 1997
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- UmweltBank AG (Environment Bank) is a publicly listed German direct bank, founded in 1997 in Nürnberg, that exclusively finances sustainable and environmental projects. It serves retail and business customers in Germany with digital-only current accounts, savings, ETFs, funds, and corporate real estate and project financing.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Environment Bank industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Sustainable Retail Banking
- NAICS
- Commercial Banking (522110), Depository Credit Intermediation (5221)
- SIC
- National Commercial Banks (6021)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Real Estate (Commercial Property, REITs) (FSABACAH)
Keywords
Where Environment Bank is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Nuremberg
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Environment Bank business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Interest Income: Traditional banking revenue from interest spreads on lending products (mortgages, project financing for businesses) and interest earned on customer deposits (Tagesgeld, Festgeld). The bank acts as a sustainable lender, financing environmental projects.
- Account and Card Fees: Revenue from current account maintenance fees (after first year free period), credit card fees, and debit card services.
- Investment Products: Revenue from ETF and fund distribution (depot fees, purchase fees), advisory services, and securities brokerage. Savings plans offered with 0€ depot costs and 0€ purchase fees for regular savings.
- Data Processing for Third Parties: Processing of customer data for regulatory compliance and third-party services (SCHUFA credit checks, KfW promotional loans, etc.).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Girokonto (Current Account) - Free in first year, then standard fees |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Tagesgeld (Daily Deposit) - 3% p.a. promotional rate |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Festgeld (Fixed Deposit) - Up to 3% p.a. |
| Subscription | Monthly | Sparpläne (Savings Plans) - From €10/month, 0€ fees |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | ETFs and Funds - Fee-free for savings plans |
| Subscription | Annual | Kreditkarte (Credit Card) - Included with Girokonto |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Environment Bank product offering
Product offeringCore offering
UmweltBank is a German direct bank that offers retail and corporate banking products exclusively focused on sustainable finance. The product portfolio includes a fee-free current account (Girokonto), daily-access savings (Tagesgeld) and term deposits (Festgeld), proprietary and third-party sustainable ETFs and funds, savings plans, credit and debit cards, and securities brokerage. For business customers, the bank provides real estate financing and project loans exclusively for environmental initiatives, with all customer deposits directed to financing renewable energy, sustainable real estate, and other ecological projects.
Product overview
UmweltBank (Environment Bank) is a German direct bank specializing in sustainable finance, offering a comprehensive suite of banking products. The core product portfolio centers on current account (Girokonto), savings products (Tagesgeld, Festgeld), and investment products (ETFs, Fonds, Sparpläne). The bank provides its own proprietary ETFs — the UmweltBank Aktien-ETF and UmweltBank Anleihen-ETF — based on its sustainability criteria. Supporting infrastructure includes the UmweltBanking App for mobile access, Online-Banking platform, and SecureGo plus for two-factor authentication. For corporate clients, the bank offers specialized real estate and project financing services. The product ecosystem is built around digital-first banking with sustainability at its core.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- The bank reports CO2e avoided and volume in sustainable credits for 2025 on its website, demonstrating tangible environmental impact of customer deposits
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Environment Bank
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Environment Bank technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
AI capability4 records
Feature4 records
Environment Bank partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and moderate.
- DZ Bank AGcoreDZ Bank AG provides credit card and debit card services for UmweltBank customers. Handles processing of credit and debit card transactions. Data from card usage is processed by DZ Bank under its own responsibility.
- Atruvia AGcoreAtruvia AG provides the core banking system (Kernbankensystem), online banking infrastructure, and video identification (Video-Ident) procedure for customer onboarding.
- KfW and other promotional banksmoderateUmweltBank collaborates with KfW and other promotional banks (Förderbanken) to facilitate promotional loans (Förderdarlehen) for sustainable projects and investments.
- SCHUFAcoreSCHUFA provides credit scoring and fraud prevention services. Used for identity verification, creditworthiness checks, and fraud prevention during account opening and credit applications.
- Facebook/Meta Platforms Ireland Ltd.moderateFacebook (Meta Platforms Ireland Ltd.) provides social media platform for UmweltBank's Facebook page and Instagram presence. Joint controller relationship for Facebook Page Insights under GDPR Article 26.
- LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited CompanymoderateLinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company provides social media platform for UmweltBank's LinkedIn company page. GDPR Article 26 joint controller agreement for Page Insights.
- Google Ireland LimitedmoderateGoogle Ireland Limited provides YouTube platform for UmweltBank's video content. Extended privacy mode is used for embedded videos. Google processes data according to its own privacy policy.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Environment Bank competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- N26: German-headquartered digital bank serving millions of European customers. Comparable to UmweltBank's digital-first model and ESG positioning, but operates as a broad incumbent across multiple European markets rather than Germany-only sustainable finance.
- DKB (Deutsche Kreditbank): Major German direct bank owned by BayernLB. Comparable to UmweltBank in its branchless digital-only banking model and retail focus, but operates as a broader incumbent with traditional banking products, not exclusively sustainability-focused.
- ING-DiBa: Germany's largest direct bank with broad retail banking services. Comparable to UmweltBank's direct bank distribution model and competitive savings rates, but as a broad incumbent offering traditional banking products beyond sustainable finance.
- Comdirect: German direct bank subsidiary of Commerzbank. Comparable to UmweltBank's branchless online banking model and retail investment focus, but operates as a broad incumbent broker-bank rather than a sustainability-focused institution.
Direct peers
- EthikBank: German ethical direct bank serving retail customers with sustainable investment and savings products. Directly comparable to UmweltBank as another values-driven German bank offering transparent ethical banking, though smaller in scale and operating without physical branches.
- GLS Bank: Germany's largest ethical and sustainable bank, headquartered in Bochum. Directly comparable to UmweltBank as both serve German retail and business customers with exclusively sustainable lending portfolios, share the Wertebank cooperative tradition, and compete in the green banking segment.
- Triodos Bank: European sustainable bank with German operations. Directly comparable to UmweltBank as both focus exclusively on financing positive environmental and social projects, operate sustainable loan portfolios, and serve German retail customers seeking values-aligned banking.
Emerging players
- Tomorrow Bank: German mobile-first sustainable bank with banking-as-a-service model. Comparable to UmweltBank in its sustainability focus but targets younger digital-native customers via app-only banking, representing an emerging competitive threat in the German sustainable banking niche.
- C24 Bank: German digital bank launched by Vergleich.org (Check24 group). Comparable to UmweltBank's digital-only direct banking model and competitive promotional pricing, but as a newer entrant without the specialized sustainability focus.
Regional players
- bunq: Dutch-headquartered European digital bank. Comparable to UmweltBank in its branchless digital-first model and mobile app-centric banking, but serves multiple European markets rather than exclusively Germany.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Environment Bank social profiles
Digital presenceEnvironment Bank compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Environment Bank financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Environment Bank leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Environment Bank funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Environment Bank 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 Environment Bank
What does Environment Bank do?
UmweltBank is a German direct bank that offers retail and corporate banking products exclusively focused on sustainable finance. The product portfolio includes a fee-free current account (Girokonto), daily-access savings (Tagesgeld) and term deposits (Festgeld), proprietary and third-party sustainable ETFs and funds, savings plans, credit and debit cards, and securities brokerage. For business customers, the bank provides real estate financing and project loans exclusively for environmental initiatives, with all customer deposits directed to financing renewable energy, sustainable real estate, and other ecological projects.
Is Environment Bank a public or private company?
Environment Bank is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was Environment Bank founded?
Environment Bank was founded in 1997. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Environment Bank based?
Environment Bank is headquartered in Nuremberg, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Environment Bank make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Interest Income is the primary driver. The others are account and Card Fees, investment Products and data Processing for Third Parties.
Who are Environment Bank's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are N26, DKB (Deutsche Kreditbank), ING-DiBa and Comdirect. Direct peers are EthikBank, GLS Bank and Triodos Bank. Emerging players are Tomorrow Bank and C24 Bank. bunq is listed as a regional player.
Does Environment Bank have an API?
No public API is recorded for Environment Bank.
What industry is Environment Bank in?
Environment Bank's product category is Sustainable Retail Banking. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSABACAH, Real Estate (Commercial Property, REITs). Its NAICS code is 522110 and its SIC code is 6021.