Starling Hackathon Opens Door on Open Banking

Starling Bank Launches Marketplace Platform with First Hackathon

Starling Bank today announced it is to host its first hackathon, opening up its API to outside developers for the first time.

The hackathon makes Starling the first UK licenced bank to launch a public API in keeping with the ambitions of PSD2 and the Open Banking initiative.

Starling’s public API enables third-parties to access customer data (with their permission, of course) and build on top of the Starling Platform to create products and services such as chatbots, spending analytics, or connections with the Internet of Things.

The open API also underpins Starling’s Marketplace model, which is set to launch in March 2017.

The Marketplace is a platform embedded in the Starling app. Allowing the bank to partner with and offer customer’s frictionless access to a range of financial products such as mortgages and loans, all from within the app. This is also intended to give customers the greatest amount of choice in provider – so they’re not just limited to traditional rates and products but options from innovative new fintechs and startups too. In the future, it could also extend to include integrations with lifestyle, retail and wellness products.

Hackathon participants will gain early access to the developer platform and the Marketplace, along with the necessary credentials to access and start using the Starling API.

Megan Caywood, Chief Platform Officer at Starling Bank, said:

“We’re really excited to be hosting our first Starling Hackathon. It’s intriguing to think what ideas spring from the opportunity to access our API and Platform. We recommend that anyone applying bring their best ideas because all successful entrants to our Hackathon will get to pitch and demonstrate their concept to our judging panel of tech innovators and VCs. This is a great chance for all involved to create something transformational.”

Taking place at Google Campus in London in April (7^th – 9^th), the Starling Hackathon gives participants the chance to work with the Starling API’s read and write capabilities.  It also means they will be the first developers to use real UK customer transactional data, rather than just personal or bank data.

Anne Boden, CEO & Founder at Starling Bank, added:

“We believe customers are central to everything we do, and our public API will allow the best innovations to reach our customers in a fast, accessible way. We’re thrilled to be launching our platform and anticipate that some great ideas to help customers will come of our first Hackathon using the open API.”