White paper

Bridging the gap between Retail and SME Banking

Engine by Starling and Qorus

How banks are leveraging agile technology to shatter silos and empower small and medium-sized businesses

White paper

The Underserved Middle

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of the global economy. Accounting for 90% of businesses worldwide, they drive innovation, employment, and community resilience. Yet, despite their vital role, SMEs, particularly micro-enterprises, frequently face a significant banking experience gap.

Our latest research explores how the world’s leading financial institutions are closing this divide. By leveraging expert interviews, global steering committees, and cross-border roundtable discussions, we have codified the best practices shaping the future of SME banking.

Bridging the gap between Retail and SME Banking

Our research identifies the core friction points in the current ecosystem:

Ditch rigid revenue labels for needs-based segmentation, unifying data and incentives to deliver flexible, behaviour-driven SME banking.

Eliminate the ‘stranger paradox’ by using unified data and automated Know-Your-Customer (KYC) to blend retail speed with corporate-level support.

Shift from siloed generalism to cultural agility by aligning incentives and upskilling advisors to balance automation with relationship-driven support.

Replace legacy silos with unified tech to transform from passive utilities into intelligent partners, leveraging AI for hyper-personalised growth.

Read the foreword

Learn more about how we're bridging the gap between retail and SME banking
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Our clients empower global SMEs

Our client banks are redefining the standard for SME banking by replacing legacy friction with intuitive, seamless digital processes.

From the UK to Australia and Romania, industry leaders like Starling, AMP Bank, and Salt Bank are leveraging cloud-native technology to provide small and micro-businesses with the tools they need to thrive.

Research contribution

Starling, award-winning SME service

Starling provides intuitive mobile-first accounts and seamless tools for SME customers.

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Research contribution

Salt Bank, Romania's first digital bank

Banks like Salt Bank show that a unified digital architecture creates the capacity for flexibility.

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Research contribution

AMP Bank GO, better banking for SMEs

AMP Bank GO understands the needs of savvy small businesses and sole traders across Australia.

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"Technological, structural and cultural agility is the new currency of trust."

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Engine by Starling

Meet the authors

VP of Sales, Europe

Sonia Vieira

Sonia Vieira is VP of Sales, Europe at Engine, Starling's Software-as-a-Service arm. Sonia is responsible for driving and scaling the business in the European region to help more organisations offer best-in-class digital banking experiences.

Content Strategist

Emily Capon

Emily Capon is a Content Strategist at Engine by Starling. Emily works closely with Engine's Marketing and Business Development functions to curate Engine's content strategy and execution across our global regions of focus.

In partnership with

Qorus

Qorus is a global, non-profit community uniting banks and insurers to accelerate reinvention. It provides insights, events, and networking to help financial institutions innovate and thrive in a digital world.