Salt Bank Expands Offering with New Investment Platform
Salt Bank, Romania's first and rapidly expanding digital bank, officially launched its new securities trading offering on October 14, 2025. This development allows the bank's more than 500,000 users to directly invest in international capital markets through their existing mobile banking application. The initiative is a result of a strategic partnership with Upvest, a Berlin-based investment technology firm.
The introduction of securities trading marks a significant expansion for Salt Bank, moving beyond traditional banking services to provide long-term wealth-building tools to its Romanian customer base.
Seamless Access to Global Markets
The new service, powered by Upvest's Investment API, aims to provide a fully integrated and seamless trading experience. Users can now buy and sell securities with transparent fees, directly within their mobile banking environment. This embedded finance model simplifies the investment journey, allowing access to global markets without requiring users to leave their banking app. Salt Bank has also confirmed that it will handle all tax payments, ensuring compliance with Romania's fiscal regulations.
Key features of the new investment offering include:
- Direct access to international capital markets.
- Ability to invest in stocks and ETFs.
- Low entry barrier, with investments possible from as little as 1 euro.
- Transparent fees for buying and selling securities.
- Fully integrated trading experience within the Salt Bank mobile app.
Gabriela Nistor, CEO of Salt Bank, emphasized the customer-centric approach, stating, 'At Salt, banking has always been about people — about giving them the freedom to move at their own pace, in a way that feels right for them.' She added that with 'Salt Investments and our partnership with Upvest, we wanted to take that freedom even further: for people to be able to invest globally.'
Salt Bank's Rapid Growth and Upvest's Expertise
Launched in April 2024, Salt Bank has quickly established itself as Romania's first digital-only neo-bank, backed by Banca Transilvania, South-Eastern Europe's largest financial group. The bank has achieved remarkable growth, attracting over 500,000 users within its first year of operation, making it one of the most successful new entrants in the Romanian banking market. This rapid adoption underscores the demand for modern financial services in the region.
Upvest, a Berlin-based investment technology firm founded in 2017, specializes in providing modern infrastructure for securities trading via its Investment API. The company offers trading, custody, and back-office services to financial institutions, enabling them to modernize their investment businesses efficiently. Upvest's client portfolio includes prominent fintechs and digital banks such as Revolut, N26, bunq, and Webull.
Future Outlook
Both Salt Bank and Upvest anticipate further enhancements and expansion of the investment offering following the initial launch. This partnership positions Salt Bank to continue its evolution from a challenger bank into a comprehensive full-service financial platform, aiming to make long-term wealth-building accessible to a broader audience in Romania.
6 Comments
Rotfront
Empowering us to build wealth, this is exactly what modern banking should be about.
Karamba
Encouraging speculation with low entry points. Where's the financial education for these new 'investors'?
Matzomaster
Transparent fees are still fees. Always read the fine print, folks, nothing is truly 'free' in finance.
Karamba
This partnership with Upvest clearly brings cutting-edge technology to the Romanian market, which is exciting for growth. Yet, I'm cautious about how effectively they can manage potential market volatility and protect new investors from impulsive decisions.
Michelangelo
It's impressive how accessible they've made investing with such a low entry point and in-app convenience. Still, I'm curious about the depth of customer support available for complex investment queries, beyond just technical issues.
Raphael
Providing wealth-building tools is a positive development for Salt Bank's users, expanding their financial horizons. Nevertheless, it's crucial that they emphasize long-term investment strategies over short-term trading, which can often be more volatile and less beneficial for beginners.