“Can a fully-chartered UK bank with a developer-first API become the definitive regulated infrastructure layer for European embedded finance — making sponsor-bank workarounds obsolete?”
Griffin was founded to be the programmable bank layer that other fintechs and software companies build on — a UK-chartered bank with a developer-first API. Unlike most BaaS providers that front for a sponsor bank under a license arrangement, Griffin pursued its own full UK banking licence (applied 2022, mobilisation 2023, full licence March 2024), which allows it to offer FSCS-protected deposits natively. This vertical integration of banking licence + modern core + KYC product (Verify) differentiates it from earlier-generation BaaS players that relied entirely on partner banks. The embedded finance angle is central: Griffin sells regulated infrastructure (accounts, payments, onboarding) to fintechs, not end-customers.
Griffin discloses Griffin Bank Ltd (in-house) as its banking provider, according to the Embedded Finance Index 2026.
Griffin does not disclose a bank charter of its own; its banking services are provided through Griffin Bank Ltd (in-house).
Griffin processes payments through Griffin Payments (self-operated). Disclosed money-movement rails: Faster Payments.
Griffin uses Veriff for KYC and identity verification.
The Embedded Finance Index 2026 maps 4 layers in Griffin's stack: Payments / PSP (Griffin Payments (self-operated)); Money movement (Faster Payments); Banking / BaaS (Griffin Bank Ltd (in-house)); KYC (Veriff).
Griffin was founded by David Jarvis (CEO, ex-Airbnb) and Allen Rohner (CTO, founded CircleCI) and is founded in 2017, headquartered in London, United Kingdom.
Griffin has raised $77.1M in total (latest round: Series A, March 2024).
Get a read on where your own stack stands against Griffin and the rest of its category — what they built versus bought, which providers they use, and where the gaps in your own strategy and competitive set actually are.