Germany's Solaris Pivots to AI-Native Banking with SBI Backing

Germany's Solaris, a leading embedded finance provider, has unveiled a strategic overhaul to position itself as one of Europe's first AI-native banks, leveraging artificial intelligence to rebuild its operations. The move, announced amid a significant workforce reduction, is spearheaded by new CEO Steffen Jentsch and backed by Japanese financial giant SBI Group, Solaris's majority shareholder.

STRATEGIC REPOSITIONING UNVEILED

The German fintech, founded in 2015, is shifting from its traditional Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) model to a highly automated banking platform powered by AI. According to company statements, Solaris aims to evolve its embedded finance platform into a pan-European financial infrastructure, with processes largely automated with artificial intelligence. This involves developing an operating model where AI agents manage day-to-day operational processes, while human teams focus on control, governance, and strategic oversight.

The company declared it is developing a platform that combines this infrastructure with AI and rebuilds banking processes from the ground up. The company also plans to align its business model around standardised and reusable modules of its financial platform and to redesign key end-to-end processes. Jentsch became chief executive in January 2026, having previously been chief information and process officer at flatexDEGIRO.

WORKFORCE CUTS

As part of the transformation, Solaris is implementing a restructuring, cutting approximately 80 roles—about 20% of its roughly 400-strong workforce. The company said affected staff would be offered comprehensive measures including severance packages.

SBI GROUP'S PIVOTAL ROLE

Japan's SBI Group became Solaris's majority shareholder after co-leading a €140 million funding round completed in February 2025. SBI Holdings chief executive Yoshitaka Kitao said the transformation would help "realize our vision of a digital financial infrastructure in Europe." Solaris plans to build on its German banking licence, its API-based platform and a decade of banking-as-a-service experience.

AI'S PROMISE AND CHALLENGES

The strategy follows new leadership and investment from Japan's SBI Group, with AI agents central to the playbook.

CEO COMMENT

"Ten years ago, Solaris was one of the first companies in Europe to prove that cloud-based banking via APIs works. Today, we are taking the next logical step," Jentsch said.