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September 11, 2024
How N26 launched Stocks and ETFs trading with Upvest in record time
Julieta Varsano
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B2B Marketing
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- N26 and Upvest introduced Stocks and ETFs, enabling millions of end users across Europe to invest seamlessly within the N26 app.
- Leveraging Upvest's Investment API, N26 launched Stocks and ETFs at a record-breaking speed, initially in Austria, followed by Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, France, and Spain.
- The strategic partnership between N26 and Upvest didn’t take long to show results, demonstrating a strong demand for accessible investment solutions in the 6 months since the product’s launch.
Enabling millions to manage their finances online is N26’s bread and butter. Known for their seamless and simple app that equips their end users to spend, save, and budget in a few taps, the next step was clear: combining everyday banking with accessible investing, all in one place.
Need for a rapid product offering expansion
On a mission to be “the first bank you will love”1, N26 wants to empower their end users to have a better relationship with their money. With a rapidly growing interest in investing from end users across Europe, N26 was looking for a reliable and scalable investment infrastructure that would enable them to quickly introduce new functionalities in multiple markets.
"We looked at multiple possibilities - from building an investment infrastructure ourselves to going with other providers. We chose to work with Upvest as we were impressed by the speed and efficiency with which Upvest could help us integrate Stocks and ETFs into the N26 product offering. Upvest’s streamlined onboarding and integration process allowed us to bring the product to millions of customers quickly," says Will Sorby, Director of Product at N26.
N26 x Upvest: empowering seamless investing
N26 partnered with Upvest to offer fractional investments in ETFs and stocks across their target markets. The goal? To give their end users “the ability to go beyond managing their day-to-day finances [and] build future wealth and financial well-being [...] directly within the N26 app”2.
Leveraging Upvest’s API-first investment infrastructure, N26 can now seamlessly enable their end users to invest in a diversified set of ETFs and stocks. All this and much more, regardless of their investment experience or budget.
Fast, faster, the fastest: from integration to go-live
N26 successfully launched Stocks and ETFs in record-breaking time together with Upvest. From integration to go-live, N26 introduced fractional investments to their end users first in Austria in six months, followed by a swift rollout in Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands, France, and Spain.
"In addition to speed and ease of integration, Upvest's API allowed us to offer a sophisticated product to customers across Europe at a low cost - which allows us to in turn, pass these savings on to our customers directly with rates that are better than any other competitor in the market," says Will Sorby, Director of Product at N26.
Stocks and ETFs launch: quick wins, strong demand
The results didn’t take long to come in. Already, 3 in 4 end users who have signed up to explore the Stocks and ETFs features are actively trading. They can pick and choose from 800+ stocks and ETFs, with more being added regularly.
The strong emphasis on delivering an outstanding user experience didn’t go unnoticed. The convenience of having everyday banking and investing in one place meant there was no need to juggle between apps, go through multiple KYC processes, or move money between accounts. And that’s something end users, especially those early on in their investment journey, can easily get behind. This strong focus on simplicity and user experience has paid off in customer engagement, with over 80% of end users using N26 Stocks and ETFs considering themselves first-timers or beginners when it comes to investing3.
The response to our Stocks and ETFs offering has exceeded our expectations, demonstrating the strong demand for accessible investment solutions. We expect this momentum to continue and further pick up as our investment offering with Upvest expands in the future.
How N26 & Upvest built a leading investment product in 1, 2, 3
Three key factors, present in all Upvest partnerships, ensured the success of the collaboration with N26:
1. Partnership mindset
From day 1, Upvest and N26 shared the same goal: to go to market quickly and smoothly with an investment experience that end users love. Instead of navigating multiple vendors, Upvest’s holistic coverage enabled N26 to focus on what they do best: building a world-class user experience that would empower end users to invest with confidence.
The Stocks and ETFs target product and roll-out plan were developed jointly. Working as one team along a structured launch journey ensured that product development stayed on track.
Upvest’s experts facilitated rapid iterations, early testing on sandbox environments, and Engineering-to-Engineering sparring for the technical implementation. Our dedicated client launch support guaranteed smooth go-lives from start to finish to bring the product quickly to market in a matter of months.
2. Simple and flexible features covering the entire investment experience
Upvest’s Investment API provides end-to-end functionality to build an investment offering from scratch. All in one - from user management to order execution, settlement, reporting, and corporate actions. All responses are processed in real-time via API endpoints following a single standard, making it simple to use.
N26 leveraged Upvest’s comprehensive documentation to facilitate fast product iterations and technical integration. With Upvest's modular features, N26 could create bespoke investment experiences, such as direct investments from end users' cash accounts.
3. Tech, licences, and operations: all in one
Combining tech infrastructure, investment licences, and back-office operations accelerated N26’s go-live. Upvest builds for the future: the tech infrastructure handles millions of end users and orders to scale with N26’s needs.
Regulatory compliance across European markets is embedded in the Investment API. From full tax administration for German end users to streamlined back-office operations, every step is designed for full visibility and traceability. Data transparency and automation significantly reduce the workload for N26's customer support team, allowing them to take independent action more quickly whenever necessary.
What’s next for N26?
After the successful launch of Stocks and ETFs, N26 has no plans of slowing down. Committed to making banking “beautifully simple”4, N26 is looking towards further expanding their product offering and market reach.
N26 aims to offer an even more comprehensive investment choice by expanding their ETFs and stocks universe, automating and simplifying investing for end users in new and innovative ways, and bringing their investment offering in even more European markets with Upvest.
Take a page out of N26’s playbook and partner with Upvest
As N26 continues to shape the future of finance, the successful partnership with Upvest remains at the forefront of their success. Join us on this journey towards democratising investment and empowering individuals to achieve their financial goals.
Disclaimer: The content provided in this article is intended for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial or investment advice. Always conduct thorough research and seek professional guidance before making any investment decisions. The past performance of any investment does not guarantee future results.
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