Backbase, the AI-powered banking platform, has partnered with Jet Bank to support the launch of Albania’s first digital-only bank, marking a major milestone in the country’s banking landscape. The collaboration enables Jet Bank to deliver a fully digital, customer-first experience through a unified engagement platform built for speed, scalability, and continuous innovation.
As a greenfield digital bank, Jet Bank faced the challenge of entering the market quickly without compromising on security, regulatory discipline, or long-term flexibility. Traditional banking infrastructure was not suitable for its ambitions. Instead, the bank required a modern digital foundation capable of supporting rapid launch while allowing products and services to evolve over time.
Jet Bank selected Backbase’s AI-powered Banking Platform as its digital engagement layer, orchestrating customer journeys across mobile and web channels and integrating seamlessly with core banking systems, card processing, and third-party services.
The partnership enabled Jet Bank to progress from initial setup to User Acceptance Testing in approximately three months, achieving full operational readiness as a licensed digital bank in as little as six months. From launch, the platform supports monthly product releases, allowing Jet Bank to introduce new features based on real customer behaviour without disrupting existing services.
“Our ambition is to set a new standard for digital banking in Albania by building a bank that feels intuitive, reliable, and relevant in everyday use,” said Fatbardha Rino, CEO at Jet Bank. “This partnership with Backbase gives us the digital foundation to launch quickly while maintaining the trust and discipline expected from a licensed bank. We’re not just launching an app – we’re building a platform that can continuously evolve with our customers.”
Backbase’s platform delivers end-to-end digital banking capabilities, including digital onboarding, lending, investing, and intelligent assistance, all unified within a single experience. The solution was delivered in a managed hosting environment, with Backbase working closely alongside Jet Bank to ensure rapid delivery and production readiness.
A key differentiator for Jet Bank was Backbase’s marketplace-driven approach, which enables the easy introduction of new products and third-party services within a consistent digital experience. This flexibility is critical for a digital bank planning to expand its proposition through partnerships and innovative services over time.
“Jet Bank represents the future of digital banking – fast to market, built for continuous innovation, and designed around customer needs from day one,” said Robert Mihaljek, Regional Vice President at Backbase. “Their strategic choice to partner with a single, unified platform rather than assembling disconnected channels demonstrates the discipline required to build a truly scalable digital bank. We’re proud to support their vision and help them bring world-class digital banking to Albania.”
Looking ahead, the partnership will focus on ongoing optimisation and expansion. Jet Bank plans to refine customer journeys using real usage data, roll out additional features through iterative releases, and enhance digital servicing capabilities. The platform’s composable architecture allows the bank to introduce advanced capabilities such as personalisation and AI-driven services without disrupting core systems.
In the medium term, Jet Bank aims to become a trusted daily banking partner for customers across Albania by expanding its digital product portfolio in line with customer needs and behaviours. Over the longer term, the bank plans to scale into a regional digital banking platform, capable of launching market-first innovations beyond Albania while maintaining agility and regulatory rigour.
The collaboration also demonstrates the effectiveness of a coordinated delivery model between Jet Bank, Backbase, and implementation partners. Initial phases were delivered directly by Backbase to meet strict timelines, while Facilization – Jet Bank’s core banking implementation partner – was onboarded in parallel to support subsequent phases. This approach reduced execution risk and enabled a smooth, efficient rollout.
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