Digital challenger bank Starling is creating up to 1,000 jobs in Manchester through the opening of its fourth UK office, highlighting the strength of the region’s fintech sector.
London-based Starling Bank was founded in 2014 by CEO Anne Boden and in March, this year, she revealed she was considering a new Northern office and was choosing between either Manchester or Leeds for the base.
Starling has selected Manchester for its next base because of its deep pool of tech talent and rich cultural and creative heritage.
The city, which has been named the UK’s Top Digital Tech City, benefits from a £5bn digital ecosystem and access to stand-out graduates from three top universities.
The region is home to some of the UK’s fastest-growing start-ups and tech giants, with five tech unicorns based in the North West and six more pending.
Now, the bank has started to recruit within Greater Manchester for roles in the business, including roles in operations, software engineering, data science, cybersecurity, and customer service.
The strategic move follows an impressive year of growth for the digital bank, which announced its first full year of profitability, reached the three million account milestone and launched Engine by Starling, the bank’s software-as-a-service offering.
Starling’s central Manchester base will open in the first half of 2023 to support the next phase of the bank’s growth as it continues to build industry-disrupting banking technology for its personal and business account customers.
Its base in Manchester will join the bank’s four current offices in London, Cardiff, Southampton and Dublin, which currently support more than 2,000 staff.
Anne Boden, CEO of Starling Bank said: “What better place to set up shop than in Manchester?
“As the world’s first industrial city, with three brilliant universities on its doorstep and a thriving technology scene, there was never any doubt that Manchester would house our first step into the North.”
Susanna Yallop, chief people officer at Starling Bank, said: “We’ve expanded our headcount by 20% this year and only continue to grow.
“Our sights are now firmly set on Manchester, where we can draw from its potential workforce of more than seven million, allowing us to grow our headcount even further with some of the North’s finest talent.”
The announcement follows Starling’s investment in Women’s football in the region, working with former and current Manchester City players Jill Scott and Lauren Hemp during the UEFA Women’s EURO 2022, and providing grants to local women’s grassroots clubs.
