Behind the scenes: solarisBank
Right in the historical centre of Berlin, located in the triangle between museum island, Berlin cathedral and the television tower, you can find the office of one of the digital banking pioneers: solarisBank.
solarisBank is a tech company with a universal banking license. The company has built a technological banking platform for the needs of the digital economy and was one of the first Fintechs with a full banking license – receiving it within nine months after starting the application process. The solarisBank platform enables companies to create solutions for their financial needs. With their banking-as-a-platform-concept, solarisBank can create and provide an open, integrable and highly connected finance ecosystem for digital enterprises, fintechs, corporates as well as traditional banks.
solarisBank launched in March 2016, but the idea was first born all the way back in Spring 2015, within FinLeap. At that time, no banking platform serving the needs of digital companies existed – and that’s how it all started. Since its launch, solarisBank has experienced exponential growth. Now in 2017, almost two years after the first idea, the number of employees has increased threefold.
Stepping into the entrance area of the 6th floor office you are welcomed by the company colours of solarisBank: everything here is decorated in orange and blue. When you walk down the long corridors, you can peer into the offices on the right and left side, which are flooded with light from the large glass windows and buzzing with the lively employees busily working through the day. 120 people from more than 20 nations are employed here, and more than half of them are in the tech department – and not working as bankers as you might expect. At the end of the corridor, you get into the lounge – the heart of the solarisBank office. Solarians can relax here on the comfy sofas, play a round of table football and ping-pong or enjoy their break on the huge rooftop terrace with a view. During summer the terrace is the favourite spot for BBQs after work and the big summer party.
Before the fintech startup moved into this impressive office, the German news magazine Stern had its Berlin headquarter here. The lavish facilities of the lounge, now a common room for everyone, used to be the sole office of Stern’s chief editor. You can really feel the community atmosphere here at the bi-weekly All-Hands-Meeting, called “Broadcast”, where management as well as employees announce updates and news.
Keeping up with their claim “Empowering finance pioneers”, the office rooms at solarisBank are named after different scientists and inventors, who were also pioneers in their respective fields. You can find the office room “Ada Lovelace”, who was the first female computer programmer before computers even really existed, to the lounge “McGuyver”, the genius secret agent. These names, chosen and voted on by all the employees collaboratively, perfectly reflect the sense of humour running through the office
Having launched only 20 months ago, solarisBank has already achieved quite a bit. And in the future, the company will even use its potential to expand into new territories. With a great team and spirit you can be excited for the next chapter in solarisBank’s success story.