Atom Bank

Atom was founded in July 2013{{cite web|title=Atom Bank Plc|url=https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/08632552|access-date=11 March 2021|website=Companies House}} by Anthony Thomson, co-founder of Metro Bank{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/personal-banking/current-accounts/money-safe-app-only-bank/|title=Is your money safe with an 'app-only' bank?|first=Emma|last=Lunn|newspaper=The Telegraph|date=June 24, 2017|via=www.telegraph.co.uk}} and Mark Mullen, previous CEO at First Direct.{{Cite web|url=http://www.standard.co.uk/business/business-news/first-direct-chief-mark-mullen-splits-to-lead-new-digital-bank-atom-9248337.html|title=First Direct chief Mark Mullen splits to lead new digital bank Atom|date=April 9, 2014|website=Evening Standard}}

In June 2015, Atom was granted a banking licence{{Cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/atom-bank-gets-banking-licence-from-bank-of-england-to-launch-app-2015-6|title=Britain just gave the green light to a bank with no branches and no website — just an app|first=Oscar|last=Williams-Grut|website=Business Insider}} and before launch in November 2015, Spanish bank BBVA agreed to invest a substantial stake in Atom.{{Cite web|last1=Arnold|first1=Martin|last2=Dunkley|first2=Emma|date=23 November 2015|title=Spanish lender BBVA enters UK with Atom deal|url=https://www.ft.com/content/b71ad596-91f3-11e5-94e6-c5413829caa5|url-access=registration|url-status=live|access-date=11 March 2021|website=Financial Times|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170506180255/https://www.ft.com/content/b71ad596-91f3-11e5-94e6-c5413829caa5 |archive-date=6 May 2017 }} The company launched to the public in April 2016, after its regulatory authorisation restrictions were lifted, initially to those who had expressed an interest previously and had been given a registration code.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cityam.com/digital-doors-officially-open-atom-bank/|title=Digital doors officially open at Atom Bank|date=October 6, 2016|website=CityAM}} It launched more widely in October 2016 and today it offers mortgages and savings accounts, along with secured loans for small businesses.{{Cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2017/03/03/atom-bank-102-million|title = Atom Bank raises $102M at $320M valuation for a mobile-only bank for millennials}}

In 2017, Atom was named by LinkedIn as one of the top 25 startups impacting the UK and ranked 14th alongside companies such as Deliveroo, Uber and Airbnb,{{Cite web|url=http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/business/business-news/durhams-atom-bank-named-linkedin-13846205|title=Durham's Atom Bank named by LinkedIn as one of UK's top 25 start-ups|first=Graeme|last=Whitfield|date=November 1, 2017|website=nechronicle}} and in 2019, Atom ranked second in business analyst Beauhurst's list of 50 top fintech UK startups and scale-ups. It was the only company from outside London in the top 20 of the list.{{Cite web|url=https://about.beauhurst.com/blog/fintech-startup-companies/|title=50 Top Fintech Startups and Scaleups in the UK|date=December 12, 2019|website=Beauhurst}}

In November 2023, Atom raised £100 million from BBVA, Toscafund and Infinity Investments Partners.{{Cite web|url=https://fintech-alliance.com/news-insights/article/atom-bank-raises-100m|title=Atom Bank raises £100m|date=November 21, 2023|website=fintech-alliance.com}}

In June 2024, Atom Bank criticized large UK lenders for their "indifferent" customer service while celebrating a record year of profits, reporting a £27 million operating profit, about seven times higher than the previous year, and its first annual pre-tax profit since launching a decade ago. Atom saw a 39% increase in customer borrowing to £4.1 billion and a 55% rise in residential mortgage balances, maintaining low business costs and raising £100 million from investors.{{cite news|last=Wise |first=Anna |title=Atom bank says UK ‘dominated’ by major lenders, as it cheers record profits |date=19 June 2024 |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/business/atom-bank-says-uk-dominated-by-major-lenders-as-it-cheers-record-profits-b2564540.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240619015557/https://www.independent.co.uk/business/atom-bank-says-uk-dominated-by-major-lenders-as-it-cheers-record-profits-b2564540.html |archive-date=19 June 2024 |access-date=24 June 2024}}

Atom has apps for iOS and Android phones, offering biometric security, with customers able to sign in via face ID or voice ID.

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