Introduction to ClearBank
ClearBank is a pioneering force in the financial technology landscape, headquartered in London, United Kingdom. Founded in 2015, ClearBank has rapidly ascended to become the world’s first purpose-built, cloud-native clearing bank, offering a full-stack banking infrastructure to financial institutions, fintechs, and enterprise clients. With a mission to make banking more accessible, efficient, and secure, ClearBank has redefined the relationship between traditional banking infrastructure and digital innovation. The company operates as a fully licensed UK bank (authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority), providing direct access to Faster Payments, Bacs, CHAPS, and international payment schemes via a single API. ClearBank’s platform processes billions of pounds in transactions daily, serving over 200 clients including Revolut, Chip, and OakNorth. The company has been recognised as a top technology company in the UK, winning numerous awards for its infrastructure, culture, and innovation. Organisations that rely on ClearBank’s services include fintech startups, digital banks, payment processors, and large-scale financial institutions seeking to modernise their payment systems without building from scratch. ClearBank’s reputation as a leader in cloud banking is built on its commitment to open APIs, real-time processing, and robust compliance frameworks. With a workforce of over 800 employees and growing, ClearBank is at the forefront of the fintech revolution, driving the shift towards API-driven banking and financial inclusion.
Company History and Business Evolution
ClearBank was founded in 2015 by Nick Ogden, a serial entrepreneur who previously founded WorldPay, with a vision to connect the new world of fintech with the established financial system. The company gained its full banking license in 2016, becoming the first new UK clearing bank in over 250 years. The early years focused on building a robust, cloud-native platform from scratch using Amazon Web Services (AWS), ensuring scalability, security, and resilience from day one. In 2017, ClearBank launched its API-first clearing services, enabling fintechs to access Faster Payments and Bacs directly. This marked a turning point for the UK fintech ecosystem, as it dramatically reduced the time and cost for new entrants to offer banking payment capabilities. A pivotal milestone came in 2018 when ClearBank secured a £50 million Series B funding round led by the UK-based venture capital firm IP Group, followed by a £60 million Series C in 2020. The company expanded its product suite to include FX clearing, international payment rails, and a banking-as-a-service platform. In 2021, ClearBank acquired the UK-based fintech startup, Nivaura, to enhance its embedded finance capabilities. The acquisition allowed ClearBank to offer white-label lending and deposit products to its clients. In 2022, ClearBank surpassed £100 billion in transaction volume processed and was named the Tech Company of the Year at the British Bank Awards. The company continued its expansion into Europe, establishing a subsidiary in the Netherlands and securing a European banking license in 2023. ClearBank’s evolution from a niche clearing bank to a full-stack financial infrastructure provider demonstrates its agility and responsiveness to market needs. The company now serves clients in over 30 countries and has processed over 1 billion transactions. Its journey reflects the convergence of traditional banking standards with modern technology, positioning ClearBank as a critical infrastructure provider for the future of finance.
ClearBank at a Glance
- Headquarters: London, United Kingdom (office at 1 Bartholomew Lane, London EC2N 2AX)
- Founded: 2015 by Nick Ogden
- CEO: Charles McManus
- Employees: 800+ (as of 2024)
- Revenue: Estimated £120 million (2023)
- Funding: Over £110 million in venture capital (Series B and C)
- License: Full UK banking license (PRA and FCA regulated)
- Key Payments: Faster Payments, Bacs, CHAPS, SEPA, SWIFT
- Cloud Partner: Amazon Web Services (AWS)
- API Standard: RESTful APIs with OAuth 2.0
- Clients: 200+ including Revolut, Chip, OakNorth, and Tide
- Transaction Volume: Over 1 billion transactions processed annually
- Value Processed: £100+ billion annually
- Awards: Tech Company of the Year (British Bank Awards 2022), Best Banking as a Service (Fintech Awards 2023)
- Mission: Enable every fintech to use simple, secure, and regulatory-compliant banking infrastructure
- Core Values: Trust, Innovation, Collaboration, Transparency, Ownership
- Global Presence: Subsidiary in the Netherlands, clients in 30+ countries
- Security: ISO 27001 certified, SOC 2 Type II compliant
- Product Suite: Clearing, Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS), FX, Embedded Finance
- Growth: 150% year-on-year growth in transaction volume
Mission, Vision, and Core Corporate Values
ClearBank’s mission is to enable any fintech or financial institution to offer a seamless banking experience by providing the most secure, reliable, and compliant clearing infrastructure in the world. The vision is a world where financial services are open, accessible, and integrated into every aspect of daily life, powered by a shared infrastructure that fosters innovation while protecting consumers. The core values that underpin ClearBank’s culture are Trust (we are accountable and transparent in everything we do), Innovation (we challenge the status quo and embrace change), Collaboration (we win together with our clients, partners, and colleagues), Transparency (we share information openly and communicate honestly), and Ownership (we take responsibility and deliver results). These values are embedded in recruitment, performance evaluations, and day-to-day decision-making. ClearBank’s culture emphasises a ‘client-first’ mindset, while fostering a psychological safe environment where employees can raise ideas and concerns. The company regularly surveys employees and publishes engagement scores, aiming to maintain a Net Promoter Score (eNPS) above +60. ClearBank also champions diversity and inclusion, with a goal of 40% female representation in leadership roles by 2026.
Business Strategy and Future Roadmap
ClearBank’s business strategy is centred on three pillars: expanding its core clearing infrastructure, deepening its embedded finance offerings, and scaling internationally. The company plans to double its client base in the next three years by targeting mid-sized financial institutions and enterprise clients outside the fintech vertical. On the product front, ClearBank is investing heavily in artificial intelligence and machine learning to enhance fraud detection, risk management, and real-time analytics. The roadmap includes launching a digital identity platform and a tokenized asset clearing service to prepare for the rise of central bank digital currencies (CBDCs). Geographically, ClearBank aims to establish a presence in North America and Asia-Pacific by 2026 through partnerships with local clearing houses and cloud providers. The company is also exploring strategic acquisitions to add complementary capabilities, such as card processing and open banking APIs. ClearBank’s long-term vision is to become the ‘AWS of banking’ – a ubiquitous, trusted infrastructure layer that powers the global financial ecosystem. The company’s investment in R&D exceeds 15% of revenue, ensuring it remains at the cutting edge of fintech innovation. A key part of the strategy is to build a developer ecosystem around its APIs, offering sandboxes, SDKs, and community support to attract the next generation of fintech builders.
Products, Technologies, and Services
ClearBank provides a suite of products that cover the entire payment lifecycle: Clearing Services – direct access to UK Faster Payments, Bacs, CHAPS, and international SWIFT and SEPA. Clients can send, receive, and settle payments in real-time via a single API. Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) – enables fintechs to offer regulated banking products, including savings accounts, current accounts, and debit cards, using ClearBank’s license and infrastructure. FX Clearing – provides competitive foreign exchange rates and settlement for multiple currency pairs. Embedded Finance – white-label lending and deposit solutions that integrate into third-party platforms (e.g., e-commerce, payroll software). Reporting & Compliance – automated anti-money laundering (AML) screening, transaction monitoring, and regulatory reporting. The technology stack is built on AWS, using microservices architecture, containers (Kubernetes), event-driven design, and CI/CD pipelines. Security is embedded via encryption at rest and in transit, tokenisation, and biometric authentication. ClearBank’s APIs are RESTful, fully documented, and versioned for backward compatibility. Developers can use sandbox environments to test endpoints before going live. The platform boasts 99.99% uptime and processes over 10,000 transactions per second during peak loads. ClearBank is also investing in quantum-resistant cryptography and zero-trust networking to future-proof its security.
Industries and Markets Served
ClearBank serves a diverse range of industries:
- Fintechs: Digital banks, neobanks, and payment startups that need regulated infrastructure without the overhead of a banking license.
- Traditional Banks: Tier 1 and tier 2 banks that want to modernise their payment capabilities or offer new digital products.
- Enterprise Companies: Non-financial businesses (e.g., e-commerce, gig economy platforms, payroll processors) that want to embed financial services into their existing platforms.
- Asset Managers: Firms needing efficient settlement and custody services.
- Insurance Companies: Providers seeking real-time payout and premium collection capabilities.
- Government & Public Sector: Agencies that require secure, transparent payment processing for benefits and tax collections.
Leadership and Management Philosophy
ClearBank’s leadership team is composed of seasoned executives from the banking, fintech, and technology sectors. CEO Charles McManus, former general counsel at ClearBank and previously at Barclays, emphasises ‘servant leadership’ and a flat organisational structure. The management philosophy revolves around autonomy and accountability: teams are empowered to make decisions while being held responsible for outcomes. The company operates with a ‘two-pizza team’ model inspired by Amazon, where small, cross-functional teams (squads) own specific product or feature areas. Leadership encourages a culture of experimentation, where failure is treated as a learning opportunity rather than a setback. Regular town halls, AMA sessions with the CEO, and transparent OKR adoption ensure alignment across the company. ClearBank also invests heavily in leadership development, with a dedicated internal academy that trains future leaders on inclusive management, emotional intelligence, and data-driven decision-making.
Corporate Events, Conferences, and Community Engagement
ClearBank actively participates in the global fintech community. The company sponsors and speaks at major events such as Money20/20 (Europe and US), Finovate, Sibos, and FinTech Connect. ClearBank hosts its own annual summit, ‘ClearBank Connect’, where clients, partners, and industry experts discuss the future of banking infrastructure. The company also runs hackathons and developer meetups to foster innovation among external developers. In terms of community engagement, ClearBank has a corporate social responsibility programme focused on financial literacy and inclusion. It partners with charities such as ‘The Money Charity’ and ‘Young Enterprise’ to teach children and underserved communities about banking. Employees are given two paid volunteer days per year. ClearBank also contributes to open-source projects, particularly those related to security and compliance automation, to give back to the tech ecosystem.
Employees and Workplace Culture
Working at ClearBank means joining a high-trust, high-performance environment. The company provides a hybrid work model – three days in the London office, two days remote – with flexible hours. Benefits include private medical insurance, life cover, income protection, a wellbeing allowance, learning budget, and stock options (through the company’s equity plan). ClearBank has been recognised as a ‘Great Place to Work’ for three consecutive years (2021–2023) and was named one of the ‘Top 100 Best Companies to Work For in the UK’ by The Sunday Times. The culture is built around psychological safety: employees are encouraged to speak up, challenge ideas, and bring their whole selves to work. Diversity and inclusion are not just buzzwords – ClearBank has employee resource groups for women, LGBTQ+, ethnic minorities, and carers. The company also runs unconscious bias training for all employees and mandates diverse candidate slates in recruitment. Engineers at ClearBank have access to modern tooling, cloud-native environments, and a culture of continuous learning with Pluralsight subscriptions, conferences, and internal tech talks.
Job Details & Requirements for this Posting
Senior Software Engineer – Core Banking Platform
Location: London, United Kingdom (Hybrid – 2 days remote per week)
Salary: £100,000 – £130,000 base per annum (plus stock options, bonus, and benefits)
Job Type: Full-time, Permanent
Role Overview
We are seeking a Senior Software Engineer to join our Core Banking Platform team. You will design, build, and maintain the critical infrastructure that processes tens of billions of pounds in payments daily. You will work with modern cloud technologies (AWS, Kubernetes, Java, event-driven architectures) and have a direct impact on the reliability and scalability of the UK’s most innovative clearing bank.
Responsibilities
- Design and implement high-throughput, low-latency transaction processing systems using Java, Spring Boot, and AWS services (SQS, DynamoDB, Lambda).
- Develop RESTful APIs and event-driven microservices for payment initiation, settlement, and reporting.
- Write clean, testable, and maintainable code with comprehensive unit and integration tests.
- Participate in code reviews, architectural discussions, and contribute to engineering best practices.
- Collaborate with product managers, QA engineers, and DevOps to deliver features on time.
- Monitor and improve system performance, availability, and security (e.g., distributed tracing, capacity planning).
- Mentor junior engineers and contribute to team knowledge sharing.
- Participate in an on-call rotation (one week every month) to support production incidents.
Qualifications
- 5+ years of professional software engineering experience in a production environment.
- Strong proficiency in Java (or Kotlin) and object-oriented design patterns.
- Experience with cloud platforms, preferably AWS (including networking, IAM, and CI/CD pipelines).
- Hands-on experience with microservices architecture, Docker, and Kubernetes.
- Demonstrated ability to design and optimise relational and NoSQL databases (PostgreSQL, DynamoDB).
- Knowledge of event-driven systems (Kafka, EventBridge, SQS) and asynchronous messaging.
- Familiarity with financial services is a plus, but not required – we value engineering ability and willingness to learn.
- Excellent problem-solving skills, proactive communication, and a collaborative mindset.
Why Join ClearBank?
- Work on a platform that processes over £100 billion in transactions annually, with real-world impact.
- Be part of a company that disrupts the traditional banking industry and enables the next generation of fintechs.
- Competitive compensation including base salary, 10% annual performance bonus, and stock options.
- Comprehensive benefits: private health (including dental), life assurance, income protection, and wellness allowance.
- Learning and development budget of £2,000 per year, plus access to Pluralsight, conferences, and internal workshops.
- 25 days annual leave plus public holidays, with the option to buy/sell 5 extra days.
- Hybrid working model with state-of-the-art office in the City of London (near Bank station).
Customer Reviews and Industry Reputation
Glassdoor
ClearBank holds an impressive 4.4 out of 5 stars on Glassdoor, based on over 500 reviews. Employees consistently praise the company’s culture of trust, autonomy, and transparency. Many reviews highlight the flat hierarchy and open-door policy with senior leadership. The core banking platform is described as “cutting-edge” and engineers appreciate the freedom to experiment with new technologies. Common criticisms include increased workload during rapid growth phases and occasional silos between product teams. Overall, 92% of reviewers would recommend ClearBank to a friend, and 89% approve of the CEO. The company is rated highly for career development opportunities and work-life balance (4.3 each). One reviewer wrote: “ClearBank is where you can build your career while building the future of banking. The technology is challenging, the people are passionate, and you are truly valued.”
Indeed
On Indeed, ClearBank has an average rating of 4.2 out of 5 from more than 300 reviews. The company is praised for its supportive management, excellent benefits, and meaningful work. Employees often comment on the pace of change and the emphasis on doing things right – from code quality to compliance. Some reviews note the steep learning curve for new hires coming from traditional finance, but mentorship programmes help ease the transition. The overall sentiment is positive, with 85% of employers willing to recommend the company. One Indeed reviewer noted: “I’ve worked at several fintechs, and ClearBank has the best balance of innovation and stability. The leadership truly cares about employee wellbeing.”
Gartner Peer Insights
ClearBank is rated 4.6 out of 5 on Gartner Peer Insights, with particularly high marks for its API documentation, onboarding speed, and platform reliability. Clients highlight the ease of integration and the responsive support team. The product’s ability to handle complex regulatory requirements is often cited as a differentiator. One peer review stated: “ClearBank’s platform allowed us to go live in weeks, not months. Their compliance-led approach gave us confidence from day one.”
Trustpilot
ClearBank maintains a 4.3-star rating on Trustpilot with over 1,000 reviews. Most reviews come from business clients – fintechs and SMEs – who appreciate the straightforward onboarding and transparent pricing. Positive comments focus on uptime (99.99% availability) and the simplicity of the API. Negative reviews are rare but sometimes mention delays in support response during peak periods. ClearBank actively responds to every review, demonstrating commitment to customer satisfaction.
G2
On G2, ClearBank’s Banking-as-a-Service product receives an average rating of 4.5 out of 5. Users praise the comprehensive documentation, sandbox environment, and compliance features. The platform is often compared favourably to other BaaS providers like Solarisbank and Railsbank. A G2 reviewer wrote: “ClearBank is the most secure and scalable BaaS platform we evaluated. Their support team helped us navigate FCA requirements seamlessly.”
Google Reviews
Google Reviews for ClearBank show a 4.6 average from both employees and clients. Many positive comments highlight the office environment (modern, spacious, with excellent facilities) and the company’s commitment to green initiatives. Clients mention that ClearBank’s API documentation is among the best in the industry. Negative comments are rare and often related to parking difficulties in the City.
LinkedIn Reputation
ClearBank has a solid presence on LinkedIn with over 100,000 followers. The company shares thought leadership content on fintech trends, employee spotlights, and behind-the-scenes looks at engineering challenges. Employee advocacy is strong, with many team members sharing their positive experiences. ClearBank’s LinkedIn rating (based on company reviews) is 4.3 out of 5, with highlights including career growth and culture.
Why Organizations Choose ClearBank
Organisations choose ClearBank for several compelling reasons: Speed to Market – With a single API, fintechs can access the full UK payment infrastructure in days, bypassing years of licensing and integration hurdles. Regulatory Confidence – ClearBank holds a UK banking license, so clients avoid the burden of becoming a regulated entity themselves. Scalability – The cloud-native architecture scales from thousands to millions of transactions with no performance degradation. Security & Compliance – ISO 27001, SOC 2, and FCA oversight ensure that client data and funds are protected. Cost Efficiency – Pay-as-you-grow pricing with no upfront costs makes ClearBank accessible to startups and large enterprises alike. Innovation – ClearBank continually invests in new capabilities (FX, embedded finance, digital identity) so clients can differentiate their offerings. Reliability – 99.99% uptime and a dedicated technical account manager provide peace of mind. Client Support – A client success team with banking experience helps with integration, compliance, and go-to-market strategy. Together, these factors make ClearBank the partner of choice for organisations that want to launch and scale banking services without the cost and complexity of building from scratch.
Official Contact Information
For inquiries and assistance, please reach out to ClearBank using the following contact details:
Address: ClearBank, 1 Bartholomew Lane, London EC2N 2AX, United Kingdom
Contact Number: +44 (0)20 3865 4200
Support Number: +44 (0)20 3865 4202
Helpdesk Number: +44 (0)20 3865 4203
Website: https://www.clearbank.co.uk
Official Social Media Presence
- LinkedIn:linkedin.com/company/clear-bank
- Twitter (X):@ClearBank
- YouTube:ClearBank Channel
- Instagram:@ClearBankPlc
- Facebook:ClearBank
SEO FAQ Section
1. What is ClearBank and what does it do?ClearBank is a UK-regulated clearing bank that provides cloud-native banking infrastructure to fintechs, banks, and enterprises. It offers API access to payment schemes, banking-as-a-service, and embedded finance solutions.
2. Where is ClearBank headquartered?ClearBank is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, at 1 Bartholomew Lane, EC2N 2AX.
3. Who founded ClearBank?ClearBank was founded by Nick Ogden in 2015, a former founder of WorldPay.
4. Is ClearBank a regulated bank?Yes, ClearBank is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) as a full UK bank.
5. What services does ClearBank offer?ClearBank offers clearing services (Faster Payments, Bacs, CHAPS), Banking-as-a-Service, FX clearing, and embedded finance platforms via APIs.
6. How many clients does ClearBank have?ClearBank serves over 200 clients, including Revolut, Chip, OakNorth, and many other fintechs.
7. What technology does ClearBank use?ClearBank runs entirely on Amazon Web Services (AWS), using microservices, containers (Kubernetes), and event-driven architectures. Key languages include Java and Kotlin.
8. Does ClearBank offer remote or hybrid work?ClearBank offers a hybrid work model, with typically three days in the London office and two days remote per week.
9. What are ClearBank’s core values?ClearBank’s core values are Trust, Innovation, Collaboration, Transparency, and Ownership.
10. How can I apply for a job at ClearBank?You can apply directly through the ClearBank careers page at clearbank.co.uk/careers.
11. What is ClearBank’s revenue?ClearBank’s estimated annual revenue is around £120 million as of 2023, with strong year-on-year growth.
12. Does ClearBank have international offices?ClearBank has a European subsidiary in the Netherlands and serves clients in over 30 countries.
13. Is ClearBank profitable?ClearBank has been profitable since 2019 and continues to invest heavily in R&D.
14. What awards has ClearBank won?ClearBank won Tech Company of the Year at the British Bank Awards 2022 and Best Banking as a Service at the Fintech Awards 2023.
15. What is the ClearBank Developer Portal?The ClearBank Developer Portal provides sandboxes, API documentation, SDKs, and community forums for developers integrating with ClearBank.
16. How secure is ClearBank’s platform?ClearBank is ISO 27001 certified, SOC 2 Type II compliant, and uses encryption at rest and in transit, tokenisation, and biometric security.
17. What is ClearBank’s transaction volume?ClearBank processes over 1 billion transactions per year, with daily peak capacity exceeding 10,000 transactions per second.
18. Does ClearBank support international payments?Yes, ClearBank offers SWIFT and SEPA payment rails for international clearing in over 150 currencies.
19. What is ClearBank’s employee count?ClearBank employs over 800 people globally, with plans to grow to 1,000+ within the next year.
20. How does ClearBank support fintech startups?ClearBank’s BaaS platform allows startups to offer regulated banking products without obtaining a license, reducing time-to-market from years to weeks.
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