Financial technology firm Backbase has partnered with Jet Bank to support the launch of Albania’s first fully digital, mobile-only bank, as competition intensifies in the country’s banking sector and lenders seek to attract customers with app-based services, Backbase said in a press release.

Jet Bank, a newly licensed lender owned by Amsterdam-based Jet Holding B.V., will operate without physical branches, offering banking services exclusively through digital channels.

Backbase’s AI-powered banking platform will serve as Jet Bank’s digital engagement layer, integrating mobile and web channels with core banking systems, card processing and third-party services. The companies said this approach avoids the constraints of legacy infrastructure while allowing the bank to continuously add new products.

According to the statement, Jet Bank moved from initial setup to user acceptance testing in around three months and achieved full operational readiness within about six months. The platform is designed to support monthly product releases, enabling new features to be introduced without disrupting existing customer services.

“Our ambition is to set a new standard for digital banking in Albania,” Jet Bank chief executive Fatbardha Rino said, adding that the focus was on building a platform that could evolve alongside customer needs rather than a single standalone app.

The digital platform provides end-to-end banking functions, including onboarding, payments, lending, investment services and automated customer support, delivered through a single interface. Backbase said the system was deployed in a managed hosting environment, with its teams working closely with Jet Bank during implementation.

Robert Mihaljek, regional vice president at Backbase, said Jet Bank’s decision to rely on a unified platform rather than combining multiple systems would support scalability and long-term growth.

In the medium term, Jet Bank aims to expand its product offering based on customer behaviour and usage data. Longer term, it plans to develop into a regional digital banking platform capable of expanding beyond Albania while maintaining regulatory discipline.

The rollout also involved coordination with core banking partner Facilization, a model the companies said helped reduce execution risks and speed up delivery.