Salt Bank, the digital subsidiary of Banca Transilvania Financial Group, has partnered with German fintech Upvest to introduce Salt Investments, a new feature enabling in-app securities trading for users in Romania. Launched on October 14, 2025, the service provides direct access to international capital markets.
Salt Investments leverages Upvest’s Investment API, which offers cross-asset class investment options including stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and digital assets. Upvest will also support Salt Investments with essential functionalities such as portfolio management, order processing, and regulatory compliance.
Salt Bank, formerly known as Idea Bank, commenced operations in mid-2024 using Starling Bank’s Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) technology platform, Engine. The bank reports attracting over 500,000 customers within its inaugural year, offering both retail and business banking services.
Upvest, a fintech backed by investors including BlackRock, Motive Ventures, and Hedosophia, has established a presence in the European investment services market. In August, the company was also selected to power investment services for Openbank, Santander’s digital banking subsidiary.
Following the initial launch of Salt Investments, the partners have stated plans for future enhancements, including additional features and an expansion of the service offering for Romanian users.
