What does it actually take to build a business that lasts? Daniel Hogan built, scaled and sold software tool company Ember, and is now Starling’s Product Director. We sat down with him for a Power Hour at Ideas Fest: here are the lessons that stuck. Which lesson hits closest to home? Tell us in the comments.
About us
Hello, we’re Starling. Banking was broken – so we decided to fix it. The vision? Fast technology, fair service and honest values. All at the tap of a phone, all the time. We built Britain’s first digital bank. One hard-won banking licence later, we set about giving people a new way to spend, save and manage their money (and take better care of the planet, too). We’re changing banking for good. Back then, we were obsessed with unravelling the knotty world of finance and solving people’s problems rather than selling them stuff. We still are. Since then, we’ve grown. A lot. Over four million accounts (and four account types!). A team of thousands. Headquartered in London with offices in Cardiff, Dublin, Manchester and Southampton. Seven years voted Which? Recommended Provider and Britain's Best Banking Brand. Still zero branches. Our culture is open, inclusive and focused on solving real customer problems, with an emphasis on doing the right thing, even when it’s not always the easy thing. From our approach to working together and sustainability to how we build our products, our decisions need to make the world – and Starling – a better place to be. Everyone at Starling is essential to our mission, which is really quite simple: to solve our customer’s problems – and build the best bank in the world! And now we're providing Starling to other banks, via a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) proposition through our subsidiary Engine by Starling, using the proprietary technology platform that it uses to power our own bank.
- Website
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http://www.starlingbank.com
External link for Starling
- Industry
- Banking
- Company size
- 1,001-5,000 employees
- Headquarters
- London, London
- Type
- Privately Held
- Founded
- 2014
- Specialties
- FinTech, Mobile Banking, Finance, Banking, and Banking as a Service
Locations
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Primary
Get directions
London Fruit and Wool Exchange
1 Duval Square
London, London E1 6PW, GB
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Get directions
Brunel House, 2 Fitzalan Road
Cardiff, CF24 0HA, GB
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Get directions
Beresford House, Town Quay
Southampton, SO14 2AQ, GB
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Get directions
St Peter's Square
Landmark
Manchester, England M1 4PB, GB
Employees at Starling
Updates
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Most pitches don’t fail on the idea. They fail in the delivery. And for most, in the first ten seconds. Here’s what we learned at Ideas Fest from RISER™, the ‘dating app for your career’, about how to structure your pitch, build relationships and scale your business. Swipe for the full breakdown and save it for your next pitch.
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If ‘I’ll remember that’ usually turns into ‘what was that again?’, our notes and attachment feature can help you keep track of it all. No more finding a receipt in your jeans pocket and wondering, ‘huh?’ Add a payment note, or digitally capture receipts to every payment in your Starling business bank app. It’s free, easy to use and keeps your finances organised. That’s good with money.
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One team. One dream. One Starling business account. Share the load but stay in control with Team Access. It’s a free feature included with your Starling business bank account. To get set up, just follow these steps: 1. Head to your account menu, select Team Access, tap Invite, then and add their details. 2. We’ll email them with instructions on how to get started.
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Planning a visit to Ideas Fest? Come and say hello! You’ll find us in the Ideas by Her zone at the Starling Social Club – a space built for enterprising people to meet, connect, and move their business forward. As a female-founded bank, we’re proud to sponsor this year’s event. We’ve put together a packed schedule of inspiring and fun sessions, alongside plenty of space (and seats!) to relax and network. Take a scroll to find out more ➡️ #StarlingSocialClub
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Hear from our expert Dan Hogan as he shares how you can get ready for MTD. For sole traders, the shift to Making Tax Digital for Income Tax is about more than just compliance. It’s about building healthy financial habits. And Starling customers will get access to our new MTD for Income Tax tool for free. From 6th April 2026, real-time record keeping becomes the new standard. By getting your software in place now, you can check your spending on the fly and avoid the traditional year-end crunch.
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NEW: Weʼre making roaming abroad as simple as banking abroad, with the launch of eSIMs in the Starling app. Our travel offering for customers – no fees from us overseas, no cash withdrawal fees from us and notifications in both currencies – has always been something our customers love about banking with Starling. Now, weʼre taking it a step further with eSIMs for travel data available directly in our app. Customers can download an eSIM for over 100 countries in just a few taps, with transparent, fair pricing and no hidden fees. We're helping them get online as soon as they touch down, avoid expensive roaming fees from their UK providers, and be good with money. It's another milestone passed, as we build a complete travel toolkit for customers. Prices subject to change. The prices displayed are accurate as of July 2026. Head to our website to view the T&Cs, the link is in the comments.
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Manual data entry. Bookkeeping. And a never-ending pile of paperwork. Not what you got into business for? Lessen the admin load with our built-in tools. Accounting Essentials is free with every Starling business bank account, equipped with tools you’d actually use – from bookkeeping to Making Tax Digital for Income Tax. Sole trader or landlord? Submit your MTD for Income Tax quarterly updates in a click of a button.