Innovation
Innovation
Germany is rapidly becoming one of the bank’s most important strategic growth markets in Europe. Since the launch of its digital retail bank in June 2025, BBVA has surpassed a six-figure customer base. Notably 90% of these customers have “activated, funded their accounts, and are actively using them,” Murat Kalkan, BBVA’s Global Head of Digital Banks, said today at FIBE in Berlin. That strong early confidence is further underscored by the fact that 23% (as of early 2026) of BBVA’s customers in Germany hold more than €100,000 with the bank. Kalkan emphasized that BBVA’s ambition is to become a genuine primary banking alternative for German customers.
BBVA has secured 3rd place among the best banks in Italy in the 2026 edition of the 'World’s Best Banks' list published by Forbes. This result marks an improvement over last year, when the bank ranked at the fifth place, and further strengthens its position among the leading financial institutions in the country.
Garanti BBVA has launched a new banking service model for technology startups operating in technoparks, combining tailored financial solutions with specialized advisory support.
Garanti BBVA has expanded its export financing solutions by making its Turkish lira (TRY) Export Loan accessible through digital channels. Clients can now draw on their existing limits without visiting a branch and meet their financing needs quickly and easily, with financing terms of up to 24 months.
Garanti BBVA recently launched ‘My Family,’ a new section on its Garanti BBVA Mobile app that lets parents manage their children’s finances on a single screen. This all-in-one solution features expense-tracking, educational content and financial products, such as checking accounts, savings accounts, Türkiye’s Individual Pension System (BES) and cards.
Garanti BBVA has completely overhauled BonusFlaş. With a modern interface, faster NFC Mobile Contactless and QR payment flows, enhanced card management, personalized offers and digital wallet features, BonusFlaş brings wallet, rewards, payments and cards together in a single platform.
Techstars Startup Weekend Women Istanbul, organized as part of Garanti BBVA's role as Techstars lead partner in Turkey, has come to a close. Held simultaneously with events in 40 cities around the world, the Istanbul leg took place at Salt Galata from March 6 to 8, coinciding with International Women's Day.
BBVA has created an artificial intelligence assistant with ChatGPT Enterprise to support data analysis at Internal Audit, from validating and designing tests to interpreting results. The solution—always with a human overseeing it—enables more consistent use of analytics and is expected to increase productivity by around 10% in audits that call for large-scale data analysis. It also reduces manual and repetitive tasks and frees up time for activities where human professional judgment is essential, such as analyzing anomalies and assessing risks.