We're the bank of The Free

Made to break through banking and challenge the status quo.

Break through banking

In 2012, serial entrepreneur Ali Niknam and a group of ambitious trailblazers set out to build the first real user-centric bank. With the launch of the bunq app in 2015, the bank of The Free was born, and we’ve been challenging the status quo ever since.

Champion The Free

Our goal is to empower go-getters by taking away the hassle of money admin. We’re on a mission to simplify finances, and give you full control, whenever, wherever. A decade into our journey, we’ve grown to be the second-largest neobank in Europe, helping over 14 million users bank better every single day.

Built for you

We make life easy by building the best possible banking experience, while keeping you at the heart of everything we do. We’ll always listen, stay honest, be fair. That means your feedback shapes our product, and we don’t do hidden fees or fine print. Just straight-forward banking that puts you in control.

Making a difference

We’re planting 30 million trees across Kenya and Madagascar with our partner veritree. For every €1,000 spent by a bunq user (€100 for bunq Elite users), one tree is planted and tracked from the moment it goes in the ground. These trees help restore biodiversity, stabilize coastlines, and support local communities through job creation and long-term care.

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Our milestones

Explore some of our most special moments.

March 2012

Our story begins

In the wake of the economic crisis, a group of ambitious innovators set out to radically change the banking industry. Recognized for our entrepreneurial spirit, we became the first bank in 35 years to receive a European banking license.

November 2015

Public launch

After years of hard work setting up the infrastructure, building and testing our mobile app, we finally released bunq to the general public. We were met with shock, praise, and excitement for the future.

October 2019

Expansion across EU

Having initially expanded into selected European countries, we decided to open our doors to all markets in the European Union. And we weren’t stopping there...

July 2021

bunq is a unicorn

We successfully completed the largest ever Series A round made by a European fintech. With a €193 million investment that led to a valuation of €1.6 billion, we welcomed our first investing partner, Pollen Street Capital. We’re here to stay!

December 2022

First profitable EU neobank

We achieved another milestone by becoming the first profitable EU neobank. This wasn't just a win for us; it was a win for user-centric, sustainable banking.

July 2023

U.S. market bid

Expanding our vision globally, we announced our bid to enter the U.S. market by applying for a banking license. The first global neobank for digital nomads was no longer a dream but a plan set into motion.