Open banking infrastructure provider Salt Edge has announced a strategic investment in Sientia, a payment-linked advertising platform that uses customer-consented open banking data to power loyalty programmes, rewards and targeted marketing. The partnership aims to expand the commercial use of open banking beyond payments and account aggregation by enabling businesses to create more personalised, privacy-first customer experiences through enriched financial insights.
Salt Edge Backs Next Generation of Open Banking Services
With more than 13 years of experience in open banking and open finance, Salt Edge provides secure connectivity to over 2,700 financial institutions across Europe and the UK. Through the partnership, Sientia will leverage Salt Edge’s infrastructure to access real-time transaction and balance data, alongside enriched financial insights that support personalised rewards and customer engagement initiatives.
Sientia’s platform enables advertisers, publishers and financial institutions to build payment-linked loyalty programmes using consent-based financial data. The company already works with brands including Adidas, Ocado, Lyle & Scott, Hawksmoor, Honest Burger, Poolhouse and Capillary Technologies.
Investment Focuses on Value Beyond Traditional Open Banking
The investment reflects a shared vision of extending open banking into new commercial applications beyond its traditional use cases.
“We didn’t want a partner who just gave us pipes into bank data, but instead we wanted one who understood what you can build on top of it,” said Sina Saidinayer, Co-founder of Sientia. “This isn’t just capital; it’s validation that a loyalty-native layer on open banking data is the next frontier for advertisers, publishers and financial brands alike.”
Salt Edge said the collaboration demonstrates how customer-consented financial data can be used to develop more relevant marketing experiences while maintaining user privacy and control.
Customer Consent Remains at the Centre
According to Ilia Dragan, Chief Product Officer at Salt Edge, the investment aligns with the company’s strategy of supporting businesses that create additional value from open banking infrastructure.
“Open banking has already transformed how financial data is accessed and used, but we’re only beginning to see what’s possible when that data is applied to create better customer experiences,” Dragan said. “Sientia is exploring a compelling new direction by combining customer-consented transaction insights with loyalty rewards and marketing applications.”
The partnership will also support Sientia’s international expansion by providing access to Salt Edge’s global banking connectivity network.
Expanding the Open Banking Ecosystem
The companies believe combining open banking data with loyalty technology creates new opportunities for financial institutions, retailers and publishers to deliver permission-based marketing without relying solely on cookies or traditional card network data.
Businesses gain richer insights into customer spending behaviour, enabling more targeted campaigns and personalised offers, while consumers remain in control of how their financial information is shared in exchange for relevant rewards and experiences.
What it means for the industry
- Open banking is expanding beyond payments into customer engagement and loyalty services.
- Consent-based financial data is creating new opportunities for personalised marketing while strengthening customer privacy.
- Banks and fintechs are increasingly looking for commercial value-added services built on open banking infrastructure.
- Payment-linked rewards programmes could become a significant new use case for open finance ecosystems.
- Strategic partnerships between infrastructure providers and fintech innovators are accelerating the evolution of open banking beyond regulatory compliance.
Article Source: Salt Edge
