Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 69% of retail investor accounts lose money when spread betting and/or trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how spread bets, CFDs, OTC options or any of our other products work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

CMC Markets Logo
Log inTrade

Starling Bank IPO

Everything you need to know about Starling's IPO prospects

There’s been speculation for some time that British fintech company Starling Bank may be eyeing an initial public offering (IPO) in the near future. Read on to learn more about the neobank’s potential IPO, valuation and financials, and find out how to get involved with Starling’s listing if and when a date is set.

Open an accountTry it out risk-free
UK flag logo
FCA regulated
FSCS logo
Segregated funds
LSE logo
LSE listed
Trustpilot

Auto populate with H2 title tags
To override set attribute data-secondarysidenav-title="New Title" to parent section module

What does the company offer?

Starling Bank is a digital challenger bank founded in 2014 with its headquarters in the City of London. Licensed and regulated in the UK, the company offers personal and business banking, joint accounts, Starling Kite for children aged 6-15, a teen account for 16-17 year olds, and a variety of lending products. It has additional offices in Southampton, Cardiff, and Dublin. The company had more than 4.2 million customers at the end of March 2024, up from 3.6 million a year earlier, according to a report by Reuters.

In addition to bank accounts, Starling’s in-app ‘marketplace’ offers customers access to third-party financial services. The company also offers business-to-business banking and payment services, licensing its software platform to allow other companies overseas to launch their own digital banking products.

When is Starling Bank’s IPO date?

Starling hasn’t yet confirmed an IPO date, but a listing could take place in the next couple of years. As the company was founded in London and continues to be based in the city, it’s likely that the company would look into floating on the London Stock Exchange (LSE), which saw the debut of fellow UK fintech business Wise in 2021.

What is Starling Bank’s valuation?

Investment trust Chrysalis, one of Starling Bank’s top investors, said the bank could fetch a valuation of nearly £10bn in the next few years, as reported by the Financial Times in May 2024. That would mark a step up from a £130m funding round in April 2022, which valued Starling Bank at around £2.5bn. Before that, the company raised £272m in March 2021, giving it a valuation of more than $1bn and, in the process, bestowing “unicorn” status on the privately owned bank.

What will Starling Bank’s share price be?

Starling Bank hasn’t put a figure on its potential offer price. Details about the share price are likely to be revealed closer to a confirmed IPO date, so check back here for updates.

How to trade on the IPO

1. Open an account

Choose whether you want to spread bet or trade CFDs on our derivative share products. In the meantime, you could practise trading on Starling's competitors with virtual funds on a demo account.

Open a live account

2. Register your interest

By entering your email into the sign-up box above, we will notify you when Starling Bank has listed on its chosen exchange.

3. Pick a strategy

Choose whether you want to go long (buy) or go short (sell). Please note that some trading restrictions may apply on initial trading.

4. Manage your risk

Learn how to apply stop-loss and take-profit orders on your positions to minimise capital loss as much as possible.

Discover our order types

Does Starling Bank have strong financials?

In June 2024, Starling Bank reported revenue of £682.2m for the year ending 31 March 2024, a 50.6% increase on the previous year, as total deposits climbed 4% to £11bn. Pre-tax profit grew 54.7% year-on-year to £301.1m, marking a third consecutive year of profitability for Starling.

Please note that past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results.

Why may investors be interested in Starling Bank?

Starling has received support from well-known private equity and venture capital firms, including Fidelity Management & Research, JTC, Millennium Management, Jupiter, and Goldman Sachs Growth Equity. The company said it would use the investment to expand its services into Europe, as well as for anticipated mergers and acquisitions.

As the world becomes increasingly digital-focused, Starling Bank continues to grow. The company became profitable during the Covid-19 pandemic, an impressive achievement for a fintech company. In contrast, its rival Monzo reported a drop in valuation during the pandemic due to increased losses.


Are there any drawbacks?

Although Starling Bank is making progress, it remains smaller than some of its rival challenger banks. Monzo, for example, has twice as many customers as Starling, while  Revolut has eight times more. 

That said, a report by the Times in May 2024 found that the average Starling customer holds £2,931 with the bank, up from £995 in 2020, while at Monzo the average balance was just £804, up from £348 in 2020. So, while Starling may have fewer customers than Monzo, its customers are potentially more valuable.​

Discover Starling Bank’s competitors

Wise
- All clients
88%
Long

88% of CMC client accounts with open positions on Wise expect the price to rise.

Nu Holdings
- All clients
100%
Long

100% of CMC client accounts with open positions on Nu Holdings expect the price to rise.

PayPal
- All clients
97%
Long

97% of CMC client accounts with open positions on PayPal expect the price to rise.

SoFi Technologies
- All clients
97%
Long

97% of CMC client accounts with open positions on SoFi expect the price to rise.

Start trading

Client sentiment is provided by CMC Markets for general information only, is historical in nature and is not intended to provide any form of trading or investment advice – it must not form the basis of your trading or investment decisions.

FAQS

What other fintech companies are expecting an IPO?

Other British neo-banks speculated to be having an IPO within the next year include Monzo and Revolut, as well as US digital payments company Stripe and Swedish buy-now-pay-later leader Klarna. See a full list of potential upcoming IPOs.

Is Starling Bank a real bank?

Yes, Starling Bank is a licensed bank and is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the UK. Other examples of banks you can trade on with us include Barclays [BARC], Lloyds [LLOY], and HSBC [HSBA].

Disclaimer: CMC Markets is an execution-only service provider. The material (whether or not it states any opinions) is for general information purposes only, and does not take into account your personal circumstances or objectives. Nothing in this material is (or should be considered to be) financial, investment or other advice on which reliance should be placed. No opinion given in the material constitutes a recommendation by CMC Markets or the author that any particular investment, security, transaction or investment strategy is suitable for any specific person. The material has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research. Although we are not specifically prevented from dealing before providing this material, we do not seek to take advantage of the material prior to its dissemination.

Download our app to trade on-the-go

Download our mobile app for iOS or Android to get started. Once Starling has listed on its chosen exchange, you will be able to spread bet or trade CFDs on our Starling Bank share price.