Open Banking Excellence, an industry organisation focused on open banking and open finance, has launched Ignite, a new expert-led advisory service aimed at supporting banks, governments, and regulators as they design, implement, and scale open finance initiatives.
Ignite is positioned as a global consultancy offering practical and strategic support across different stages of the open banking and open finance lifecycle. According to the organisation, the service is intended to help institutions move from policy and framework design through to execution, optimisation, and market adoption.
The launch builds on Open Banking Excellence’s experience in the UK open banking ecosystem, where it has been active since the early stages of the market’s development following regulatory reforms introduced in 2017. Over time, the organisation has expanded its focus beyond the UK, engaging with financial institutions, regulators, and policymakers across Europe, the Middle East, Asia-Pacific, and other regions as open finance models evolve globally.
Ignite draws on a network of more than 40,000 industry professionals, including specialists in regulation, technology, payments, data sharing, and financial services innovation. The advisory service is designed to provide hands-on support, covering areas such as the development of open banking frameworks, regulatory readiness, ecosystem design, product strategy, and commercialisation.
Open Banking Excellence indicated that Ignite is intended to address a growing need among market participants for applied expertise, as open finance initiatives move from concept and regulation into large-scale implementation. Many jurisdictions are progressing at different speeds, with varying regulatory approaches, technical standards, and market maturity, increasing demand for locally informed and execution-focused guidance.
The new service is structured to integrate policy, strategy, and delivery capabilities, supporting both public- and private-sector stakeholders. For regulators and governments, this may include assistance with market design, stakeholder coordination, and implementation planning. For banks and financial institutions, support may focus on operational readiness, business model development, and accelerating the adoption of open finance services.
Open Banking Excellence has positioned Ignite as a complement to its existing role as a convenor and knowledge hub for the open banking community, extending its activities into direct advisory support as open finance becomes a more established component of financial infrastructure worldwide.
