A UK digital bank

BankingDigital Bank

Building a cloud-native payment and data foundation for a new digital bank

From concept to reference architecture, ISO20022 payments, data services and open banking adapters.

Platform & ArchitectureCloud & Payments

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Co-architected greenfield digital bank components on Google Cloud

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Designed ISO 20022-compliant payment services (single, bulk and batch)

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Delivered BIAN-aligned enterprise data services and open banking client adapters

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Provided ongoing cloud foundation and architecture oversight

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Engineering Facets

Cloud NativePlatform ThinkingStandardsGovernanceComplianceDeveloper Experience

Expertise

Cloud Transformation Engineering Greenfield Product Engineering

Accelerators

Cloud Native Foundation Platform Architecture Observability Baseline Governed Delivery Console

Capabilities

Platform Engineering

“A cloud-native foundation succeeds when other squads can build on it without re-inventing. Reference architecture must be practical, not aspirational.”

Context

The bank wanted more than a new front-end: they needed a modern, cloud-native banking stack capable of evolving quickly and interoperating across their existing estate, partners and regulators. They partnered with a large integrator and Bugni Labs as the specialist engineering squad.

The Challenge

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Establish a re-usable reference architecture for services on Google Cloud
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Implement ISO 20022 payment flows across domestic and international use cases
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Build data services aligned with BIAN while remaining practical and evolvable
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Put in place patterns for observability, resilience and rollout that other squads could follow

Our Approach

Reference architecture blueprint

Clear patterns for API gateways, microservices, event buses, data stores and observability. Emphasis on portability and cloud-native practices rather than bespoke constructs.

ISO 20022 payments in practice

Services for single, bulk and batch payments; domestic and cross-border. Flexible authorisation workflows and long-running transaction patterns using Pub/Sub.

BIAN-compliant data and open banking adapters

Data services structured to align with BIAN while remaining tuned to the client's reality. Open Banking client adapters designed for secure, scalable interactions.

Cloud foundation support

Guided cloud design decisions and operating model. Provided architectural guardrails and quality oversight during implementation.

Engagement Timeline

Reference Architecture

3 months

Defined cloud-native patterns for API gateways, microservices, event buses, data stores and observability on GCP.

Payment Services

5 months

Implemented ISO 20022 payment flows for single, bulk and batch payments across domestic and cross-border use cases.

Data Services & Open Banking

4 months

Built BIAN-aligned enterprise data services and open banking client adapters for secure, scalable interactions.

Foundation Support

2 months

Provided architectural guardrails, quality oversight, and operational guidance for other delivery squads.

Outcomes

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A cloud-native platform foundation that other squads can build on, rather than re-inventing.
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Accelerated delivery of payment capabilities with clear alignment to future schemes and regulations.
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Stronger confidence in resilience, observability and operational readiness.

Technologies & Patterns

Google Cloud PlatformISO 20022BIAN data modelOpen Banking APIsPub/SubKubernetesAPI gateways

What Our Client Said

“The clarity, design quality and volume of delivery from the Bugni Labs squad were exceptional. You helped set the standards for everyone.”
Greenfield Digital Bank engagement

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Client names, detailed architecture diagrams, metrics, and implementation insights are available on request. We're happy to walk you through the engagement.

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