Starling to invest $50 million to take Engine to the Americas; hires Jody Bhagat to spearhead push

Bhagat joins Engine from Personetics Technologies, the cognitive banking fintech, where he was president of global banking. Before Personetics, he was a partner at McKinsey and previously held senior digital operating roles at US Bank, Citizens Bank, and Wells Fargo.

In his new position, Bhagat will build a team to lead a push into North America, where the company sees significant market opportunities amongst the region’s 4,000+ mid-tier banks and credit unions.

Starling plans to invest upwards of US$50 million in its North American footprint and will operate from a regional headquarters in New York, staffed by a mix of local hires and secondees from the firm’s UK-based team of product specialists. They will be complemented by a Canadian team based in Toronto.

Says Bhagat: “The North American market is highly competitive, and many banks and credit unions feel constrained by legacy technology. Digital-forward financial institutions are seeking a partner that can deliver technology transformation that drives real business results. Tried and tested in Europe and Australia, Engine by Starling has strong proof points demonstrating how the platform helps banks better acquire and serve customers.”

Engine’s first customer, Salt Bank, became Romania’s first digital-native bank in 2024 and has since captured four percent of the country’s banking market. Earlier this year AMP in Australia launched a new digital bank, AMP Bank GO, targeting SMBs on Engine’s core banking platform. Both programs were delivered within 12 months.

The expansion into North America comes on the heels of the opening last month of regional offices in the Middle East and APAC, selecting Dubai in the UAE and Sydney in Australia.