• Czech Republic-based digital banking company Finshape introduced new CEO Neil Budd. Budd replaces current CEO Petr Koutný, who will take on a new position as Chairman of the Board.
• Budd comes to Finshape after serving in executive roles for companies including Finastra and Accenture.
• Forged in a 2021 merger between W.UP and BSC, Finshape won Best of Show in its Finovate debut at FinovateEurope 2022.

Digital banking company Finshape, which won Best of Show in its debut at FinovateEurope 2022, has appointed a new CEO. The Prague, Czech Republic-based fintech introduced Neil Budd—a veteran financial services executive with more than 25 years of experience in banking, technology, and consulting—as its new Chief Executive Officer.

“Banks are looking for technology partners they can trust for the long term,” Budd said in a statement. “Finshape has a strong, relevant product portfolio, experienced teams, and stable, trusted relationships with banks. With our Agentic Digital Bank Operating System and new capabilities in loyalty and personalization, I am confident we will continue to help banks deliver tangible value to their customers and accelerate our growth journey to new markets.”

New markets, indeed. CEO Budd will be tasked with driving the company’s continued growth internationally, and expanding operations across Western Europe, the Middle East, and the APAC region. Finshape’s current CEO Petr Koutný will transition into the role of Chairman of the Board.

“Clients value not only our products and expertise, but above all the practical impact that digital transformation delivers as part of their strategic programs,” Budd said. “Our goal is to continue developing technologies and services that perform in the demanding banking environment. At the same time, we are open to working with partners who share the same values—a strong focus on quality and customer orientation.”

Budd’s experience includes more than three years at Finastra, where he served as Vice President & Global Head of Strategic Partnerships, Ecosystems and Alliances—as well as Global Head of Managed Services. Before that, he was Managing Director responsible for financial services at Accenture. Immediately preceding his appointment with Finshape, Budd was Senior Partner and Chief Revenue Officer at Phi Partners, a capital markets consulting firm that specializes in quantitative and technology services.

Founded in 2021 via a merger between W.UP and BSC (Banking Software Company), Finshape won Best of Show in its Finovate debut at FinovateEurope 2022 and returned the following year for FinovateEurope 2023. In its most recent appearance, the fintech demonstrated its offering, called SME Stories, which helps banks boost digital engagement, loyalty, and sales among their micro- and small business customers via automated, easy-to-digest swipeable stories filled with actionable insights.

Finshape’s C-suite announcement coincides with the company reporting 55 million Euros in revenue in 2025, with 30% year-on-year growth. Finshape also noted its August acquisition of loyalty platform Realtime XLS from Collinson Group, which Koutný called at the time a “strategic milestone,” adding that the platform would “form an integral part of our growing, customer-centric digital banking portfolio.” In October, the company announced a partnership with Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB), the world’s first Islamic bank and the largest bank in the United Arab Emirates.

Photo by Tobias Reich on Unsplash

• Budapest, Hungary-based digital banking solutions company Finshape has completed its acquisition of loyalty platform Realtime-XLS.
• The acquisition will enhance Finshape’s expertise in customer loyalty with the addition of 60 new specialists, as well as expand the firm’s reach geographically.
• Finshape made its Finovate debut at FinovateEurope 2023 in London.

Digital banking solutions provider Finshape has completed its acquisition of loyalty platform Realtime-XLS. Finshape bought the company from the Collinson Group and it represents Finshape’s first acquisition of a global product company. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

There’s a lot to like in the move. The acquisition will boost Finshape’s expertise in the field of customer loyalty, giving the company 60 new specialists. The deal will also enable Finshape to extend its geographic reach courtesy of new offices in France and Singapore, and bolster its relationships with major banks in the UAE, Australia, Indonesia, and Singapore. In total, Finshape will consist of nearly 600 professionals supporting millions of end users across 100 banks around the world.

“This acquisition is a strategic milestone on our mission to transform the way banks serve their customers by unlocking the full potential of people and technology,” Finshape CEO Petr Koutný said.

Integrating the Realtime-XLS solution will give Finshape’s Digital Bank Operating System (DBOS) advanced loyalty capabilities, enabling banks to reward customer behavior, boost customer engagement, and generate additional revenue via cross-sell and up-sell opportunities. This will increase customer lifetime value, help banks secure a larger share of wallet, and make growth more sustainable.

“The loyalty solution will now form an integral part of our growing, customer-centric digital banking portfolio,” Koutný added. “Seamlessly integrated into our DBOS platform, it enhances the value we deliver by enabling banks to offer hyper-personalized experiences and build deeper, more meaningful relationships with their customers.”

Headquartered in Budapest, Hungary, Finshape won Best of Show for its demo at FinovateEurope 2022. At the event, the company showed how its platform combines digital banking and deep personalization capabilities to help financial institutions boost digital engagement, loyalty, and sales—especially among their micro- and small business customers. The company was formed in 2021 when Czech Banking Software Company (BSC) merged with Hungary’s W.UP (a three-time Finovate Best of Show winner).

Jenő Nieder, Deputy CEO at PortfoLion Capital Partners, the majority owner of Finshape that helped finance the merger between BSC and W.UP, praised the transaction as “perfectly aligned with the buy-and-build strategy” conceived when Finshape was founded. “This transaction not only incorporates a new loyalty platform but also adds new capabilities and true global coverage to an already strong company,” Nieder said.

Photo by Joseph Sun on Unsplash