Alpian is a FINMA-licensed Swiss digital bank focused on mass-affluent clients. It offers a multi-currency account, debit cards, discretionary portfolio management, investment advice and Pillar 3a through a mobile application.
The banking licence has been in force since 2022, and the majority shareholder is Fideuram — Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking. Managed Essentials starts at CHF 2,000. Account onboarding is limited to Swiss residents, and US persons are excluded.
Key parameters of the bank:
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Type | Swiss digital bank for mass-affluent clients (segment ≈CHF 100,000–1 million in investable assets) |
| Licence | Full FINMA banking licence since April 2022 — first among Switzerland's digital banks |
| Owner | Majority shareholder Fideuram (Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking); total funding ≈CHF 170m |
| Customers | Swiss residents aged 18+ only; US persons excluded |
| Protection | esisuisse deposit guarantee up to CHF 100k per client; investment assets held separately under custody arrangements |
| Products | Multi-currency CHF/EUR/USD/GBP account, Visa Debit card, Managed/Guided mandates, Pillar 3a |
| Entry thresholds | Managed Essentials from CHF 2,000 (0.75% + TER ≈0.25%); Signature from CHF 150k assets or CHF 1,000/month investments |
| Scale | Over 40k clients; CHF 289m invested assets (2025 results) |
Company, licence and ownership
The project started in October 2019 as an in-house incubation at the Geneva banking house REYL & Cie. The target segment was Swiss residents with investable assets of approximately CHF 100,000 to CHF 1 million: the CHF 12.2m Series A in May 2020, led by REYL, valued that layer as a market of ≈CHF 660bn, traditionally underserved by the classic private banks. In December 2020 the team selected the Temenos core platform; the infrastructure runs on Google Cloud.
Capital was raised in steps: a USD 18m Series B in April 2021, then a double event in April 2022 — a full FINMA banking licence, the first among Switzerland's digital banks, plus a CHF 19m Series B+. The public launch came in October 2022. Co-founder and CEO Schuyler Weiss left in September 2023 for public service in the United States; the bank has since been led by co-founder Gianmarco Bonaita, previously deputy CEO.
The incubator itself was changing in parallel: Fideuram — Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking took a majority stake in REYL (a 2020–2021 transaction, after which the brand became REYL Intesa Sanpaolo), and in January 2026 Intesa bought out the remaining 24% to take full control of the group. This transaction determined Alpian's controlling ownership: the CHF 76m Series C in May 2024 was led by Fideuram itself, with a CHF 40m tranche contingent on regulatory approvals. After those approvals Fideuram became the bank's majority shareholder; total funding into the project reportedly approaches CHF 170m.
The 2025 results, published in May 2026, showed an improvement in operating indicators: over 40k clients (+65% year on year), invested assets up 127% to CHF 289m (including Pillar 3a), gross fees tripled, operating expenses down 2%, and net loss narrowing year on year for the first time. Discretionary mandates returned 8.29% for 2025 against 6.41% for the Performance Watcher Mid-Risk benchmark, and 21.38% cumulatively since launch against 17.07%: the result fell within the upper group of the benchmark set selected by the bank.
Products and pricing
The main banking product is a multi-currency CHF/EUR/USD/GBP account with free payments in those currencies, including SEPA. A metal Visa Debit costs CHF 60 one-off (free with Signature status) and lasts five years; up to five virtual cards are issued free. Cash withdrawals: CHF 2 per transaction in francs within Switzerland, EUR 5 in euros, and 2.50% of the amount abroad; the FX mark-up is 0.20% on weekdays and 0.50% at weekends — rates per the bank's FAQ and reviews as of August 2026.
Interest rates differ by currency and balance tier: a CHF savings account pays 0.01% under CHF 125k and 0.10% above that, current balances in CHF and GBP earn nothing, while EUR pays 0.75% and USD 1.00% on the tranche from 10k to 500k (rates as of August 2026). Product limitations include the following: there are no sub-accounts along the lines of Spaces and no separate TWINT app — the neo-banques review honestly logs this as a drawback.
The investment line-up, per the pricing page and the official fee brochure dated 21.04.2026:
- Managed Essentials — discretionary ETF portfolios from CHF 2,000: the Swiss, Global, Sustainable and Global + Crypto strategies (up to 10% digital assets), a fee of 0.75% a year plus a TER of ≈0.25%;
- Managed Premium — personalised mandates from CHF 30,000; Guided Premium — an advisory format from CHF 10,000 in which the client makes the decisions after consultations;
- Signature — a status granted with assets of CHF 150k or more, or regular investments of CHF 1,000 a month: the mandate rate drops to 0.69% (under CHF 300k), 0.60% (300–500k) and 0.50% (over 500k); over 90% of eligible clients have activated the status;
- Pillar 3a — retirement portfolios launched in November 2025: 0.60% plus ≈0.15% in fund costs, eight strategies and over 1,000 clients in the first months.
The mandate fee covers custody, trades and unlimited adviser consultations by video and chat. There are no fixed monthly-fee plans in the line-up — the bank's economics sit in AUM fees and net interest margin; precious metals are not offered as a separate product.
Comparable Swiss platforms
In the retail digital segment, Alpian competes with neon and Yuh. neon serves over 200k users without a licence of its own — the accounts sit on Hypothekarbank Lenzburg's balance sheet; Yuh has grown to ≈340k users on Swissquote's licence (it launched in 2021 as a joint project with PostFinance and is now wholly owned by Swissquote). Both earn on trading and card turnover; neither offers managed mandates with a personal adviser.
Traditional private banks generally apply higher entry thresholds and a more individual onboarding process. Alpian combines its own banking licence and managed portfolios with lower minimum amounts and a mobile interface.
Eligibility, asset protection and limitations
Alpian offers a multi-currency account and investment management from CHF 2,000. Eligible deposits are protected by esisuisse up to the applicable statutory limit. Investment assets should be held separately from the bank's own assets under the relevant custody agreements; the exact custodian and insolvency treatment should be confirmed for the selected product.
Onboarding takes ≈8 minutes in the app, but is open only to Swiss residents aged 18 and over: the bank requires a Swiss domicile, with no publicly stated restriction on permit type. US persons are excluded: US citizenship, a Green Card or US tax residency prevents onboarding (bank's FAQ, as of August 2026). The activating transfer must arrive from an account in the client's name at a bank in Switzerland or a FATF country; transfers from Revolut, N26, Wise and PayPal are not accepted. Opening an account without Swiss residence is not available as of August 2026.
Technology and operating model
Technologically the bank is assembled on the Temenos core platform and Google Cloud infrastructure, with its own app and a video channel to advisers on top; AI tools cover onboarding and part of compliance. The model combines mobile onboarding and account functions with access to bank employees by video and chat, without a branch network.
The sustainability of the model depends on growth in client assets, fee income and the cost of acquiring and serving clients. FlowBank, a Geneva online bank with 22k accounts and ≈CHF 680m in assets, was put into bankruptcy by a FINMA decision on 13 June 2024 after three years of supervisory proceedings over a chronic capital shortfall. radicant, the digital bank of the cantonal BLKB, cost its shareholder a CHF 105.5m write-down, announced the cessation of operations and the return of its licence in November 2025, and ≈20k of its clients moved to Alpian together with their Pillar 3a portfolios: the agreement was signed in December 2025 and the integration completed in April 2026.
The history of Alpian, FlowBank and radicant shows that a Swiss banking licence does not by itself create a profitable digital wealth model. Capital requirements, technology, compliance, distribution and client-asset growth remain material. Fideuram's ownership provides strategic and financial support but should not be treated as a guarantee of the bank's obligations.
Regulation and status
Alpian SA is a bank with a full FINMA licence since April 2022 and a member of the esisuisse deposit guarantee scheme (up to CHF 100k per client). Since 2024 the majority shareholder has been Fideuram, the private banking division of the Intesa Sanpaolo group; the parties' partnership started back in 2022, and the parent REYL has been wholly owned by Intesa since January 2026.
Milestones: the CHF 76m Series C (May 2024), the handover of leadership to Gianmarco Bonaita (interim from September 2023, then a permanent mandate), the Pillar 3a launch (November 2025), the transfer of radicant's clients (December 2025 to April 2026), and the first year of a narrowing loss per the 2025 report.
Q/A
Can a non-resident of Switzerland open an Alpian account?
No: as of August 2026 onboarding is open only to Swiss residents aged 18 and over, and US persons are excluded under FATCA. The activating transfer must come from an account in the client's name at a bank in Switzerland or a FATF country; Revolut, N26, Wise and PayPal are not accepted. Non-residents seeking a Swiss account will have to look at classic banks with a cross-border desk.
How much does portfolio management cost?
Managed Essentials costs 0.75% a year plus a TER of ≈0.25% with entry from CHF 2,000; with Signature status the rate falls to 0.69–0.50% depending on the amount. Custody, trades and adviser consultations are included; the rates are per the brochure dated 21.04.2026.
How does Alpian differ from neon and Yuh?
At neon and Yuh the accounts sit on other institutions' licences (Hypothekarbank Lenzburg and Swissquote), and the product is everyday banking and self-directed trading. Alpian holds its own FINMA licence and sells discretionary mandates with a personal adviser; the client pays an AUM fee instead of per-trade brokerage charges.
What happened to radicant, and what does Alpian have to do with it?
The digital bank radicant, a project of the cantonal BLKB, brought its shareholder a CHF 105.5m write-down and announced its closure and the return of its licence in November 2025; ≈20k clients and their Pillar 3a portfolios were transferred to Alpian by April 2026. For the segment this is a reminder of the real cost of digital private banking in Switzerland.
How well protected are the cash and the securities?
Eligible deposits are covered by esisuisse up to the applicable statutory limit. Investment positions are held under separate custody arrangements and are not ordinary bank deposits. Their return on insolvency depends on custody records, contractual ownership and applicable Swiss law; market risk remains with the client.