NatWest Group has made a minority investment in Serene, an early-stage AI platform dedicated to tackling financial vulnerability.
Through real-time customer insights driven by AI and behavioural science, the platform detects early signs of financial distress and predicts risks to help financial institutions deliver personalised, timely support at scale.
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The investment builds on NatWest’s commitment to supporting customers who may be experiencing financial difficulty including through increased access to new ideas and technologies. Partnering and experimenting with Serene has the potential to help refine the bank’s existing models and to improve customer insights and financial support, as well as providing an opportunity for cross-industry collaboration through Serene’s networks.
Driven by NatWest’s Innovation and Partnerships group, the bank has taken a minority stake in Serene as it continues to make strategic investments in early-stage companies to drive innovation for customers and colleagues. As a result of the investment, NatWest’s expertise and insights have the potential to help Serene to grow and scale at speed.
Serene joined NatWest’s Accelerator in 2023 and was spotted at the bank’s recent Fintech Showcase event where it pitched its concept to industry experts, investors and business owners. Data from the bank has shown that businesses on NatWest’s Accelerator are more likely to generate higher turnover growth, raise more investment and have better survival rates than other similar businesses.
David Grunwald, Director of Innovation and Partnerships at NatWest Group said:
“As people continue to adapt to an ever changing world, it’s important for us to be a trusted partner who can anticipate, understand and respond to customers’ changing needs – technology is helping us to do this faster and more effectively. Platforms like Serene show the potential of tools like AI to improve outcomes for customers, in this case, by quickly identifying vulnerabilities to play a positive role across the financial system. ”
“We saw great potential in Serene when it joined in our Accelerator programme. As the biggest bank for start-ups in the UK2, investing in fintechs that share our strategic vision is an important part of our commitment to helping businesses grow and thrive.”
Savannah Price, Founder & CEO at Serene said:
“Financial vulnerability is something we will all face at some point – it’s a universal challenge that demands a smarter, more proactive approach.”
“With NatWest’s support, we’re expanding our platform to help businesses deliver tailored solutions at scale. Their expertise in supporting scale-ups and understanding diverse customer needs will help to accelerate our growth and enable us to make an even greater impact for the organisations we work with.”
“This investment highlights Serene’s role in redefining how vulnerability is managed and underscores the growing movement towards a more customer-centric approach to financial services—one where every customer feels seen, understood, and empowered.”
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The investment builds on NatWest’s commitment to supporting customers who may be experiencing financial difficulty including:
- Helping customers manage their finances through the mobile banking app – including financial health checks, Know Your Credit Score platform, and an in-app spending and budget tracker.
- Keeping customers safe through tools such as Security Profile – the dedicated space in-app to show customers how they are safeguarded with personalised education to stay secure.
- Ensuring customers receive tailored support based on their individual requirements through Banking My Way – A free service that allows customers to record information either in the app, online, in person or over the phone, about the support or adjustments they need to make banking easier. Examples include accessibility needs, change in financial circumstances, or bereavements.
- Supporting customers in financial difficulty via our dedicated Financial Health & Support team, who help both personal and small business customers with a range of tailored solutions to help customers get their finances back on track.
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Source – NatWest Group
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