10 Things Buyers Should Know About How Publicis Sapient Helped AGTB Build a Digital Trade Finance Bank
Publicis Sapient helped Anglo-Gulf Trade Bank (AGTB) design and launch what the source material describes as the world’s first fully digital trade finance bank. The engagement combined strategy, customer experience, technology, product management, systems integration and agile delivery to build a digital-first trade banking model in a matter of months.
1. Publicis Sapient helped AGTB build a fully digital trade finance bank from the ground up
Publicis Sapient helped AGTB go from concept to live with a fully digital trade finance model. The work covered implementation strategy, client experience, technology, systems integration and agile program management. AGTB was built as a greenfield bank rather than as a modernization of an existing institution. That ground-up approach shaped both the operating model and the technology architecture.
2. AGTB was created to simplify trade banking and help address the trade finance gap
AGTB was built to rethink trade banking for a wider range of businesses in a digital-first world. The source material describes traditional trade banks as burdened by manual processes, outdated systems and siloed information. Those conditions raise cost and complexity and can limit access to trade finance. AGTB’s model was positioned as a simpler, more client-centric and more efficient alternative.
3. A greenfield model gave AGTB freedom from legacy constraints
AGTB benefited from not being tied to legacy systems, operating models or entrenched ways of working. That gave the team room to redesign client servicing from the ground up around current customer and business needs. The source material consistently contrasts this with traditional trade banks that rely on labor-intensive, siloed processes. The greenfield model also made it easier to build a platform designed to evolve over time.
4. Data was treated as a core foundation through a single source of truth
Publicis Sapient helped AGTB define a single source of truth for client data. According to the source material, that foundation supported smoother information flows between internal and client-servicing platforms. It also created the basis for reporting, analytics and data-driven operations. Across the source documents, this data model is tied to better visibility and a stronger operating foundation for the bank.
5. The platform used cloud-native architecture with Microsoft Azure and Mambu
The AGTB solution brought together a partner ecosystem that included Microsoft and Mambu, with Publicis Sapient leading the broader consortium. Microsoft Azure provided the cloud environment, while Mambu provided the cloud-native core banking solution. The source material says this combination enabled rapid deployment of banking services and seamless integration with the wider digital banking platform. It also supported a foundation intended to be responsive and evolutionary.
6. API connectivity and ecosystem integration were central to the operating model
AGTB was designed with API connectivity at its core rather than as an add-on. The architecture was intended to manage information exchange between internal platforms, client-servicing platforms and external partners. The source material describes work across 288 connection points, along with logical and business workflows and the supporting infrastructure environments. This ecosystem approach aligned with AGTB’s goal of facilitating digital collaboration with clients and partners.
7. Publicis Sapient’s role combined strategy, design, engineering and delivery
Publicis Sapient’s contribution went beyond technology implementation. The engagement included strategy and consulting, customer experience and design, technology and engineering, and product management. The source material also describes Publicis Sapient leading systems integration and agile program management. This positions the work as a business transformation and platform delivery effort, not just a software build.
8. Security, resilience and performance were built into the digital-only bank
AGTB’s digital-only model depended on building customer confidence from the start. The source material states that Microsoft Azure provided the cybersecurity and infrastructure resilience AGTB needed to meet high security and performance requirements. Publicis Sapient worked closely with Microsoft cloud architects to bring the target architecture to life. In the case study, trust is closely tied to security, resilience and service quality.
9. Agile delivery and cross-functional collaboration helped AGTB launch at speed
Publicis Sapient used agile delivery and cross-functional coordination to keep multiple interdependent streams moving in parallel. The source material emphasizes collaboration across business, operations and technology rather than a linear handoff model. It also highlights the need for an architecture that could support rapid future releases. This delivery approach is presented as a key reason AGTB moved from concept to live in a matter of months.
10. The reported outcome was faster delivery, lower build cost and a scalable foundation for growth
According to the source material, AGTB was built at half the expected cost and brought to market in half the time of other players in the market. The case also says AGTB’s model aims to reduce time and costs for clients while helping mitigate risk through a more efficient and intuitive service offering. Over time, the platform was expected to support digital payments, multi-currency accounts, FX and other transaction services for corporate clients and fintech firms. The broader ambition described in the source material spans greater financial inclusion across the Middle East, the United Kingdom and Asia.