The neobank specialized in SMEs Qonto inaugurates a new headquarters in Paris

ParisThe French neobank Qonto, specialized in offering solutions to shorten management times for SMEs, enters a new phase of growth in Europe with the inauguration of its headquarters in the heart of Paris, an 11,000 square meter space located in the city's business and technology district, the Silicon Sentier, also known as the French Silicon Valley.

"[The new offices] Are a reflection of what we have built and a sign of everything that is to come. We have managed to position ourselves as the banking and financial management platform for the European markets," points out the company's chief growth officer, Heidrun Luyt, in statements to ARA. Until now, the entity has offered payment systems and cards to self-employed individuals and small and medium-sized enterprises through a subscription model to streamline administrative tasks. According to the group's calculations, SMEs invest between 8 and 11 hours a week in bureaucratic procedures.

Now that Qonto considers it has a solid client base –it currently has 750,000 SMEs in the eight European markets where it operates, including Spain, and accumulates average annual growth of 25%–, the bank is working to obtain a full banking license, an authorization that would allow it to grant loans and receive deposits. According to the group's executives, the talks with banking authorities "are on the right track" and approval is expected to arrive "during the coming months." "This will open new paths and opportunities in 2027 in matters linked to access to financing [for SMEs], especially in the Spanish market," notes Luyt.

Relevance of the Spanish market

Precisely access to financing, together with the integration of companies into the tax agency's payment systems, is one of the main demands that Spanish companies convey to Qonto. And for the French neobank, the State is one of the markets with the most potential.

The data provided by the bank identifies a total of 30 million SMEs in Europe as a whole, of which about 16 million are located in the eight countries where Qonto operates: these are France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Austria, Portugal, Belgium, and the Netherlands. In the country as a whole, the number of small and medium-sized enterprises rises to 3.2 million.

Beyond the figures, the bank's commitment to Spain has been clear. Since its landing in 2019, Qonto has invested more than 100 million euros in the country and has hired around 300 employees, half of whom are located in Barcelona, where the company has established its national headquarters. In fact, the State concentrates 75% of the staff that the neobank has in Southern Europe.

With the new chapter opened with the inauguration of the Parisian headquarters, the company expects to add 500 new employees –here the company only offers global data– throughout 2027. In this sense, the growth director rules out for now expanding the number of countries where the bank has a presence. "We owe ourselves to these markets," she summarizes.