Tivora Bank is one of the new breed of digital banks in Europe, focusing on cross-border SEPA accounts, real-time payments, and Open Banking orchestration for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). We sat down with Lars Mikkelsen, the bank’s CFO, to explore their financial strategy, risk approach, and long-term growth plans as a challenger in a saturated yet fragmented European payments ecosystem.
Who is Lars Mikkelsen?
Lars is a Danish finance executive with over 15 years of experience in fintech, commercial banking, and treasury management. Before joining Tivora Bank in 2021, he held senior finance roles at Saxo Bank and Klarpay. At Tivora, he is responsible for financial strategy, capital optimization, liquidity planning, and regulatory reporting across the EU.
Interview
What is Tivora Bank’s core mission?
To empower European SMEs with fast, transparent, and compliant banking — starting with SEPA-native accounts and instant payments.
What services do you offer?
-
SEPA & SEPA Instant transfers
-
Multi-currency IBANs (EUR, GBP, DKK, PLN)
-
Corporate accounts for EU and EEA SMEs
-
Open Banking (PIS & AIS APIs)
-
FX conversion tools
-
Virtual & physical debit cards
-
Treasury tools for CFOs
Are you a licensed bank or EMI?
Tivora Bank holds a full credit institution license in Denmark, passported under CRD IV to serve clients across the EU.
How do you differentiate from other neobanks?
-
Real SEPA direct participation (no intermediary)
-
Focused on SMEs and financial controllers
-
Instant liquidity reporting
-
Clean FX pricing
-
Real-time Open Banking APIs
What is your main customer segment?
-
SMEs (1–50 employees)
-
Freelancers with EU business structure
-
Remote-first digital teams
-
Merchant platforms with EU subsidiaries
What role does SEPA Instant play?
Over 92% of our outbound transactions are settled in under 15 seconds. For SMEs, that speed is a game changer — no more payment anxiety.
How do you handle risk in high-volume flows?
We monitor transaction behavior using AI models and real-time scoring. For risky verticals like crypto or adult content, we require enhanced KYB and bank-to-bank proof of flows.
Do you work with crypto clients?
Yes — registered VASPs only. We allow crypto platforms to hold operational fiat in named IBANs, but no anonymous inflows or P2P swaps.
What’s your onboarding timeline?
48 hours for standard EU companies.
Up to 10 days for high-risk or non-EU subsidiaries with EU links.
Do you support FX conversions?
Yes — we offer smart FX routing for EUR, GBP, DKK, and PLN. USD and CHF are coming in 2026.
How do your Open Banking APIs function?
-
PIS: allows users to push money into their account via their bank
-
AIS: lets users see balances in connected accounts
-
Embedded for CFO dashboards and accounting tools
Do you provide APIs for partners?
Yes — accounting tools, payroll platforms, and fintechs can build on our APIs for payouts, reconciliation, and liquidity views.
What’s your card offering?
-
Visa debit cards (physical and virtual)
-
FX-transparent payments
-
Smart controls (per transaction, geo-fencing, MCC filters)
What are your fees?
-
Monthly account: from €25
-
SEPA Instant: included
-
FX: mid-market + 0.3%
-
Cards: €5/physical, €1.50/virtual/month
What’s on your roadmap?
-
EUR-USD FX hedging module
-
Danish FSA-approved crypto rail testing
-
Embedded lending for SMEs
-
Green score API for sustainability-focused CFOs
Related Searches
-
Tivora Bank Denmark
-
SME banking EU
-
SEPA direct participant list
-
Crypto-friendly bank
-
Open Banking for CFOs
-
Real-time liquidity reporting fintech
-
Digital bank Copenhagen
FAQ
Is Tivora Bank licensed?
Yes — it is a fully licensed credit institution in Denmark, passported across the EU.
Do you issue IBANs directly?
Yes — no intermediary. You get EUR, DKK, GBP IBANs in your name.
Do you support crypto merchants?
Yes — registered and transparent ones only. Fiat operations only.
How fast are your payments?
SEPA Instant settles in under 15 seconds for supported counterparties.
Company Services
-
SEPA and SEPA Instant
-
Named multi-currency IBANs
-
Corporate accounts
-
Debit cards
-
Treasury dashboards
-
FX conversion
-
Open Banking APIs
-
Embedded finance tools
Competitors
-
Wise Business
-
Juni
-
Intergiro
-
Qonto
-
Holvi
-
Banking Circle
-
Modulr
Product Positioning
Tivora Bank is:
-
Bank-licensed (not just EMI)
-
SME-focused
-
API-first
-
SEPA direct participant
-
FX-transparent
-
Crypto-aware, but compliant
