Vacuumlabs, headquartered in Bratislava, Slovakia, is a product development company that builds modern fintech infrastructure for banks, startups, and scaleups. With a reputation for powering cutting-edge fintechs across Europe and Asia, they offer technical talent, design, and product strategy to build scalable financial products — from crypto wallets to full-stack digital banks.
We spoke with Matej Ftáčnik, CEO of Vacuumlabs, about the company’s mission, client base, and the growing role of fintech engineering in the success of digital-first financial services.
Who is Matej Ftáčnik?
Matej is a Slovak entrepreneur and digital strategist, known for building scalable teams that sit at the crossroads of design, fintech, and code. As a co-founder of Vacuumlabs, he leads a company that quietly powers many well-known fintechs behind the scenes, especially in payments, banking, and crypto infrastructure.
Interview with Matej Ftáčnik, CEO of Vacuumlabs
What is Vacuumlabs and how did it start?
Vacuumlabs started as a software development consultancy, but we evolved into a full-stack fintech builder. We work with companies like Twisto, Curve, and Standard Chartered to deliver complex, regulatory-compliant products.
What types of clients do you serve?
Fintechs, digital banks, and large financial institutions looking to innovate — especially in Europe and APAC. We also support crypto-native companies.
What services do you provide?
Product design, backend/frontend development, core banking integrations, KYC/AML infrastructure, crypto wallets, and card issuing services.
How does Vacuumlabs help fintechs accelerate product delivery?
We offer experienced squads that are “plug-and-play.” Our teams integrate into clients’ environments and deliver production-grade fintech infrastructure fast.
What’s your approach to regulation and compliance?
We design products with compliance in mind — from GDPR to PSD2 to MiCA. Our legal teams collaborate early in the product cycle to de-risk launches.
What is your tech stack?
We’re language-agnostic, but most of our clients use Node.js, React, Kotlin, and Haskell. We’re one of the few fintech builders with strong Haskell capabilities.
Which successful projects are you most proud of?
Helping launch Daylight Bank in the US (focused on LGBTQ+), designing Twisto’s BNPL stack, and building digital banking rails for Standard Chartered’s Mox.
What trends are driving your roadmap for 2025?
Tokenization, decentralized identity, embedded finance APIs, and real-time core banking are big areas. We’re investing heavily in modular banking architectures.
How do you compare to other product studios?
Few firms combine regulatory experience, crypto know-how, and banking integrations. We’re not just engineers — we’re fintech-native problem solvers.
What is your competitive edge?
Speed, experience in regulated environments, and the ability to scale fintechs from MVP to market-ready. Also, our global talent pool is a big asset.
How do you recruit top tech talent?
We run Code Academy Slovakia, host blockchain meetups, and maintain a rigorous engineering culture. Most hires come from our community.
What is your product development philosophy?
We follow lean discovery, design-led development, and agile sprints — with compliance checkpoints embedded in the cycle.
Do you operate globally?
Yes. Our clients span Europe, Asia, and the U.S., and our teams are distributed with hubs in Bratislava, Prague, London, and Hong Kong.
What is your business model?
Time-and-material contracts for enterprise; product-based retainers for startups. We’re also launching our own internal venture studio.
What are your internal projects?
We built Trama for IP protection and The Spot for fintech coworking. Soon we’ll launch our own modular banking core.
What industries do you serve beyond fintech?
We occasionally work in healthcare, legal tech, and sustainability, but fintech is 80%+ of our work.
What challenges do you face?
Scalability while maintaining quality, and helping clients bridge the gap between idea and compliance-ready product.
What KPIs matter most to you?
Client NPS, team velocity, compliance pass rate at launch, and speed-to-market.
Where is Vacuumlabs headed in 5 years?
We want to be the leading tech partner for regulated fintechs — and launch 10 of our own products through our venture studio.
Vacuumlabs Services
-
Fintech app development
-
KYC/AML solutions
-
Core banking system integration
-
Card issuing (Visa/Mastercard)
-
Crypto wallet infrastructure
-
UX/UI design for financial products
-
Modular banking systems
-
CTO-as-a-Service
Competitor Comparison
| Company | Focus | Positioning vs. Vacuumlabs |
|---|---|---|
| Thought Machine | Core banking infrastructure | Vacuumlabs offers broader development + design |
| 11:FS | Fintech consultancy + product | 11:FS focuses on strategy; Vacuumlabs delivers end-to-end builds |
| Solaris | Banking-as-a-Service provider | Vacuumlabs builds on top of Solaris & similar providers |
| GFT Technologies | Digital transformation | GFT is more enterprise-focused, less agile |
Vacuumlabs positions itself as the tech backbone for fast-scaling fintechs and regulated banks alike.
Related Searches
-
fintech development agencies Europe
-
fintech UX design Bratislava
-
banking infrastructure development
-
how to build a neobank
-
Vacuumlabs projects
-
Matej Ftáčnik interview
-
core banking API integration
-
crypto wallet app development
FAQ
Is Vacuumlabs a bank?
No. We’re a technology provider helping fintechs and banks build digital products — not a regulated financial institution.
Do you offer off-the-shelf fintech products?
Not yet. We build bespoke solutions, but our internal venture studio is developing modular products to offer in 2025.
Are you PSD2 compliant?
We help clients build PSD2-compliant APIs, SCA-ready flows, and integrate with TPPs across Europe.
Do you work with crypto companies?
Yes. We’ve built several crypto wallets, exchanges, and compliance tools for Web3 startups.
Citation:
