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Fast-expanding digital bank Starling has seen its Cardiff operation swell to nearly 900 staff – far exceeding initial job creation forecasts.

The fintech venture, which now has three million customers in the º£½ÇÊÓƵ and is likely to float on the London Stock Exchange over the next two years, originally committed to creating 400 jobs when unveiling its office investment in the city– at Brunel House– back in 2020.

That has now swelled to 868– an increase of 117% on the initial business plan– with staff drawn from across the Cardiff Capital Region and beyond. And it is currently recruiting for more staff.

Roles created range from financial crime and engineering to customer service and data science.

Starling’s Cardiff team has driven new capabilities for the bank, including bills manager, a feature to help customers pay their bills on time, and a dedicated app for its childrens’ banking service, Kite. It was also the first to deliver personalised contactless limits in response to the limit increase in October last year.

Swansea-born founder and chief executive of Starling, Anne Boden, said: “Cardiff is a dynamic and entrepreneurial city with a rich talent pool. Our office here is important to our growth as we benefit directly from the capital’s outstanding universities and fintech expertise.”

Susanna Yallop, chief people officer at Starling Bank, said: “We’ll keep creating new roles in the region as we continue our mission to change banking for good. We’re always on the lookout for keen technologists and customer experience agents and hire based on attitude and aptitude.”

Starling now has 1,854 staff across its four offices in Cardiff, London, Southampton and Dublin. The Cardiff office, where Starling operates a hybrid working model, is now one of the biggest private sector employers in the city.