CSI Acquires Qolo to Strengthen and Expand its Commercial Banking and Embedded Finance Capabilities

CSI has acquired fintech provider Qolo to enhance its commercial banking and treasury solutions, specifically targeting the needs of community financial institutions. This acquisition integrates modern payments infrastructure and real-time ledgering into CSI's existing software suite, allowing smaller banks to offer sophisticated services like multi-rail money movement and expanded corporate card programs. The move is designed to help community banks retain small-to-medium business (SMB) clients, 85% of whom would prefer a local bank over a fintech if provided with comparable digital capabilities.

CSI's acquisition of Qolo brings a specialized orchestration layer to its end-to-end financial software, focusing on modernizing treasury and payment functions for community banks. By incorporating Qolo’s technology, CSI enables these institutions to offer flexible deposit structures and a wider array of commercial card solutions, including virtual and secured corporate credit cards. Nancy Langer, CSI’s president and CEO, emphasized that this integration allows community banks to provide the sophisticated banking workflows that businesses now expect, helping these institutions grow commercial relationships and remain competitive in a landscape increasingly dominated by digital-first providers.

The technical core of the deal involves Qolo’s real-time account ledger and its multi-rail payment orchestration engine. These features provide immediate visibility into balances and transactions while streamlining both domestic and international money movement across various business workflows. Qolo’s infrastructure will be integrated with CSI’s core banking and digital platforms through APIs, creating a unified system that simplifies complex financial operations for both banks and their business customers. This orchestration layer is intended to function as a seamless bridge between traditional banking cores and modern, real-time financial demands.

Beyond traditional banking, the acquisition expands CSI’s footprint within the fintech and B2B payments sectors. Qolo already serves a client base of fintechs that utilize its platform for card issuing and virtual account management; under CSI’s ownership, these clients will gain access to enhanced scale and regulatory compliance support. This strategic alignment addresses the growing market demand for embedded finance, where financial services are integrated directly into everyday business software. By strengthening the connection between banks and fintechs, CSI aims to create a more robust foundation for the next generation of commercial banking services.