German Bank Integrates AI for Customer Trading

Scalable Capital, a Munich-based digital investment platform, has launched a new service enabling European investors to utilize AI assistants, including OpenAI's ChatGPT and Anthropic's Claude, for portfolio analysis, savings plan setup, and trade execution. This integration, announced by the company to Reuters, marks the first instance of a European bank opening its platform to major AI assistants, allowing users to interact with their investment accounts via prompts. The service, named "Agentic Investing," connects customer Scalable accounts to supported AI agents through the Model Context Protocol (MCP), embedding AI directly into the trading workflow.

Alexander Siepp, Chief Product Officer at Scalable Capital, explained to Fortune that the company views this integration as a means for investors to initiate their financial "client journey" within an AI assistant and conclude it through Scalable's regulated banking infrastructure. Siepp highlighted that this development democratizes access to information, computational power, and intelligence, making it readily available to investors "literally in your pocket, 24/7." He acknowledged that widespread adoption may take time and might not occur at the same pace across all client segments, but expressed confidence in the significant interest from a large client group.

Founded in 2014, Scalable Capital has established itself as a prominent digital investment platform in Europe. The company reported to Reuters that it manages over €60 billion in client assets and serves more than 1 million customers, primarily in Germany and Austria, with ongoing expansion into Italy, Spain, France, and the Netherlands. The firm's core mission has been to enhance investment accessibility through digital brokerage and wealth management services. Scalable Capital has also broadened its trading offerings to include derivatives, announcing in July its intention to provide access to over 1.8 million derivatives from seven major issuers.

In a specific test of the AI trading capabilities, the platform observed that Claude outperformed human traders in 76% of instances. However, the article notes a "catch" associated with this performance, implying potential limitations or considerations that were not fully detailed in the provided text. The integration aims to fundamentally alter how investors engage with their financial portfolios, offering a more intuitive and accessible approach through advanced AI technology. The company's move signifies a broader trend of financial institutions exploring AI to enhance customer services and operational efficiency.