De novo bank tracker
Updated 2026-07-22 · Free to cite with attribution to RAVEN (reportraven.tech)
Who is starting a bank, where, with how much capital, and what technology. De Novo Watch tracks deposit insurance applications, conditional approvals, charters, and openings, from FDIC filings, state regulator records, and organizer announcements, and pairs the filings with FDIC call-report analysis of the markets these banks are entering.
| Bank | Location | Status | Capital | Technology signals | Coverage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait Bank Veteran Central Florida bankers; first new bank chartered in Orange County since 2008 | Winter Park, FL (Orlando MSA) | Chartered FDIC application Aug 27, 2025; conditional approval Feb 5, 2026; Florida charter granted June 29, 2026. Soft-open by appointment; public grand opening set for September 2026. | $43M raised from 256 investors (FDIC required $28.0M) | Charter announcement cites "agentic AI for real-time fraud detection." Core provider not yet public. | Deep dive |
| Glades Bank and Trust Led by former Amerant executive Howard Levine | Plantation, FL (Broward County) | Application pending FDIC deposit insurance application received June 2, 2026; pending. | Reportedly raising $45M | Core named unusually early: CSI, announced while the application is still pending. gladesbank.com registered Oct 9, 2025, eight months before filing. | Deep dive |
| New South Bank | Tampa, FL | Application pending FDIC deposit insurance application filed in 2026; pending. | – | – | – |
| Tidestone Bank | Coral Gables, FL | Application pending FDIC deposit insurance application filed in 2026; pending. | – | – | – |
| Florida Bank of Finance | Coral Gables, FL | Application pending FDIC deposit insurance application filed in 2026; pending. | – | – | – |
| Echelon Bank | Clearwater, FL | Open Opened April 2026. | – | – | – |
| BankMiami | Miami, FL | Open Opened March 2025. | – | – | – |
Rows are added as applications are filed and verified against a public source.
Charter moves: the side door
Not every new bank arrives through an FDIC application. Some groups buy an existing charter and relocate or relaunch it, skipping the de novo queue entirely. We track those here because they change local markets the same way a de novo does.
| Bank | Charter origin | The move | Coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Bank | Chartered July 2, 1945 in Sardis, GA (Bank of Sardis, later Bank of Burke County) | Recapitalized starting 2021 (equity $9.5M to $31.4M); relaunched as Southern Bank; headquarters redomiciled to Spartanburg, SC on April 14, 2026. $400M assets at Q1 2026, with branches in Greenville, Aiken, and Myrtle Beach. | Deep dive |
| First City Bank | Chartered July 2, 1945 (Georgia) | Relaunched in Alpharetta, GA in June 2026 by a group led by CEO Bob Koncerak after a $22M+ raise (The Bank Slate, June 1, 2026). | – |
Methodology and citation
Sources: the FDIC pending deposit insurance applications list, state banking regulator filings (for Florida, the Office of Financial Regulation), organizer press releases and public statements, and FDIC call reports for market analysis. Each row shows the date it was last verified. This tracker is free to cite with attribution to RAVEN (reportraven.tech). Corrections and tips: isaac@reportraven.tech
Read the analysis
Portrait Bank: The $43M Bet That Orlando Wants Its Hometown Bank Back
Glades Bank and Trust: A $45M Filing for the County the Banks Left Behind
How to Start a Bank: The De Novo Playbook
The De Novo Bank’s Day-One Fraud Program
Organizing a bank? See what a day-one verification stack looks like, or read the de novo bank glossary entry.