HugoBank has begun actively onboarding approved internal pilot participants onto its digital banking platform, marking a significant step towards commercial operations following approval from the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to commence controlled pilot operations as a Digital Retail Bank under a Restricted Licence.
The bank opened its first pilot customer account on 25 September 2026, initiating live onboarding within the approved pilot scope. With onboarding now having commenced, HugoBank is moving from preparation and testing into practical banking journeys, bringing together its technology, operational processes and customer service capabilities in a live environment.
The controlled pilot allows HugoBank to assess the end-to-end banking experience, from account opening and transaction journeys to customer support and operational performance. Participant feedback and insights from live operations will help the bank identify improvements, refine its services and strengthen its readiness for broader commercial availability.
“Our ambition is to make banking easier to access and simpler to use for people across Pakistan. With pilot onboarding now underway, we are taking a practical step towards that ambition and learning from participants’ experience of the platform. Every account opened gives us an opportunity to assess how well our technology, processes and people work together. We will use those lessons to refine the experience and build the secure, dependable service customers should be able to expect from HugoBank.”
HugoBank’s approach centres on simplifying banking around evolving customer needs, with security, ease of use and dependable service guiding the development of its platform. The pilot provides an opportunity to assess these priorities through actual user experiences and make improvements before expanding access.
Through this next phase, HugoBank continues to work towards its long-term ambition of making banking more accessible and convenient, supporting financial inclusion and contributing to Pakistan’s evolving digital banking landscape.
Participation remains limited to approved internal pilot participants. Broader commercial operations will be subject to the requisite regulatory approvals.
