Starling Bank Buys Accounting Startup to Offer Tax Tools to SMEs

Starling Bank has acquired British accounting-software startup Ember to offer tax and book-keeping tools to its small business customers.

The lender did not disclose the size of the deal. The transaction was worth less than £10 million ($13.5 million), according to people familiar with the matter, who asked not to be named to discuss private details of the sale.

“It’s a natural complement to start offering invoicing, accounting software, tax software, alongside like traditional banking products, like credit related loans and facilities,” Declan Ferguson, Starling Bank’s chief financial officer, said in an interview.

The deal comes ahead of rule ...