Upvest Provides ADB’s Brokerage Solutions and Supports Real Ownership of Fractional Shares Backed by Regulators

Germany’s direct bank, DKBDKB is experiencing a major transformation within the scope of its 2030 strategy. With 5.9 million customers, the institution is expanding its securities offering to the level of a flagship product alongside daily current accounts. The target is clear: More than twice the number securities to grow its accounts to two million by 2030 and transform the brokerage into an enduring engine of customer loyalty and revenue growth.

DKB was chosen to realize this vision West As long-term infrastructure partner in September 2025.

From the end of 2026, every new securities account will run on Upvest’s cloud-based Investment platform API.

Existing accounts will be carried over the following year.

The platform covers all stages such as brokerage, custody and clearing, while eliminating legacy restrictions that often slow down large-scale banks.

The partnership unlocks practical benefits that are important for both the bank and its customers.

Customers will have access to modern features such as fractional investing, automatic savings plans and personalized portfolios.

Real-time processing, intuitive interfaces, and greater transparency are replacing legacy workflows.

Behind the scenes automation It enables competitive pricing and faster product delivery by reducing middle and back office costs.

infrastructure It is also ready for upcoming German retirement frameworks, including Altersvorsorgedepot and Frühstart-Rente.

Upvest also solved one of the biggest legal problems in European investment: fractional shares.

Many platforms have historically used fractions as derivatives or borrowing instruments to circumvent local laws.

This approach triggered extra regulatory burdens under PRIIPs, exposed investors to issuer counterparty risk and weakened protections in the event of bankruptcy.

West took a different route.

The company’s fraction engine operates in accordance with German civil law, providing true joint ownership known as Bruchteilseigentum.

Each investor owns an “ideal share” of the underlying security with full in-kind rights.

Assets remain bankruptcy-free, integrate seamlessly into standard custody accounts, and avoid being reclassified as derivatives.

As a result, PRIIP documentation is not required.

French editor AMF Upvest has already verified the structure for one of its clients and confirmed that the fractions qualify as equity securities.

Because legal status, GermanThanks to the legal tool, Upvest’s B2B partners can offer the same true ownership experience throughout the EU and UK without changing the product or adding local packagers.

these together developments It signals a broader change. Well-established banks such as DKB can now combine their reliable brands and scale with the speed and innovation of digital infrastructure.

Fintechs and institutions gain a single, regulatory-approved way to offer fractional investments of meaningful size. The result is more inclusive access to capital markets. Europeans—exactly the kind of progress the industry needs.