From greenfield to market leader: launching Malaysia's first digital-only Islamic banking app
58%
Of onboarded users in 3 months were new-to-bank
96%
Of deposits via ATLAS were fresh funds from other banks
4 min
Avg. time to onboard a new account
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
3 million customers
$10.7b total assets
Table of contents
Objectives
Bank Muamalat faced a dual challenge: modernize its digital offering and reach new customer segments, especially the underserved and underbanked, and speed was essential.
Onboarding was another critical hurdle. A clunky or slow account opening process would lose potential customers before the journey even began. And while physical branches still mattered, customers expected digital journeys to be just as efficient, or more.
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Solution
The bank began evaluating technology partners in 2022 and formally signed with Backbase in February 2024, kicking off a bold, accelerated journey that brought their new digital banking app live with an MVP just eight months later. Together, the teams embarked on an ambitious plan to design and launch ATLAS - a next-generation digital banking platform with embedded Islamic lifestyle features. From loyalty rewards to prayer times and Qibla direction, the app was designed not just to serve, but to support and delight.
Relevant applied products
Customer Operations
KYC, due diligence, and service requests resolved end to end - without toggling between five systems.
Payments Operations
Exceptions detected, classified, and resolved before they become a backlog.
Disputes Operations
One case from filing to resolution, coordinated across every system involved.
Lending Operations
From application to disbursement, with every document, decision, and check in one place.
Results
Bank Muamalat has fundamentally transformed how customers interact with the bank, moving from branch-based paperwork and multi-step processes to a seamless, digital-first experience powered entirely through the ATLAS super app.
In 2026, the name of the game is knowing your customer in a personalized manner. AI will be foundational. Googleand Apple are coming - these tech giants have data at their core. Banks have a lifetime of financial engagement activity to leverage. That's where we can differentiate.
Mark Bantigue
Project Initiation Head at BDO Unibank
58%
Of onboarded users in 3 months were new-to-bank
96%
Of deposits via ATLAS were fresh funds from other banks
4 min
Avg. time to onboard a new account
50%+
Lifestyle engagement
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