Deutsche WertpapierService Bank (dwpbank) announced that it has reached an agreement with Berlin-based Fintech lemon.markets for its acquisition.
This acquisition will allow dwpbank to improve its full-custody services by adding a Brokerage-as-a-Service (BaaS) solution.
The dwpbank Group will use a two-brand strategy in the market. Both companies will stay independent but will work together closely to combine their strengths.
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They aim to improve their platforms, speed up innovation, and create a service portfolio that helps established financial institutions and fintech companies quickly adapt to market changes.
With the addition of lemon.markets, the dwpbank Group improves its cloud-based technology stack, which includes the securities platform WP3 and the digital asset solution wpNex. This integration offers a streamlined setup for digital brokerage and custody services.
The lemon.markets management team will remain in place.
The acquisition is still subject to approval by the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority, the BaFin, and the fulfillment of customary closing conditions.
The transaction is expected to be completed by autumn 2025.
Fintech lemon.markets: Brokerage-as-a-Service platform
Founded in 2020 by Max Linden, Fintech lemon.markets operates as a Brokerage-as-a-Service platform that offers Banks, Asset Managers and Fintechs simple digital access to capital markets through a single API.
The cloud-native solution enables efficient securities trading and allows other companies to deliver a best-in-class experience to their customers.
The infrastructure supports modern features such as fractional trading, real-time processing, and fully digitised processes for ETFs, stocks, and funds.
Customers of the BaFin-licensed securities institution include leading Fintechs such as Tomorrow, Optio, and Holvi.
Max Linden, Founder and CEO of lemon.markets, says, “Both companies share the mission to make investing in capital markets more accessible – the best foundation for our cooperation. Alongside our technological leadership, we’re sending a signal of strength to existing and future partners and customers. With accelerated time-to-market, a modular service offering, and a modern customer experience, together with dwpbank, we are making financial service providers more competitive.”
Deutsche WertpapierService Bank AG: What you need to know
Deutsche WertpapierService Bank AG (dwpbank) is a securities services provider with over 22 years of experience and €2.2 trillion in assets under custody.
Offering a comprehensive range of services from order routing to custody, dwpbank supports the entire securities value chain. Approximately two-thirds of all banks in Germany have outsourced their securities processes to dwpbank.
The bank currently manages around 5.3 million securities accounts and processed more than 53 million securities transactions in 2024.
More than 1,000 affiliated institutions, comprising Cooperative Banks, Private Banks, Commercial Banks, and Savings Banks, depend on dwpbank’s expertise in IT and regulatory compliance.
The dwpbank Group includes dwpbank and its three subsidiaries: lemon.markets, dwp Service GmbH, and dwp Software Kft.
Kristina Lindenbaum, Board Member for Client and Digital Transformation at dwpbank, says, “With the technological know-how and innovative offering from lemon.markets, we can now offer Banks, as well as Fintechs and Asset Managers, the best of both worlds in the securities business – expertise and stability combined with innovative strength. Within the dwpbank Group, we are enabling our partners to capture growth opportunities in a securities market increasingly shaped by neo- and online brokers.”
