How we delivered PSD2 compliance for AIB Bank's 1M+ user mobile app, then built An Post Money neo-bank from the ground up—4.5 years of production AI in Ireland's most regulated industry.
Over 4.5 years across Ireland's financial services sector, we delivered production AI systems in the country's most regulated environments. At AIB Bank, we managed PSD2 compliance for their mobile banking app serving 1M+ users. At An Post Money, we built a neo-bank from scratch, then moved to An Post Commerce to implement AI across retail and e-commerce operations.
This case study demonstrates how we navigate complex regulatory requirements (PSD2, GDPR, Central Bank oversight) while shipping production systems that handle millions of transactions and sensitive financial data.
An Post, Ireland's national postal service, faced strategic pressure to diversify beyond traditional mail services as digital communication reduced letter volumes. The organization identified financial services as a growth opportunity, leveraging its trusted brand and nationwide physical presence. However, entering the banking sector presented significant challenges.
Needed to comply with EU's Payment Services Directive 2 (PSD2), mandating strong customer authentication, open banking APIs, and rigorous data protection standards.
Entered a crowded market dominated by established banks (AIB, Bank of Ireland) and emerging fintech challengers (Revolut, N26).
Wanted to leverage AI for fraud detection and customer service, but needed explainability, auditability, and GDPR compliance built from scratch.
Required coordinating across operations, compliance, IT, customer service, and external partners (banking regulators, technology vendors).
We began with comprehensive discovery workshops involving executives, compliance officers, IT teams, and customer service representatives. These sessions identified three strategic priorities: regulatory compliance first, mobile-first experience, and AI-powered differentiation.
We developed a phased implementation roadmap that balanced regulatory requirements with rapid market entry, allowing An Post to launch a minimum viable product within 12 months while building toward a comprehensive banking platform.
We designed a governance framework that enabled AI innovation while satisfying regulatory requirements:
We led the development and launch of the An Post Money mobile app, which became the primary customer interface for banking services. The platform included current account management, peer-to-peer payments, budgeting tools with AI-powered spending insights, and foreign currency cards.
Once the core banking platform was stable, we introduced AI capabilities that differentiated An Post from competitors:
Machine learning models analyzing transaction patterns with real-time fraud alerts and explainable AI providing clear reasons for flagged transactions.
Natural language processing chatbot handling common banking queries, automated ticket categorization, and sentiment analysis identifying high-priority issues.
AI-powered spending analysis, budget recommendations based on transaction history, and proactive alerts for unusual spending patterns.
The ultimate measure of success: An Post renewed our engagement 9 times over 4.5 years, demonstrating sustained delivery of measurable value in a complex, safety-critical domain.
Rather than treating compliance as a constraint, we designed governance into the product from day one. This approach enabled faster feature delivery because regulatory review was integrated into the development process rather than being a separate approval gate.
We facilitated regular workshops bringing together stakeholders from product, engineering, compliance, operations, and customer service. This collaborative approach ensured that technical decisions aligned with business goals and regulatory requirements.
All AI features included human-readable explanations for their recommendations. This transparency built customer trust and satisfied regulatory requirements for explainability in financial services.