Prelim Teams Up with Lead Bank to Bring Seamless Digital Onboarding to the Heartland
In a move that underscores how regional banks are stepping up their tech game, Lead Bank of Kansas City is partnering with Silicon Valley-based Prelim to deliver a next-gen onboarding experience for consumers, businesses, and fintech clients alike.
Prelim, a fintech known for its award-winning omnichannel onboarding platform, will replace Lead’s existing in-branch deposit account opening systems and unify its digital and physical banking experiences into one seamless interface. That means clients—whether they walk in, log on, or integrate via API—can expect fast, intuitive, and consistent service without the usual friction that plagues traditional banking channels.
Meeting Clients Where They Are—Literally
This isn’t just another digitization project. For Lead Bank, the partnership is about strategically positioning itself to serve a wide array of customers—individuals, commercial clients, and fintechs—under a single, streamlined onboarding architecture.
The rollout introduces robust self-service tools, empowering users to open and manage accounts on their terms, without compromising on compliance or customer support. It’s a win for user autonomy, and a serious upgrade from the clunky, multi-step processes that dominate legacy banking systems.
“What impressed us about Lead Bank is their unique position at the intersection of established banking expertise and digital innovation,” said Heang Chan, CEO and co-founder of Prelim. “Their leadership represents the best of both worlds—rooted in tradition, but building for tomorrow.”
Silicon Valley Meets Midwest Momentum
While Prelim brings its tech-forward DNA from the West Coast, Lead Bank offers a unique vantage point from the nation’s financial heartland. Under the leadership of CEO Jackie Reses—a former executive at Square Financial Services and Block Inc.—Lead has evolved into a tech-savvy institution with the infrastructure to support both fintech startups and embedded finance platforms.
The Prelim partnership is part of a larger effort by Lead to create compliant, technology-first banking infrastructure, serving as a foundation for the next generation of financial innovation.
It’s also a quiet rebuke to the idea that cutting-edge banking only happens on the coasts. Increasingly, community banks like Lead are proving that regional institutions can compete—sometimes outperform—when it comes to modernizing customer experience.
A Strategic Bet on Unified Experience
In the world of banking, onboarding is the first impression—and often, the most painful part of the process. Prelim aims to change that with a white-labeled, no-code platform that automates tasks like identity verification, document processing, and core system integration.
For employees, that means less time bogged down in back-office tasks. For customers, it means fewer barriers and more intuitive interactions.
By adopting Prelim’s platform, Lead not only simplifies internal workflows but also positions itself to scale—particularly with fintech clients that expect speed, customization, and developer-friendly interfaces.
Community Banks, Reinvented
As financial institutions large and small scramble to stay relevant in an increasingly digital economy, Lead Bank’s transformation offers a compelling blueprint. Partnering with Prelim is less about keeping up and more about setting the pace—especially as clients grow more accustomed to on-demand, digital-first service models.
For Prelim, it’s another step toward becoming the go-to onboarding solution for financial institutions of all sizes. For Lead, it’s a vote of confidence in the idea that community banks can be just as agile, digital, and client-obsessed as any neobank.
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