Bank branches are back, baby. And the tech powering them just hit a serious milestone.
Alkami Technology just dropped some numbers that tell a surprisingly optimistic story about those physical branch locations we all thought were going the way of the DVD store. Their MANTL platform—which helps credit unions sign up new customers digitally—just saw in-branch account opening become its biggest growth channel in 2026. We’re talking nearly 90,000 accounts opened in a single month through branch locations, with more than 1 million total in-branch applications booked through the platform to date.
Let that sink in for a second. The digital account opening tool is blowing up… inside physical branches.
The Branch Renaissance Nobody Expected
Turns out, reports of the bank branch’s death were greatly exaggerated. For three straight quarters now, U.S. banks have opened more branches than they’ve closed. Financial institutions are doubling down on their physical presence, which means the technology inside those branches actually matters again.
MANTL now powers in-branch account opening in all 50 states, including at institutions running networks of more than 200 locations. The platform connects account opening across physical branches and digital channels—whether someone’s opening a personal checking account or a business account—all in one place.
“Branch modernization has become an immediate growth priority,” said Benjamin Conant, chief product officer at Alkami. “Financial institutions have a significant opportunity to bring seamless digital account opening into the branch, make better use of their existing branch presence, and create a more connected growth channel.”
Why This Actually Matters
The magic here isn’t just that branches are using fancy new tech. It’s how that tech creates what MANTL calls a “halo effect.” Banks and credit unions using the platform for both online and in-branch account opening reach twice as many unique ZIP codes as institutions using just one channel. Translation: digital tools help branches punch above their weight, reaching customers way beyond their immediate neighborhood.
The omnichannel approach (fancy term for “works everywhere”) lets people start an application online, pop into a branch to finish it, or vice versa—without losing their progress or having to re-enter information. Because nothing says “I’m never banking with you again” quite like filling out the same form twice.
Real Banks, Real Results
ConnectOne Bank is a perfect example of this strategy in action. With more than 50 branches, they’re using MANTL as the backbone of their growth engine.
“MANTL serves as a scalable engine for our omnichannel strategy, bridging our digital presence with our physical footprint across our 50+ branch network,” said Ali Mattera, the bank’s chief digital officer. “Beyond accelerating M&A integrations and market expansion, MANTL streamlines our internal workflows, empowering our branch teams to spend less time on administrative tasks and more time building relationships.”
Technology That Actually Helps Humans Do Their Job
Here’s where things get interesting from an employee perspective. MANTL isn’t trying to replace bank staff with robots—it’s giving them tools that don’t suck.
The platform combines structure (think guided checklist) with flexibility, so conversations can flow naturally instead of feeling like someone’s reading from a script. Branch employees can quickly identify existing customers in the system, avoid creating duplicate records, and make sure they’re opening the right account type for each person’s needs.
The result? Bankers spend less time wrestling with clunky systems and more time actually talking to customers. You know, doing the relationship-building stuff that community banks are supposed to be good at in the first place.
It’s a reminder that the best technology doesn’t eliminate the human element—it enhances it. And judging by those million-plus applications, banks are finally figuring that out.