Business

How Polyteck Ensures That London’s New Buildings Are Desirable (and Stay That Way)

Published

5 years ago

December 23, 2020

Estimated to be roughly 2,000 years old, London is one of the oldest major cities in the world — and as one of the world’s largest financial centers, it continues to grow.

Of course, population growth means that new buildings become a necessity, both for the people who will call London home and the businesses that will employ them. As the home to four World Heritage sites, it is naturally important that new structures reflect the city’s rich heritage and are equally desirable in and of themselves.

To that end, Costas Polycarpou, founder of Polyteck is among those leading the charge to ensure that the city’s future growth continues to build upon its legacy.

Regenerative Development

A primary area of emphasis for Polycarpou is regenerative development — the idea of redeveloping existing spaces and putting in new buildings that better meet the needs of the community.

“There isn’t much undeveloped space left in London,” Polycarpou notes, “and at the same time, there are many structures that are no longer suitable for their intended use. With regenerative development, we can work with local stakeholders to determine the right mix of housing and commercial spaces. A transparent approach with the community and holding ourselves accountable is vital for getting results that will ultimately benefit everyone involved.”

The lack of new space for development has led to dramatic changes in London in recent years — such as a proliferation of skyscrapers better suited to handle growing business needs. Of course, not every old building can be turned into a skyscraper. Careful community involvement becomes a necessity to ensure that the right structures are going into the right areas.

By taking the needs of the local community into account, such development efforts have a true regenerative effect that benefits all stakeholders.

Refurbishing Existing Properties

Creating desirable spaces doesn’t merely happen by replacing older structures. “We have many buildings in London that are absolutely amazing and full of history — but they don’t fully meet the needs of our modern world,” Polycarpou explains.

“Fortunately, it’s not an either/or proposition. We don’t have to tear down these gorgeous structures. Instead, we can restore their most defining features and refurbish them to account for updated electrical support, access control, HVAC, plumbing and more.”

Polycarpou notes that many buildings that fit these needs are still actively being used — an issue that isn’t all that surprising, considering London’s history. Many of the city’s homeowners don’t even know when their house was originally built, sometimes requiring a fair amount of research to find the answer.

Such structures — whether used for business or a personal residence — have likely already had their fair share of upgrades made in the past to account for then-new conveniences. Polyteck’s approach seeks to refurbish these spaces to make room for current tech improvements, while keeping intact the unique historical features that make them so desirable in the first place.

“Refurbishing and restoring a space offers a unique opportunity in the world of construction,” Polycarpou says. “The combination of modern amenities with historic ambiance is something you cannot achieve in many other places outside of London.”

Ongoing Maintenance and Monitoring

Of course, Polycarpou and Polyteck understand that it isn’t enough to construct new buildings. London has stood for generations, and the new buildings that aim to make the city more desirable today must be built to stand the test of time.

While ongoing maintenance is an obvious need for any structure, Polycarpou sees the biggest opportunity in remote monitoring. “With traditional facilities maintenance, you often wouldn’t discover a problem until things got out of hand. Remote monitoring solutions use smart sensors to carefully track any system — HVAC, plumbing and so on. This technology allows us to monitor everything from temperatures and refrigerant pressure to water leaks and energy consumption. Immediate alerts mean a faster response, and more efficient results.”

This is especially important when dealing with older structures, which are more likely to have energy efficiency problems and other maintenance issues.

Active monitoring through internet of things (IoT) devices allows maintenance teams to take on a more proactive role in replacing worn components before they fail completely. Refurbishments and routine maintenance alike can be scheduled based on the insights gained from monitoring to keep everything running smoothly.

Rather than needing to shut down a facility for days or even weeks at a time, this proactive approach ensures more consistent maintenance that decreases building down time while also keeping the structure in pristine condition.

A Bright Future for London

Overall, Polycarpou is optimistic about London’s future.

“The city continues to grow for good reason. We just need to make sure that the buildings that will be welcoming these people to London — regardless of whether they are commercial or residential — are sending the right message. Desirable and durable buildings are ultimately the foundation for a strong city that will continue to grow and flourish.”

While the city certainly poses its fair share of development challenges, it is clear that strong community input and innovative providers that embrace the latest technology will help new structures — and refurbished existing spaces — stand tall for many years to come.

Business

Inside the $4.3B Quarter: What’s Fueling Black Banx’s Record Revenues

Published

4 days ago

January 16, 2026

Matthew Wiles

Every quarter brings fresh headlines in fintech, but few make the kind of impact achieved by Black Banx in Q2 2025. The Toronto-based global digital banking group, founded by Michael Gastauer, reported an extraordinary USD 4.3 billion in revenue and a record USD 1.6 billion in pre-tax profit, while improving its cost-to-income ratio to 63%.

These results not only highlight the company’s operational efficiency but also mark a pivotal moment in its journey from challenger to global leader. The big question is: what’s fueling such impressive financial performance?

Customer Growth as the Core Driver

One of the clearest engines of revenue growth is Black Banx’s expanding customer base. By Q2 2025, the platform had reached 84 million clients worldwide, up from 69 million at the end of 2024. This 15 million net gain in six months demonstrates both the attractiveness of its services and the scalability of its model.

Unlike traditional banks, which rely heavily on branch expansion, Black Banx leverages digital-first onboarding that allows customers to open accounts within minutes using just a smartphone. This approach is especially effective in regions underserved by legacy institutions, where access to affordable financial tools is in high demand.

More customers don’t just mean higher transaction volumes—they generate a compounding effect where network size, brand trust, and service adoption reinforce one another.

Real-Time Payments and Cross-Border Solutions

A major contributor to Q2 revenues is the platform’s real-time payments infrastructure. Black Banx enables instant cross-border transfers across its 28 supported fiat currencies and multiple cryptocurrencies, helping both individuals and businesses bypass the traditional bottlenecks of international banking.

For freelancers, SMEs, and multinational clients, this means faster liquidity, reduced foreign exchange costs, and simplified global operations. The demand for real-time financial services is growing rapidly—Juniper Research projects global real-time payments turnover to hit USD 58 trillion by 2028—and Black Banx is strategically positioned to capture a significant share of this market.

Crypto Integration as a Revenue Stream

Another key revenue driver is crypto integration. While many traditional institutions remain hesitant, Black Banx embraced digital assets early and has built infrastructure to support Bitcoin, Ethereum, and the Lightning Network. In Q2 2025, 20% of all transactions on the platform were crypto-based, reflecting strong customer appetite for hybrid banking services that bridge fiat and digital assets.

Revenue comes not only from transaction fees but also from value-added services like crypto-to-fiat conversion, staking yields (4–12% APY), and blockchain-enabled payments. For customers in markets with unstable currencies, these services act as a financial lifeline, further expanding the platform’s relevance.

AI-Powered Efficiency and Risk Management

Record revenues would be less impressive if costs ballooned at the same rate. But Black Banx has proven adept at balancing growth with efficiency. Its cost-to-income ratio improved to 63% in Q2, down from 69% a year earlier, thanks to heavy reliance on AI-powered automation.

AI now drives fraud detection, compliance, and customer onboarding—areas where traditional banks often struggle with cost inefficiencies. By automating these processes, Black Banx can process millions of transactions securely while maintaining profitability at scale. This level of efficiency is rare in fintech, where high growth often comes at the expense of margins.

Regional Expansion and Untapped Markets

Geography also plays a role in fueling revenues. Much of the Q2 growth came from Africa, South Asia, and Latin America—regions where demand for mobile-first banking continues to soar. In 2024 alone, Black Banx reported a 32% increase in SME clients from the Middle East and Africa, signaling the strength of its positioning in underserved markets.

By extending services to populations previously excluded from formal banking—migrant workers, rural communities, and small businesses—Black Banx taps into vast pools of latent demand. The strategy proves that financial inclusion and profitability are not mutually exclusive but mutually reinforcing.

Diversified Revenue Streams

Another factor behind Q2’s record revenues is Black Banx’s diversified business model. Income is not tied to a single service but spread across multiple streams, including:

Transaction fees from cross-border transfers and payments.
Crypto trading and exchange services.
Premium account features for high-net-worth clients.
Corporate services for SMEs and international businesses.

This diversification insulates the company against volatility in any single segment, creating stable revenue growth even in shifting market conditions.

Michael Gastauer’s Strategic Blueprint

Behind these results is Michael Gastauer’s long-term strategy: scale aggressively but with efficiency, innovation, and inclusion at the core. His vision has always been to create a borderless financial ecosystem, and Q2 2025’s performance is evidence that this vision is not only achievable but sustainable.

By balancing mass-market accessibility with premium features, and by blending fiat with digital assets, Gastauer has positioned Black Banx as a category-defining player in global finance.

The Road Ahead: Toward 100 Million Clients

Looking forward, the company’s goal of reaching 100 million customers by the end of 2025 will likely be the next catalyst for revenue growth. More customers mean more transactions, more data insights, and more opportunities to refine and expand its service offering.

If current momentum holds, the USD 4.3 billion quarterly revenue milestone could be just the beginning of an even larger growth story. The challenge will be ensuring systems scale securely while maintaining trust in an environment where privacy and compliance are paramount.

A Record That Signals More to Come

Black Banx’s Q2 2025 performance—USD 4.3 billion in revenue, USD 1.6 billion in pre-tax profit, 84 million clients worldwide, and a lean 63% cost-to-income ratio—is more than a financial milestone. It is a signal of how the future of banking is being rewritten by platforms that are borderless, crypto-inclusive, and data-driven.

What fueled this record-breaking quarter is not one innovation but a combination of strategies—scalable onboarding, real-time payments, crypto integration, AI efficiency, and expansion into underserved regions. Together, they form a model that doesn’t just challenge traditional banking but actively builds the foundation for global dominance.

For Black Banx, the road ahead is clear: the $4.3 billion quarter is not an endpoint but a launchpad for even greater scale and profitability.