HugoBank Begins Internal Pilot Ahead of Commercial Digital Banking Launch

HugoBank has started onboarding approved internal participants onto its digital banking platform as it moves closer to launching commercial operations in Pakistan.

The development follows permission from the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to conduct limited-scale pilot activities as a Digital Retail Bank under a restricted licence.

HugoBank opened its first pilot customer account on September 25, 2026, marking the beginning of customer onboarding within the scope approved by the central bank.

During this phase, the bank is testing key areas of its digital banking operations, including account opening, transactions, customer support and routine banking activities.

The pilot will allow HugoBank to gather feedback from participants and assess how its technology, processes and teams perform in actual operating conditions. The bank plans to use these findings to improve service efficiency, address operational gaps and prepare for wider commercial operations.

In a statement, HugoBank said its goal is to make banking services more accessible and easier to use for people across Pakistan. It added that each new account provides an opportunity to assess the performance of its technology and internal processes while improving the security, reliability and quality of its services.

However, the current pilot remains limited to approved internal participants. The bank has not yet opened its digital banking services to the general public.

HugoBank’s broader commercial launch will remain subject to the relevant regulatory approvals. The internal pilot is therefore an operational testing stage rather than a full public launch.