Alkami’s MANTL hits 1 million in-branch applications as banks prioritize physical growth. For the third consecutive quarter, U.S. banks have opened more branches than they have closed.
More than 1 million applications booked through MANTL’s in-branch solution to date as financial institutions accelerate branch modernization and turn physical locations into connected growth drivers. So, the branch isn’t necessarily disappearing. It’s becoming part of a more connected digital banking experience.
Alkami Technology, Inc., a digital sales and service platform provider for financial institutions in the U.S., announced that in-branch account opening has become MANTL’s highest-volume growth channel in 2026. In-branch application volume achieved record levels in 2026, reaching nearly 90,000 booked applications in a single month, and bringing total in-branch applications booked through MANTL to more than 1 million to date.
The momentum reflects the accelerating adoption of digital account opening technology within branches and a broader industry shift as financial institutions reinvest in their physical networks. For the third consecutive quarter, U.S. banks have opened more branches than they have closed, making the technology used in-branch increasingly important.
MANTL now powers in-branch account opening in all 50 states, including at financial institutions with distributed networks of more than 200 locations. By connecting account opening across physical and digital banking channels for both retail and business account types on one Platform, MANTL helps financial institutions optimize their origination operations to scale growth and efficiency while creating better employee and account holder experiences.
“Branch modernization has become an immediate growth priority. 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,” said Benjamin Conant, chief product officer at Alkami. “MANTL has a proven track record of helping financial institutions drive online growth, and we’re seeing branch modernization accelerate as banks and credit unions apply the same technology to their branch network. By removing friction from the in-branch account opening process, technology empowers employees to focus on customer and member needs while creating more capacity for the human interactions that define community financial institutions.”
MANTL data shows that banks and credit unions using the Platform for both online and in-branch account opening reach twice as many unique ZIP codes as clients using just one channel solution. This demonstrates the “halo effect” of connected omnichannel account opening, as digital channels extend the reach of an institution’s branch strategy beyond the communities immediately surrounding its physical locations, amplifying the impact of the branch. Omnichannel account opening gives applicants the flexibility to start, pause, and complete the process across online, branch, and assisted channels, while preserving their application progress so they never have to restart or repeat information.
“At ConnectOne Bank, our growth relies on meeting clients wherever they choose to engage. 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, chief digital officer, ConnectOne Bank. “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.”
Branches are only as effective as the teams behind them, which is why giving employees the right technology is critical. MANTL combines the structure of a guided checklist with the flexibility to follow the natural flow of a conversation. Rather than forcing employees to follow a rigid script or search across systems, MANTL helps them quickly identify existing account holders in the core, including those without tax IDs, avoid duplicate core records, and ensure the right account is opened for the right person. MANTL enables bankers to spend less time managing the process and more time understanding account holder needs, offering guidance, and deepening relationships.
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Alkami provides a digital sales and service platform for U.S. banks and credit unions. The company’s unified Platform integrates onboarding, digital banking, and data and marketing—each solution can stand alone, but together they deliver more—to help institutions onboard, engage, and grow relationships. As the future shifts toward Anticipatory Banking, Alkami helps data-informed bankers meet the moment with technology that drives action.
