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Build vs. Buy for Banks in the Age of AI

AI is forcing banks to rethink their build-versus-buy strategies.

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The question remains the same. The calculus is different.

As AI reshapes banking, the build-versus-buy decision has become more complex, not less. Innovation cycles are accelerating, the vendor landscape is expanding, and the line between what differentiates a bank and what can be sourced externally is getting harder to draw. This report explores how banking leaders should rethink build-versus-buy strategy in the age of AI.

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What we discovered and what it means for banking

Build versus buy remains a core strategic question for banks. But AI is changing the conditions around that decision. It lowers the cost of producing code, speeds up vendor development, raises the strategic value of data, and increases both the number of available solutions and the uncertainty around what will truly differentiate over time.

In this environment, build, buy, and partner are no longer static options. They are strategic levers that must be evaluated in the context of speed, control, risk, differentiation, and long-term value creation.

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Featuring perspectives from leaders shaping what comes next

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The pace of GenAI innovation
has outrun any single institution’s ability to build internally, buy externally, or even evaluate fast enough.

Agnès Gerbaud Seuret
Head of EMEA Startup Investors Managers

5 findings shaping
build-versus-buy decisions

Rethinking Build vs Buy

Banks are changing how they approach build versus buy.

81%

of banks have changed their build-versus-buy strategy compared with 5 years ago.

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The Data Advantage

Data and talent still constrain internal build.Even where building is strategically attractive, banks often face practical barriers, including fragmented data, unstructured information, and limited access to the right technical talent and tooling.

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The Application Layer

AI changes the economics of the decision, but not every layer is up for grabs.

Banks are not rebuilding core systems to become AI-native, and they are not developing foundational models from scratch. The real strategic questions sit higher in the stack, where product, workflow, and customer experience decisions are made.

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Strategic
Differentiation

Differentiation is harder to define, and more important to get right.

As AI accelerates the pace of change, banks need to think more carefully about where internal ownership creates meaningful strategic value, and where external solutions may be more effective.

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A Third Path

More banks are expanding the range of options they consider.

64% of banks are considering partnerships to accelerate, versus 25% five years ago. The main drivers are faster time to market and access to emerging technologies.

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The strategic value
inside the report

Get a practical framework for evaluating build-versus-buy decisions as AI changes the pace, complexity, and stakes of technology strategy in banking
Understand how banks should think about speed, control, differentiation, risk, and long-term value in a more complex decision environment
See where partnership may play a role, without treating it as the default answer
Use survey data and expert perspectives to better understand how banks are adapting their strategy in real time
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Download the Report

The traditional rationale, purchasing commercial applications that meet 80% of business needs with faster time to market, lower cost, and greater predictability, now needs to be re-evaluated.

Ido Gileadi
Senior Advisor to CEO

Built for banking leaders navigating the AI era

This report is designed for leaders responsible for shaping technology and business strategy inside banks, including innovation, product, digital, strategy, and transformation teams.
It is built to support more informed conversations about how banks should evaluate build-versus-buy decisions in a faster-moving, more uncertain market.

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About Team8

Team8 is a venture fund with $1.5B in AUM that builds and invests in companies tackling the world’s biggest challenges in cyber, software infrastructure, fintech, and digital health.

Team8’s proven methodology spans from vision to impact. Its signature venture creation and capital models, village of world-class leaders, and rigorous validation process are all designed to position founders for success.