Backbase's Kasisto Buy Targets Agentic Banking Gap

Banking operating system provider Backbase has acquired Kasisto, a company that builds artificial intelligence for financial services.

The deal, announced Tuesday, brings Kasisto's team and agentic AI platform into Backbase's Banking OS. Backbase said most banks have deployed agentic AI in isolated pockets. Agents answer questions without resolving work, leaving intent fragmented across channels, contact centers, and operations. The company said closing that gap requires purpose-built banking intelligence, not generic AI platforms.

"Kasisto brings proven agentic AI and deep financial services intelligence," Backbase CEO Jouk Pleiter said. "With Kasisto inside the Banking OS, no one is better positioned to lead the shift from conversation to resolution."

The acquisition is part of Backbase's "United Frontline" operating model, where customers, employees, and AI agents work with shared context.

Agentic AI can help banks handle fraud investigation and servicing requests by gathering information from multiple systems and applying rules, PYMNTS reported last month. Delegation carries liability. Banks must decide which responsibilities can be handed to software and under what conditions.

Those questions matter at a time when risk management is becoming more demanding. PYMNTS Intelligence found 46% of financial institutions report increasing sophistication in fraud schemes. Close to half of executives surveyed cited regulatory pressures as a big challenge, while 41% cited pressures from faster payment systems. Separately, 68% said they are spending more on fraud detection capabilities.