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Driving Innovation in Banking Through Collaboration: KeyBank and Qolo’s Strategic Partnership

Banking
July 10, 2025

The financial industry is in the midst of a technological revolution, with banks constantly seeking innovative ways to modernize their services and fulfill the evolving needs of corporate clients. Enter the strategic partnership between KeyBank and Qolo, a collaboration poised to drive game-changing innovation in programmable treasury management and payment solutions. Through their shared focus, this partnership illustrates how financial institutions and fintechs can combine forces to create scalable, cutting-edge tools for commercial banking.

With KeyBank’s strategic partnership with Qolo and the tremendous success of their jointly developed KeyVAM® platform, this relationship is pushing the boundaries of what’s possible for commercial banking solutions. Let’s break down the significance of this partnership and its potential to reshape the industry’s future.

A Shared Commitment to Innovation

For banks and businesses alike, treasury management has long been synonymous with complexity. From reconciling payments to managing cash flows across countless accounts, the process requires significant attention to detail, accuracy, and time. Recognizing these challenges, KeyBank and Qolo joined forces to launch KeyVAM®, a virtual account management platform designed to streamline commercial banking operations.

This partnership has since grown stronger, with KeyBank recently announcing a minority investment in Qolo, further solidifying their alignment. For KeyBank, this equity stake is more than just financial backing. It’s an opportunity to work closely with a partner whose vision aligns with their decade-long strategy of integrating fintech innovation into their services.

“Our partnership ensures an integrated view of the product roadmap and the client experience. The success that we have had with these types of partnerships over the past decade shows that our clients trust us to deliver solutions that complement our core services.”

Diane Welch Howell, Head of Key Commercial Bank Alternative and Fintech Strategies

Welch Howell’s statement highlights the bank’s commitment to leveraging the expertise of fintechs to offer commercial clients smarter, faster, and more tailored solutions.

What Makes KeyVAM Stand Out

The KeyVAM® platform, powered by Qolo, is more than just a treasury management solution. It tackles critical inefficiencies in commercial banking operations and provides businesses with tools to achieve real-time financial visibility and control. Here’s what sets it apart:

Key Features of KeyVAM

  • Custom Virtual Account Structures

Businesses can create an unlimited number of sub-accounts tied to primary accounts, enabling seamless tracking of transactional activity across various departments, projects, or clients.

  • Automated Reporting and Reconciliation

Save time with automated payment reconciliation and simplified account management.

  • Enhanced Dashboard Reporting

Visualize cash flow in real-time and gain actionable insights to optimize financial operations.

  • API Integration

Flexible API capabilities ensure easy integration with enterprise systems, providing more control and reducing manual complexities.

  • Proven Success

Since its launch in October of 2024, KeyVAM has already processed nearly $9 billion in transactions as of June of 2025. This significant milestone underscores the platform’s ability to scale effectively and deliver value to businesses of all sizes.

The platform empowers commercial banking clients with speed, transparency, and efficiency, transforming treasury operations into a strategic advantage.

The Role of Qolo in Revolutionizing Payments

Qolo’s innovative approach to payment cycle management has proven to be instrumental in driving KeyVAM’s success. As a fintech focused on simplifying payments and enabling businesses to centralize their payment infrastructures, Qolo brings decades of industry expertise and advanced technology to the table.

The all-in-one platform provides instant access to payment data, real-time analytics, and seamless money movement. Companies using Qolo benefit from reduced operational costs and faster deployment times, enabling them to focus on growth rather than backend payment complexities.

“We are excited to have KeyBank become a minority investor and to see our relationship be reinforced after working closely the last two years in delivering KeyVAM®. Their partnership is a testament to our commitment to advance innovation in the banking industry as we continue to grow and expand our partnerships and deliver real value to our clients.”

Patricia Montesi, CEO of Qolo

Why Partnerships Like This Matter

Beyond the impressive technology and results, the partnership between KeyBank and Qolo represents a broader trend in commercial banking. The collaboration highlights the importance of banks adopting an open-minded approach to fintech partnerships, recognizing the mutual benefits they bring:

  • Bridging Gaps with Expertise

Fintech companies like Qolo specialize in enhancing niche areas within the financial ecosystem, enabling traditional banks to modernize without starting from scratch.

  • Accelerating Time to Market

Banks can deploy faster, smarter solutions by leveraging fintech innovations, meeting client needs in record time.

  • Scaling with Confidence

Fintech partnerships provide banks with access to scalable solutions that evolve alongside client demands.

  • Fostering Trust

By working with fintechs, banks demonstrate their commitment to adopting next-generation technology and delivering better customer experiences.

These partnerships pave the way for a more interconnected financial landscape, where banks can deliver exceptional service while remaining agile.

Driving the Industry Forward

The impact of KeyBank and Qolo’s collaboration goes beyond technological advancements. It sets a benchmark for what’s possible when innovative minds come together to solve complex challenges. KeyBank’s decade-long commitment to fintech partnerships has turned them into an industry leader, while Qolo’s relentless curiosity and bold solutions have propelled their clients toward new heights.

For financial institutions seeking to remain competitive, the lesson is clear. Collaboration, adaptability, and a focus on client-driven innovation are the keys to success in today’s rapidly changing financial environment.

Learn More About Innovating in Corporate Banking

Are you ready to revolutionize how your business handles payments? With treasury management solutions like KeyVAM®, powered by Qolo’s expertise, the future of finance doesn’t just look brighter; it looks more efficient, transparent, and scalable than ever.

Discover how you can benefit from innovative Treasury Management systems by connecting with the team at Qolo today.

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