Our Identity

The technological infrastructure of the Sella group is merged into a new reality, Centrico, which in the logic of open banking provides unique core and digital banking solutions and a wide range of Information Technology and Business Process Outsourcing services to the companies of the Group itself and to banks, fintechs and other innovative financial operators.

Sella Venture Partners, alternative asset management company dedicated to venture capital investments, launched.

Nephis becomes part of the Group, expanding the offer with its specialization in salary-backed loans.

Fabrick is founded, an open financial ecosystem that enables and promotes collaboration between banks, corporates and fintechs in order to create innovative solutions for their end customers through the Fabrick Platform, a platform that aggregates, integrates and coordinates an ever-increasing number of APIs and services.

Banca Sella launches an innovative "voice banking" solution, among the first in Italy and Europe, to manage current accounts through intelligent smart speakers.

Smartika, the private lending platform, becomes part of the Sella group.

Axerve, through the continuous development of innovative solutions linked to the acceptance of payments, establishes itself as the first hub of international payments in Italy.

In 2017, our Group launched the first Open Banking API Platform in Italy. The Bank opens its IT infrastructure to companies and start-ups to allow automatic communication between their IT platforms and the bank's systems.

Among the first banks in Italy to integrate Apple Pay and Amazon Pay technology on its payment platform and to make available to customers the payment service based on the new SEPA Instant Credit Transfer scheme, which allows them to receive instant transfers from counterparties of the Sepa area.

The first Fintech District in Italy is born in Milan: it is an access point to the Italian fintech ecosystem that brings together start-ups, entrepreneurs, financial institutions, investors and universities, to foster the development of the financial industry of the future and the growth of companies in the sector.

Two years after the launch of mobile payments (with the UPMobile tool), Light Banking is created with Hype, the new way of handling money by smartphone.

SellaLab was created in 2013 as an innovation centre for start-ups and corporate businesses, aiming at supporting open innovation processes and digital transformation.

Banca Sella is first mover in the development of banking services via Facebook.

Sella Digit, the digital signature online service enabling customers to sign banking documents was launched in 2011: it is no more necessary to go and sign documents at branches.

gruppo Sella opens a Facebook account to have a communication channel constantly open towards Customers.

Banca Sella issues co-branded prepaid cards with important players.

Banca Sella begins to use the brand Sella.it to offer its all-round services. Online trading services are launched (derivatives on Fib 30). The first venture capital initiatives take place: together with a group of entrepreneurs from Biella, the investment fund Jupiter is set up, investing in successful enterprises such as Mutui Online.

SellaMoney was launched: the first prepaid card by Banca Sella, answering the demand of Customers to have a payment tool without a current account.

Launch of Websella.it, dedicated to Customer that prefer to operate online. The core offer is the fee-free current account, to which was in time added a wide range of products and services.

In 2000, at the death of Giorgio Sella, Maurizio becomes Chairman of the Group, while his son Pietro, an engineer like his great-grandfather and working in the bank since 1994, is appointed first Managing Director of Banca Sella (2002) and then, in 2005, Managing Director of the Parent Company.

The first banking app for iPhone in Italy is developed and launched, allowing Customers to access and operate on their accounts directly from their mobile phones. Banca Sella enters the social media world with the "La Banca che Piace" community, where Customers can rate products and services and share and suggestions.

gruppo Sella is founded.

In 1997, Banca Sella was one of the first Italian banks to develop andto launch its web site, which was to be the current www.Sella.it.

The Group is one of the first to catch the opportunity to set up international partnerships: in 1995 Selir is established in Romania and the following year Sella Synergy India in India, the Group's global in house centre for the development of ICT solutions for the banking and financial sector.

In 1997, Banca Sella was one of the first Italian banks to launch an informative internet banking service in real time. It was the first in Italy to join in the budding European e-commerce service and it is first mover in the electronic payments industry.

In the spring of 1998 the first online revolution took place: the home banking service allows Customers to perform bank transactions online. Therefore, the first online account in Italy was launched: Winconto.

The branch number grew to 17 located in the provinces of Biella, Torino, Cuneo and Aosta.

Società Autostrade chooses Banca Sella to experiment a revolutionary system to pay motorway tolls called Viacard.

Banca Sella establishes its asset management company and it is among the first Italian banks to offer mutual funds to its Customers.

For its first century anniversary, the bank opens its branch in the central Piazza Castello in Turin.

In the 1970s Banca Sella was the first in Italy to introduce Chubb machines, the ATM ancestors, allowing Customers to draw money in an automated way.

Banca Sella added Treasury Bills (BOT) to its managed savings offer. It is among the first banks in Italy to sell Treasury Bills at its branches.

At Ernesto's death, Maurizio Sella succeeds his father in the role of General Manager and Managing Director of the Bank, while his uncle Giorgio becomes Chairman of the same.

During the 1960s the Bank expands within the province of Biella and a new head office building is built in the central via Italia.

The processing centre is moved into the new premises and turns into an "electronic data centre" with the adoption of the first computers.

In 1966, at the age of 24, Maurizio, Ernesto's son, started working in the Bank as a cashier. He then concluded its internship as the Head of Accountancy and Organisation.

In order to accompany the expansion both of business and of its geographical presence it was necessary to begin to rethink work introducing the first automated procedures.

Giorgio Sella, who was very fond of telecommunications, promoted, with a pioneering spirit, the use of information technologies. Therefore, the "mechanographical processing centre" of Banca Sella was created at the head office premises in via Seminari.

At his death Gaudenzio left a sound bank, which, with Gaudenzio's heirs, Ernesto and Giorgio, began a phase of development and expansion. In 1937, the first branch of the Bank outside Biella was opened in Ponzone Trivero.

The second and third branches opened in Cossato and Vallemosso in 1939 and 1941 respectively. The Second World War begins and the Bank continues to expand. After the war 5 branches in the Biella area were opened.

In 1949, the Bank turned into a joint stock company with Ernesto as its Chairman and Giorgio as its Managing Director.

Pietro Sella (1784-1827) introduced the first mechanical spinning wheel imported from Belgium in the family's wool mill in Valle Mosso. It was the first step in the industrialising process of the Sellas'activities.

Quintino Sella was born in 1827. He held the office of Finance Minister of the freshly united Kingdom of Italy for three times. In addition, he founded the Alpine Club of Italy (CAI) in 1863 and contributed to reconstitute the Accademia dei Lincei (the Scientists Academy) in the 1870s.

The wool mill was moved to Biella, where subsequent innovations spread the introduction of the new mechanical machines in the factory on the banks of the river Cervo. Today, in those buildings are located the Group's Corporate Data Centre, the Corporate University and SellaLab the start-up incubator and accelerator of the Group.

Gaudenzio Sella (1860-1934) together with 6 brothers and cousins of him founded the banking institution that is at the origin of the current Sella Group: the Gaudenzio Sella & C. bank.

The Sella family has been a family of entrepreneurs since the second half of the 16th century. They originally came from the Valley of Mosso, where the Sellas took the first steps in agriculture and in the textile business.

From the cultivation of vine came the production of the local Lessona and Bramaterra wines, which are still produced by the Tenute Sella.