Backbase, Ninth Wave unlock ERP banking connections

Backbase has partnered with Ninth Wave to connect banks with their business clients' ERP and accounting systems, targeting commercial banking customers.

The arrangement allows banks that use Backbase to offer direct links between clients' financial software and their banking data through Ninth Wave's connectivity platform. It is designed to replace manual uploads, batch file transfers and screen scraping with permissioned data connections.

Under the partnership, Ninth Wave provides the API layer between a bank and a corporate customer's ERP or accounting software. The platform manages consent, activity logs and API governance, while also handling real-time data transfer and audit trails.

For finance teams, the aim is to create a closer link between day-to-day treasury work and bank information. The system is intended to improve cash flow visibility, reconciliation, and payment execution for corporate users.

The announcement reflects broader competition among banks to retain business customers who want accounting and treasury tools that work directly with their bank accounts. Open Finance features have become a point of comparison for chief financial officers and finance teams looking to reduce manual processes.

According to Ninth Wave's 2025 research, 86% of finance leaders would consider switching banks to gain access to Open Finance features. Users with these connections also reported saving more than five hours a week.

Backbase, which says it works with more than 120 banks worldwide, has built its business around digital banking software for retail, small business, commercial and wealth segments. The partnership adds to its commercial banking offering as banks seek to embed services into the systems corporate clients already use.

Ninth Wave focuses on data connections between financial institutions and third-party applications, including aggregators, fintechs, accounting software and ERP systems. This partnership provides the operational layer needed to manage permissions, data access, and oversight across those links.

Client demand

Banks are under pressure from customers who increasingly expect treasury and accounting workflows to run inside familiar business software rather than through separate online banking portals. That trend has pushed lenders to find ways to present account data and payment tools within the corporate finance systems their clients already use.

In commercial banking, this matters because reconciliation and cash management often depend on data moving between banks and software platforms. When those links are weak, finance teams may fall back on spreadsheets, file uploads or manual checks, adding time and increasing the risk of errors.

By using API connections and permission controls, banks can give clients access to account information inside ERP and accounting systems without handing over credentials or relying on scraping tools. That model also gives banks more control over how access is granted and monitored.

Backbase described the customer problem that the partnership is intended to address.

"Corporate clients don't want the friction of logging into separate bank portals to duplicate data that already lives in their ERP systems. By partnering with Ninth Wave, we are equipping banks to integrate directly into their clients' daily workflows," said Mayank Somaiya, Global VP for Ecosystem Partnerships at Backbase. "This seamless connectivity is what deepens long-term client loyalty and paves the way for high-value banking services."

Bank workflow

The joint product is available now. The companies also plan to expand the offering with broader ERP connectivity, support for multi-country corporate payments and real-time cash management dashboards.

Those additions would position the partnership in a market where banks are trying to make treasury services more immediate and more closely tied to business operations. For multinational clients in particular, payment flows across markets and consolidated cash visibility are often difficult to manage through fragmented systems.

The deal also points to a broader shift in financial services infrastructure, with banks increasingly relying on specialist providers for connectivity rather than building every integration themselves. In this model, software companies provide the digital interface while specialist networks handle links to external applications and the rules around data sharing.

Ninth Wave said both companies saw a shared role in simplifying that process for financial institutions.

"Backbase offers a robust, modern foundation for commercial banking, and Ninth Wave simplifies connectivity by managing API connections, ensuring strong security, and providing a management hub to oversee their Open Finance operations. Together, we are delivering the modern banking services that business clients require," said Joe Fiorillo, VP of Strategic Partnerships at Ninth Wave.