- Key takeaway: Interest in de novo banking appears to be picking up as regulators seek to streamline the chartering process.
- Supporting data: Seven startup banks have opened so far this year, up from five in all of 2025.
- Expert quote: "There is such a need for new charters right now. [The regulators] recognize it and were very helpful." — Nola Bank CEO Joe Omner
This year is shaping up as a good one for de novo banking.
Nola Bank, a New Orleans group that has been in organization more than two years, opened for business Monday. Nola became the seventh startup bank to begin operations in 2026, with another,
Five de novo banks opened in 2025, according to Federal Deposit Insurance Corp statistics. The seven banks opened so far in 2026 are the most in one year since 2023, when eight de novo institutions opened, according to the agency.
In New Orleans, Nola is seeking to fill a gap left by the consolidations of dozens of community banks over the past two decades, President and CEO Joe Omner told American Banker. The remaining banks "are not small community banks any more," Omner said. "They're growing to the size where they're going to be called regionals pretty soon."
Nola is the first Louisiana bank to receive a new charter since 2010, when Lakeside Bank opened in Lake Charles. In July, Lakeside was acquired by the $290 million-asset Catalyst Bancorp in Opelousas, Louisiana.
Nola plans to pursue a traditional Main Street banking model focused on serving small and medium-sized businesses, their employees and families, Omner said. Nola's compact size and fresh technology stack should serve as competitive advantages, the CEO added.
"We're the speedboat going down the river," Omner said. "We're not the barge that takes time to turn."
The FDIC approved Nola's application for deposit insurance in October 2024. The bank raised $29.2 million in capital from nearly 80 outside investors and board members, according to Chief Banking Officer Chris Shah.
"We've been very fortunate to have a robust board of directors who are area business owners and entrepreneurs at the highest level," Shah said.
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Nola's 12-member board includes four Black and four Indian-American directors, and it's applying for certification as a minority depository institution, Chairman Henry Coaxum told American Banker.
Coaxum is hoping MDI status helps Nola grow loans and deposits at a quicker-than-expected clip. MDI banks are eligible to participate in several special government programs. In addition, mainstream institutions receive Community Reinvestment Act credit for partnering with and depositing funds at MDI lenders.
"We truly have not only a group that is minority in composition, in terms of the board of directors, but also in our mission," Coaxum said. "We will qualify as a minority depository institution right away, as soon as we complete the process."
Nola's charter comes as regulators, who have expressed concern about the low number of de novo banks opened since the 2008-2009 financial crisis, are
For its part, Nola executives say they enjoyed a constructive relationship with both the FDIC and Louisiana's Office of Financial Institutions, including weekly meetings with both agencies during the year-long sprint toward opening.
"There is such a need for new charters right now," Omner said. "[The regulators] recognize it and were very helpful."
Community bank organizers have had to grapple with more than just a challenging regulatory atmosphere, Coaxum said. The COVID pandemic and the inflationary period that followed it also created roadblocks.
"It is very difficult to convince folks to invest — until you get them to understand that you're really investing in yourself."
