De novo institutions

Watermark Bank would focus on business banking and entrepreneurs, with technology and concierge services designed to target those customers.

Beacon Community Bank, which opened in January, raised $34 million through a private placement.

A group led by former community bank CEO Dave Mallett hopes Ohio State Bank will open for business in Columbus by the end of the year.

Tax reform and the need for new, tech-savvy banks to compete with fintechs are high on a growing list of factors encouraging investors to gamble on banking startups.

Green Apple Bank & Trust, which recently filed an application with regulators, plans to open in the western part of the state by the end of this year.

Organizers of Studio Bank in Nashville have raised more than $40 million, satisfying the minimum amount set by regulators.

Organizers of CommerceOne Bank in Birmingham must raise at least $30 million before opening.

A Virginia bank's decision to pursue a charter in North Carolina puzzles some observers, given the added complexity and costs.

The bank, which already offers mortgages through seven offices across North Carolina, is the fourth group to announce plans for a de novo in the state.

Gulfside Bank, which would be based in Sarasota, is angling to become southwest Florida's first new bank in a decade.

Organizers want to open the first new bank in Michigan since 2009, while a third group in Florida has filed a de novo application.

With substantial regulatory relief within reach, community bankers should use their clout to shape cybersecurity policy and ensure a level playing field for banks and nonbanks, retiring ICBA chief Cam Fine says.

Organizers in Winston-Salem are planning to raise at least $25 million to form Community Bank of the Carolinas.

Two groups have announced plans to open banks in the state, and several others have had talks with regulators. Is there room for more?

Spirit Community Bank would be based in Statesville, a community about 45 miles north of Charlotte. A separate set of organizers has already shared plans to open a bank east of Charlotte.

Organizers aiming to open a de novo just outside Charlotte say there's a need for a new community bank after several years of consolidation in the market.

The as-yet-unnamed bank, which would be based near Charlotte, N.C., would be led by Randy Helton, a former CEO at American Community Bancshares.

Additional consolidation would not strengthen the industry, but would instead leave consumers with less choice and reduced access to financial services.

At least eight banks are in various stages of formation, including two that have opened. While that is nowhere near the de novo activity of the early 2000s, it's a positively brisk pace compared with the standstill that existed for many years after the financial crisis.

Its small, locally owned banks were as decimated after the crisis as in any big city. But community bankers say changes to the economy and their lending practices offer them a shot at challenging the big banks that dominate their market.