Case Study: Central 1 achieves rapid, community-first digital transformation for Canadian credit unions with Backbase's Forge Digital Banking Platform

Central 1 and Backbase partner to improve communities across Canada

Central 1 is a credit union service organization that supports hundreds of community credit unions across Canada with a mission to improve local lives. Those credit unions prioritize digital transformation but lack the scale and budget to compete with big banks, so Central 1 partnered with Backbase and its Forge Digital Banking Platform (powered by Backbase) to close that gap.

Backbase built the Forge Digital Banking Platform as an omni-channel, configurable “bank‑in‑a‑box” tailored for Canadian requirements (e.g., CRA, Interac) and piloted with select credit union champions. The partnership delivered a minimum viable product in under 18 months, enabling hundreds of credit unions to rapidly innovate, transform outdated digital services overnight, and improve member experience across web and mobile — outcomes Central 1 and Backbase continue to expand with ongoing product development.

Central 1

Arvind Sharma

Chief Digital Officer