Banco do Brasil, one of the most prominent financial institutions globally, has been awarded the prestigious Model Bank of the Year title by Celent at the annual Celent Model Bank Awards. This esteemed recognition is the result of Banco do Brasil’s outstanding implementation of AI and data analytics. The bank’s use of these technologies aligns perfectly with its customer-centric strategy, promoting sustainable growth and profitability.
Banco do Brasil’s two initiatives – Escutaí and OdisseIA – reflect the bank’s mastery of AI technology. These initiatives have revolutionised how the bank interacts with its customers, improving the overall experience while enhancing operational agility. One of the most commendable aspects of Banco do Brasil’s approach is its democratization of access to AI and analytics. By integrating AI capabilities into frontline tools and workflows, employees across the bank can utilise advanced analytics in their decision-making processes and during customer engagement. This is not restricted to data scientists alone, making Banco do Brasil a true pioneer in this field.
For a full-length case study report on Banco do Brasil and other award winners, Celent subscribers can visit the official Celent website here.
The Annual Celent Model Bank Awards
The annual Celent Model Bank Awards aim to answer three key questions: What would it look like for a bank to do everything right with today’s technology? What are some best practices and measurable business results of recent technology projects? What can other banks learn from these initiatives?
Over the years, Celent has published hundreds of detailed case studies for the program. These studies provide insights into initiatives spanning product innovation, banking ecosystems, customer experience, payments, and emerging technology. The program offers Celent a unique perspective on the state of the banking industry, its priorities, areas of innovation, and how these change year after year.
The 2026 Celent Model Awards: An Overview
Senior analyst at Celent, Michael Bernard, shared that 115 nominations were received from all over the world for the 2026 Celent Model Awards. The nominations were well-balanced across all asset tiers, and each one was reviewed by at least two Celent analysts. Nominations that made it to the shortlist were then reviewed and ranked again by the entire analyst panel.
The Judging Process
The judging process for the awards evaluates each nomination on three criteria: the business benefits, both quantitative and qualitative; the degree of innovation; and how technology or implementation excellence is demonstrated. Given the subjective nature of the last two criteria, Celent ensures every single nomination receives careful and fair consideration.
The 2026 Winners
This year, 11 institutions were recognised for demonstrating true excellence in technology. Three distinct themes emerged among the winners. Zil Bareisis, Banking and Payments Director at Celent, highlighted the importance of generative and agentic AI in boosting operational efficiency, transforming processes, and reducing costs. He also noted the trend toward large-scale modernisation and platform rearchitecture, focusing on cloud-native and API-driven infrastructures. Finally, he emphasised the human-centred approaches at the core of these technological advances.
A Snapshot of the Winning Initiatives
Several institutions were recognised for their innovative initiatives. JPMorgan won the Digital Asset Innovation award for its launch of JPM Coin. This made JPMorgan the first bank to issue a USD deposit token on a public blockchain. Komerční Banka won the Core Banking Innovation award for its digital core modernisation. The bank successfully migrated over 1.3 million customers and developed a market-leading multi-currency account that has become integral to its retail customer proposition.
Other winners include Wells Fargo for Corporate Customer Engagement, US Bank for Cash Management, and Huntington National Bank for Scaling AI. Each of these institutions showcased innovative approaches to enhance their banking services, demonstrating the immense potential of technology in the banking sector.
For more details on all 11 winning institutions and case studies for each Model Bank, you can visit the official Celent website here.
