Banca Transilvania is a Romanian multinational investment bank and financial services company. Founded on 16 February 1994 in Cluj-Napoca by 46 local entrepreneurs with an initial capital of $2 million, it has grown from a single-branch regional lender into a national institution within the BT Financial Group. Headquartered in Cluj-Napoca, the group serves 4.84 million active clients through 534 branches and offices across 350 Romanian communities and maintains an international presence. As of September 2025 the group held a c.22% share of national banking assets.
Banca Transilvania provides a full range of retail, corporate and investment banking services including loans, deposits, leasing, digital banking and payment solutions and operates complementary businesses across finance and ecosystem services. Key milestones include listing on the Bucharest Stock Exchange in 1997, the 2015âÂÂ2016 acquisition of the Romanian branch of Volksbank, the bankâÂÂs rise to market leadership in 2018, and the 2025 integration of the Romanian branch of OTP Bank. Financially robust, BT reported group assets of RON 213.2 billion and a net profit of RON 2.92 billion for the first nine months of 2025 (up 7.9% year-on-year); its brand value was estimated at USD 955 million in 2025.
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) was at some point the largest shareholder in the bank (15% of capital).
In 2013, Banca Transilvania was considered the third largest bank in Romania, not having experienced losses during a financial crisis plaguing the nation in the year.
In 1997, it became the first bank in Romania to be listed on the Bucharest Stock Exchange It entered Superbrands Romania for the first time in 2013. Furthermore, it also launched the Western Union money transfer service via Internet Banking and ATM.
In 2021, Banca Transilvania bought Polish Idea Bank Romanian unit and renamed it to Salt Bank in November 2023. In July 2024, Banca Transilvania acquired Hungarian OTP Bank unit in Romania and its merger into Banca Transilvania in March 2025.
Banca Transilvania's stock value was headed in 2007 toward 2 billion euros, but after drastic corrections on the financial markets, the bank reached a stock value of below 300 million euros in April 2009.
In December 2009, Bank of Cyprus acquired 9.7% of Banca Transilvania's shares through several transactions made on Bucharest Stock Exchange totaling 58 million euros.
Banca Transilvania registered for Q1 of 2014, a net profit of 103.4 million lei, almost 23 million euros, having a 23% increase since last year's same period.
The BT Financial Group was formed in 2003, and includes Banca Transilvania, BT Asset Management, BT Direct, BT Leasing, BT Securities, Factoring company, BT Finop Leasing and Medicredit. BT has 100% equity shares or majority positions in the other parts of the group, all of which use the BT logo.
BT Asset Management (BT AM) manages the group activities. It was founded in 2005 and manages the BT Maxim, BT Classic and BT Invest 1 closed-end investment funds, which hold shares in Romanian companies with high growth potential. In 2007, BT Asset Management was the leading Romanian mutual fund with a market share of 15.3%, in 2008 it slipped to 5th place, with a market share of 5.2% and assets of 77.3 million RON.
As of October 2025, 79.37% of Banca Transilvania's shares are controlled by Romanian investors, while only 20.63% of its shares were controlled by international investors.
⢠2021: it becomes the official jersey sponsor of the Romanian national basketball team, U-BT Cluj-Napoca and Romania national under-21 football team
⢠2025: on 1 august during the Hungarian Grand Prix Banca Transilvania officially becomes one of the sponsors of McLaren-Mercedes Formula 1 Team