Huntington launches 1866 Studio, an AI small-business platform built on Google Gemini

Huntington Bank, based in Columbus, Ohio, announced The 1866 Studio on Oct. 19, an AI-powered small-business operating system built with Google Cloud's Gemini platform, according to the bank's press release.2

The bank said the platform is meant to simplify the demands of starting and running a business, and Huntington President Brant Standridge told Banking Dive he sees it as a customer acquisition tool.12 Standridge said, "When we create this value for a business, they may not bank with us today," and that Huntington believes it will lead more small businesses to want more of their relationship with the bank.1

Banking Dive reported that the platform starts with eight trained AI agents and that Standridge expects the number, and the complexity of their tasks, to grow.1

Initial capabilities include business launch support (entity selection, registration, licensing), marketing and campaign creation (ad copy, social media campaigns) and loan readiness assistance, which identifies gaps and explains lender expectations, according to the press release.2

The base level is open to all small-business owners regardless of their relationship with Huntington, Banking Dive reported; the release says interested owners can sign up for early access beginning Oct. 19.12

Standridge cited about 500,000 small-business customers, according to Banking Dive. Neither source gave pricing, what features sit above the base level, or a general availability date.12