• Huntington launches AI-powered 1866 Studio for small businesses
• Platform developed with Google Cloud using Gemini technology
• Service available to entrepreneurs regardless of banking relationship
• Eight specialized AI agents initially support business operations
• Capabilities include registration, licensing, marketing and financing preparation
• Huntington plans to expand the number and sophistication of AI agents
• Bank serves approximately 500,000 small-business customers
• Platform aims to attract new customers through broader business support services

Huntington Bank is expanding its artificial intelligence strategy beyond conventional banking services with the launch of a platform designed to help small-business owners manage their operations, develop marketing strategies and prepare for financing.

The Columbus, Ohio-based lender has introduced 1866 Studio, an AI-powered business management platform developed with Google Cloud and powered by its Gemini technology.

The service will be available to entrepreneurs regardless of whether they hold an account with Huntington, positioning it as both a business support tool and a potential customer acquisition channel.

Named after the bank's founding year, 1866 Studio aims to consolidate financial, operational and administrative activities within a single digital environment, reducing the burden on entrepreneurs who frequently lack specialist resources.

Huntington President Brant Standridge said the initiative reflected the bank's ambition to strengthen its position in the competitive small-business banking market.

"We have a desire to have the most compelling value proposition for small businesses in the country," he said.

The bank's experience serving approximately 500,000 small-business customers revealed the extent to which entrepreneurs must balance operational responsibilities with the demands of running their core businesses.

"Small-business owners wear lots and lots of hats, and there are things that they have to do every day that go far beyond whatever it is that they do in their small business," Standridge said.

The platform will initially incorporate eight specialized AI agents trained to support different business functions.

These include assisting entrepreneurs with business registration and licensing requirements, developing marketing strategies, preparing digital advertising content and creating social media campaigns.

The technology will also help identify potential obstacles businesses could encounter when applying for financing, potentially improving their readiness to approach lenders.

Huntington expects to expand both the number of AI agents and the complexity of tasks they can perform as the platform develops.

Vijay Konduru, Huntington's head of innovation and AI products, said the service was designed to make sophisticated business management capabilities accessible without requiring entrepreneurs to develop technical expertise.

"Small-business owners shouldn't have to become experts in every function or in AI to build a successful business," he said.

Konduru described 1866 Studio as a platform organized around the practical responsibilities involved in establishing, operating and expanding a business.

"As the product evolves, it's intended to increasingly support the full range of those jobs across the business lifecycle, from turning an idea into a business to running and growing it, and ultimately preparing for succession, sale or exit," he said.

The decision to make the platform available beyond Huntington's existing customer base represents a departure from the traditional approach of restricting value-added banking services to account holders.

Standridge views the offering as an opportunity to attract entrepreneurs who might subsequently establish broader financial relationships with the bank.

The launch also illustrates how agentic AI is expanding the competitive boundaries of financial services.

Rather than focusing exclusively on payments, deposits and lending, banks are increasingly exploring technology-enabled services that integrate more directly into customers' everyday operations.

For Huntington, the strategy creates an opportunity to differentiate its small-business offering through practical operational support while building relationships with prospective customers before they require conventional banking products.

The initiative signals a broader shift toward financial institutions competing on the usefulness of their digital ecosystems rather than banking products alone.