will.i.am to mix tech know-how with banking at Britain's Atom

Atom is the latest foray into digital technology for the rapper-turned-entrepreneur who has launched a smartwatch with Deutsche Telekom and partnered with tech giants Apple and Intel.

"The scale of Atom's ambition to help people understand and manage their money better ... is awesome," will.i.am, who rose to prominence with The Black Eyed Peas, said in a statement.

Atom, one of a number of new banks attempting to compete with Britain's high street lenders by offering a faster, mobile-based service, said in a statement on Monday that will.i.am's knowledge of technology would help it expand.

Durham-based Atom launched in 2016 via online app stores and offers savings accounts and retail mortgages via intermediaries.

(Reporting by Lawrence White; editing by Alexander Smith)