The Company That Made Money Move Like the Internet
For decades, international transfers were stuck in the past — slow, costly, and deliberately confusing.
Every time you sent money abroad, a maze of banks took their share through hidden exchange markups.
Then came Wise — a fintech that decided honesty was more powerful than tradition.
It built a system where money crosses borders as smoothly as an email.
No tricks, no surprises, no middlemen — just clarity and speed at scale.
1. The Spark: Two Friends and a Broken System
In 2011, Taavet Hinrikus and Kristo Käärmann, both Estonian expats living in London, realized they were losing hundreds each month to unfair currency conversions.
So they tried something radical — they cut out the banks.
Taavet paid Kristo’s rent in pounds; Kristo sent euros to Taavet’s account in Estonia.
No international wire. No hidden fee.
That simple, efficient exchange became the foundation for Wise, a company that turned a workaround into a worldwide revolution.
2. The Secret: Local Transfers, Global Scale
The reason Wise works is simple — it doesn’t actually send your money abroad.
Traditional transfers rely on the SWIFT network, which routes payments through multiple banks, each adding cost and delay.
Wise built its own network of local accounts across the world.
When you send money:
- You pay Wise locally in your own country.
- Wise pays your recipient from its account in their country.
- The value moves, but the funds don’t cross borders.
That’s why Wise can offer faster, cheaper, and more predictable payments than anyone else.
3. The Power of Transparency
Wise’s biggest innovation isn’t technology — it’s honesty.
Every transaction shows:
- The real mid-market exchange rate (the same one you see on Google).
- The exact service fee, no fine print.
- The delivery time, measured in seconds.
No hidden markups. No vague “international processing” charges.
That clarity built trust — and turned customers into lifelong advocates.
4. The Wise Account: Borderless Banking for Everyone
The Wise Account brings global banking to one simple platform.
It lets users:
- Hold and exchange 40+ currencies.
- Get local account details in 10+ countries.
- Spend globally with a Wise debit card.
- Send and receive money across 170+ countries.
Whether you’re a freelancer in Berlin, a student in Tokyo, or an entrepreneur in Toronto — Wise gives you a financial identity without borders.
5. Wise for Business: The New Global Standard
Companies operating internationally use Wise to simplify cross-border payments.
Wise Business enables:
- Instant payouts to teams and vendors worldwide.
- Multi-currency account management.
- Automated bulk transfers through the Wise API.
- Integration with QuickBooks, Xero, and NetSuite.
From remote startups to multinational firms, Wise has become the payments infrastructure for modern commerce.
6. Wise Platform: The Engine Inside Global Finance
Wise doesn’t just serve individuals — it powers the financial world behind the scenes.
Through Wise Platform, its payment technology is integrated into other apps and institutions.
Its partners include:
- Google Pay
- Monzo
- N26
- GoCardless
- Deel
That makes Wise an invisible network, moving billions globally — quietly, reliably, and instantly.
7. Licensed, Secure, and Trusted Worldwide
Wise isn’t a disruptor running outside the system — it’s regulated by the system itself.
It holds licenses from:
- FCA (United Kingdom)
- FinCEN (United States)
- MAS (Singapore)
- ASIC (Australia)
- National Bank of Belgium (European Union)
Customer funds are kept in segregated accounts, protected from corporate assets.
Encryption, biometric verification, and 24/7 fraud monitoring keep every transaction safe.
Wise didn’t trade security for speed — it made both possible.
8. The Numbers That Define Success
- 16+ million customers worldwide
- $10+ billion transferred monthly
- 170+ countries supported
- 40+ currencies available
- Publicly listed (WISE.L) on the London Stock Exchange
- Profitable since 2017
In an industry full of losses and speculation, Wise built something rare — growth with discipline.
9. The “Wise Effect”
Wise didn’t just enter the money transfer market — it forced the entire industry to change.
Before Wise, banks and platforms like PayPal and Western Union hid exchange markups inside “no-fee” transfers.
After Wise, customers demanded the real rate and real transparency.
Even competitors like Revolut followed suit, proving that Wise didn’t just compete — it reset expectations.
10. The Human Impact
Every Wise transaction tells a story:
- A nurse sending money home.
- A small business paying a supplier abroad.
- A family moving savings between countries.
For each of them, Wise isn’t just faster — it’s fairer.
It gives people control over what used to belong only to banks.
11. The Mission: Money Without Borders
From day one, Wise has pursued one clear goal:
“Money without borders — instant, convenient, transparent, and eventually free.”
Over 55% of all Wise transfers already arrive instantly.
The company continues expanding direct integrations with central banks and real-time payment systems.
The end goal: make cross-border finance obsolete.
12. Wise vs. the Old Guard
| Feature | Wise | Revolut | PayPal | Western Union |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exchange Rate | Real mid-market | Marked-up | Marked-up | Marked-up |
| Transparency | 100% clear | Partial | Limited | Hidden |
| Speed | Instant–1 day | 1–3 days | 1–3 days | 1–2 days |
| Countries Supported | 170+ | 30+ | 200+ | 200+ |
| Business Tools | Full | Basic | Limited | Minimal |
Wise didn’t beat traditional finance by being louder — it won by being simpler and cleaner.
13. The Future of Wise: Building the Global Financial Grid
Wise is no longer just a fintech company — it’s becoming the foundation of modern payments.
In the next few years, Wise aims to:
- Make all transfers instant and near free.
- Expand Wise Platform partnerships worldwide.
- Connect directly to central banks for real-time settlement.
- Power the next generation of global finance.
The company isn’t chasing disruption — it’s creating the infrastructure that will outlast it.
Conclusion
Wise began as a simple workaround between two friends.
It became a movement that changed how the world moves money.
It turned honesty into technology, and transparency into trust.
Wise didn’t just make money transfers faster. It made finance fair again.
In a world full of noise, Wise proved that the smartest innovation is clarity.