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Founded in Melbourne in 2015, Airwallex has expanded from a cross-border payment solution into a comprehensive financial technology platform.
The company supports businesses across more than 200 countries and regions, offering international transfers, multi-currency accounts and payment solutions.
Through AI-powered tools such as T:0 and its exploration of agentic commerce, Airwallex is expanding beyond payments into automated financial management.
As international businesses grow, cross-border payments have become central to the global economy. Companies selling products and services across multiple countries need more than a way to transfer money. They need reliable payment systems, access to multiple currencies, efficient financial operations, and technology that keeps pace with expansion.
Airwallex set out to address this challenge. Founded in Melbourne, Australia, the fintech company has grown from a startup focused on international payments into a global financial technology platform. Its journey reflects how technology can simplify traditional banking processes and help businesses operate across borders with fewer financial barriers.
Jack Zhang and his co-founders, including Max Li, founded Airwallex in 2015. The founders drew inspiration from their experience running a café in Melbourne. It addresses problems that arise when importing items from other countries, including expensive currency conversion and inconvenient banking systems.
Initially, the firm focused on making cross-border payments easier and cheaper. Later, the company expanded its portfolio to include business accounts, foreign exchange, payment collection, and other financial solutions.
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One of Airwallex's biggest advantages is its focus on the infrastructure behind financial transactions. Instead of depending entirely on traditional banking networks and third-party providers, the company has invested in building local payment connections, obtaining financial licenses, and establishing relationships with banking partners.
This approach helps businesses collect, hold, and transfer money across different markets. It also reduces the need to work with multiple financial providers when entering new countries.
Airwallex supports businesses operating across more than 200 countries and regions, with local transfer capabilities in over 120 countries, according to its company disclosures. Its network supports transactions in multiple currencies, helping companies manage international payments through a single platform.
Airwallex's expansion efforts have been bolstered by investments in local markets, regulatory approvals, and acquisitions. Rather than relying on a single international operating model, Airwallex has sought to grow in the regions where its clients operate.
In March 2026, Airwallex announced it will invest more than USD 1 billion in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa over five years. The investment will include market expansion, product development, and hiring of engineers.
The expansion has also attracted investor interest. In June 2026, the firm raised USD 320 million in Series H funding, with an estimated valuation of USD 11 billion.
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Airwallex is now extending its technology strategy beyond payments by exploring how artificial intelligence can automate routine financial work.
One example is T:0, an AI-powered financial platform launched in September 2026. It helps businesses manage bookkeeping, financial reporting, forecasting, and other accounting tasks with less manual intervention.
The company is also exploring agentic commerce, where AI agents can assist with purchasing and payment activities under defined permissions. These developments indicate a shift towards financial systems that do more than process transactions.
Airwallex's partnership announcements have also expanded its reach. In October 2026, it announced collaborations involving OpenTable's restaurant network and the McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team, reflecting its growing interest in embedding financial technology into different business ecosystems.
Airwallex's growth reflects a trend reshaping how businesses approach international finance. Payments are not merely transfers of money between bank accounts; companies need integrated solutions that combine banking services, currency management, billing, and financial operations.
The company's future success depends on how well it addresses these issues while advancing its technological solution. Airwallex's story shows how solving a real-world business issue, backed by major infrastructure development, can create international fintech opportunities.
Airwallex is a global financial technology company that provides businesses with solutions for international payments, multi-currency accounts, foreign exchange, corporate cards and expense management. Its platform helps companies manage financial operations across different countries without relying on multiple disconnected financial service providers.
Airwallex was founded in 2015 in Melbourne, Australia, by Jack Zhang and his co-founders, including Max Li. The company was established to address the challenges businesses face when making international payments, particularly high currency conversion costs and complicated traditional banking processes.
Airwallex was founded by Jack Zhang and a group of co-founders, including Max Li. Their experience running a café in Melbourne exposed them to the difficulties of international payments and currency conversion, inspiring them to develop a more efficient financial infrastructure for businesses.
Airwallex offers a range of financial services, including cross-border transfers, global business accounts, foreign exchange, payment acceptance, corporate cards and expense management. These solutions help businesses manage international transactions, monitor spending and streamline financial operations through an integrated technology platform.
According to its company disclosures, Airwallex supports businesses across more than 200 countries and regions, with local transfer capabilities in over 120 countries. Its international network allows businesses to manage payments and financial transactions across multiple currencies and markets.