International monetary platform Airwallex isinvesting $590million (£436million) into its UK enterprise over the following 5 years, signaling a robust dedication to London as a launchpad for its progress throughout Europe, the Center East, and Africa (EMEA).
The substantial capital injection, deliberate between 2026 and 2030, is about to fund a big hiring drive and the rollout of recent merchandise. This transfer comes as Airwallex shifts its focus towards progress alternatives in Europe and the Americas, following a decade of building its presence in its founding market of Australia and throughout the Asia-Pacific area.
Hiring surge and product innovation
A main focus of the funding will likely be expertise acquisition. Airwallex plans to extend its full-time UK headcount by 60 per cent, rising from roughly 100 workers right this moment to over 160 by the tip of 2026.
The funding will even speed up product growth. The corporate intends to launch and increase a number of key choices, together with bank cards, a recurring billing SaaS answer, and ‘Spend AI’—instruments designed to assist companies handle bills extra intelligently.
Jack Zhang, co-founder and chief govt officer of Airwallex, emphasised the corporate’s confidence within the UK market regardless of broader financial challenges. “Whereas general funding within the UK has confronted headwinds in recent times, our dedication is transferring in the other way,” Zhang stated. “This multi-year funding displays our confidence within the UK as a launchpad for regional progress throughout EMEA, and our dedication to construct the monetary infrastructure companies must compete internationally”.
New management for a brand new section
To spearhead this enlargement, Airwallex has appointed Christos Chamberlain as the brand new Basic Supervisor for the UK and EU, efficient January. Chamberlain joins from worldwide logistics agency Flexport, the place he served as Basic Supervisor. With 20 years of expertise navigating the complexities of cross-border commerce, he’s tasked with main operations and driving progress throughout the area.
“Firms within the UK and Europe are navigating more and more complicated monetary and operational challenges as they scale,” Chamberlain commented. “Airwallex is completely positioned to take away that friction. I’m excited to hitch the workforce following a formidable interval of progress and to assist speed up enlargement as we strengthen our native presence”.
The funding reinforces London’s position as a strategic hub for Airwallex’s wider ambitions. The corporate’s London workforce lately moved into a brand new 16,000 sq ft workplace in Fitzrovia—greater than double the dimensions of its earlier house—to accommodate its rising workforce.
London will function the anchor for progress throughout key markets together with the Netherlands, France, Germany, and the UAE. Airwallex has additionally dedicated to investing further multi-million greenback sums in these European geographies beginning in early 2026.
This announcement follows a robust interval for the fintech, which lately celebrated its tenth anniversary and crossed the $1billion annualised run fee income (ARR) threshold. It additionally comes on the heels of a $330million Collection G fundraising spherical that valued the enterprise at $8 billion.
