The Garage
LSE: WISE · London, United Kingdom

Wise

An aggressive fintech disruptor that broke international bank remittance monopolies by building a transparent, borderless peer-to-peer netting ledger.

Founded 2011
By Kristo Käärmann, Taavet Hinrikus
Live Price
Today
Symbol
LSE: WISE
2011
The Estonian Skype salary hack and TransferWise genesis
Founded as TransferWise, the company began as a clever personal currency swap arrangement between two Estonian expats in London. Frustrated by exorbitant hidden bank transfer fees, they matched their respective GBP and EUR cash needs locally, creating a decentralized peer-to-peer netting model that bypassed expensive international SWIFT wire pipes entirely.
2017
The Borderless multi-currency account and card deployment
The fintech scaled its value proposition beyond simple remittance by launching the TransferWise Borderless Account. This innovative product offered retail consumers and cross-border businesses local virtual bank routing details in multiple global jurisdictions simultaneously, paired with a low-cost multi-currency debit card.
2021
The multi-billion dollar direct London listing and corporate renaming
The company rebranded simply as Wise to signal its expansion into a comprehensive international banking alternative, followed immediately by executing a historic direct listing on the London Stock Exchange. The public debut valued the profitable fintech unicorn at an estimated £8 billion, cementing its corporate maturity.
2026
The £1.2 billion revenue mark and institutional platform integration
By mid-2026, Wise plc successfully scaled its trailing twelve-month revenues beyond £1.2 billion, processing tens of billions in global volume annually. Led by CEO Kristo Käärmann, the company aggressively expanded "Wise Platform," directly embedding its low-cost cross-border rail architecture into legacy institutional banking software systems.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who founded Wise?
Wise was founded by Kristo Käärmann, Taavet Hinrikus.
When was Wise founded?
Wise was founded in 2011.
Where was Wise founded?
Wise was headquartered in London, United Kingdom.
Why was Wise created?
Founded as TransferWise, the company began as a clever personal currency swap arrangement between two Estonian expats in London. Frustrated by exorbitant hidden bank transfer fees, they matched their respective GBP and EUR cash needs locally, creating a decentralized peer-to-peer netting model that bypassed expensive international SWIFT wire pipes entirely.
What does Wise do?
An aggressive fintech disruptor that broke international bank remittance monopolies by building a transparent, borderless peer-to-peer netting ledger. Discover how Wise bypassed legacy SWIFT fees using a revolutionary peer-to-peer currency ledger to build a massive listed international banking platform.
How did Wise grow?
By mid-2026, Wise plc successfully scaled its trailing twelve-month revenues beyond £1.2 billion, processing tens of billions in global volume annually. Led by CEO Kristo Käärmann, the company aggressively expanded "Wise Platform," directly embedding its low-cost cross-border rail architecture into legacy institutional banking software systems.
Tools & Platforms
For Investors
The market doesn't care about your feelings.
But your broker's fees do.
Most people have a brokerage account. Fewer understand what it really costs them — in spreads, in fees, in missed instruments. Malta-regulated, direct market access, 600,000+ instruments.
Explore platforms
For Entrepreneurs
Opening a US company costs $300.
Most people think it's complicated. It isn't.
Most founders spend weeks on formation, banking and payments. The ones who move fast know which tools to use before they start. A US LLC, a real business account, and a way to pay people — in that order.
Start here
For C-Suite
Your competitor pays $200 less per month for EOR.
You're still on a spreadsheet.
BVNK hired 20% of its workforce through Deel. The smartest operators aren't managing payroll complexity — they're outsourcing it. EOR in 150+ countries, multi-currency accounts, workforce payments at $200 less per month than competitors.
Calculate hiring cost
Crypto.com PLUS Card
PLUS
2.0%
back in crypto · on every spend
€3.99 / month
or €39.90/year (€3.32/month)
Zero trading fees up to $20K/month
2.0% back in crypto on card spend
0% foreign exchange fees
EUR Cash Yield up to 1.35% p.a.
CRO Yield up to 2.00% p.a.
Virtual Visa card · Flexible cancel
Join PLUS →
Crypto.com PRO Card
PRO
3.0%
back in crypto · on every spend
€24.99 / month
or €249.90/year (€20.82/month)
Zero trading fees up to $50K/month
3.0% back in crypto on card spend
0% foreign exchange fees
EUR Cash Yield up to 1.70% p.a.
CRO Yield up to 2.50% p.a.
Airport lounge access (Priority Pass)
Join PRO →
Crypto.com PRIVATE Card
PRIVATE
4–6%
back in crypto · on every spend
CRO Lockup from €45,000
8.5% yield · 12-month staking · €450K tier at 9.5%
Zero trading fees · Unlimited volume
4.0%–6.0% back in crypto
0% foreign exchange fees
EUR Cash Yield up to 1.80% p.a.
Extra 1% p.a. on Earn allocations in CRO
VIP events · Exclusive experiences
8.5% CRO lockup rewards
Join PRIVATE →
Also in The Garage
Revolut
Started with a prepaid card. Now 70 million users and eyeing a $200 billion IPO.
Payoneer
Israeli entrepreneur built a payment platform for the global gig economy in 2005. Amazon, Fiverr, Upwork, and Airbnb run on it. Nuvei acquired it for $2.75 billion in 2026.
N26
The premier Berlin neobank darling that hit a $9 billion peak, retreated from America, and survived years of regulatory house arrest.
Back to The Garage