# Wise

> Wise is a British fintech offering multi-currency accounts and low-cost international transfers.

Source: https://www.neobank.wiki/wiki/wise
Last updated: 2026-08-11
Categories: Financial technology, United Kingdom neobanks, United Kingdom fintech, Payment platforms, Consumer neobanks, Public companies, Companies founded in 2011

**Wise** (formerly TransferWise) is a British financial technology company founded in 2011. It provides multi-currency accounts and international transfers at mid-market rates, and is widely treated as a [neobank](/wiki/neobank)-adjacent account provider even though it is primarily an e-money / payments firm.[^wise1]

## History

Founded by Taavet Hinrikus and Kristo Käärmann, TransferWise rebranded to Wise and listed in London. Local account details in multiple currencies became a core growth product beyond simple remittances.

## Founders

**Kristo Käärmann** is co-founder and chief executive officer of [Wise](/wiki/wise) (formerly TransferWise). An Estonian entrepreneur previously at Deloitte, Käärmann co-founded the company in London in 2011 after personally experiencing expensive bank FX markups when paying a mortgage abroad. He has led Wise as it pioneered mid-market rate transfers, multi-currency accounts and a public listing, becoming a reference brand for transparent cross-border finance.

**Taavet Hinrikus** is co-founder of Wise and served as the company's first employee/executive chairman in early years. Also Estonian—and Skype's early employee number one—Hinrikus partnered with Käärmann on the peer-matching transfer model that undercut traditional banks and helped define the modern multi-currency account category overlapping with business [neobanks](/wiki/neobank).

## Reception

Wise (formerly TransferWise) popularised transparent mid-market FX and multi-currency accounts for people and businesses. It is a frequent comparison point for [Airwallex](/wiki/airwallex) and business [neobanks](/wiki/neobank) that compete on cross-border pricing.

## Products

Wise Account with local account details, debit cards, business accounts, batch payouts and the Wise Platform API for banks and enterprises embedding cross-border payments.

## Infobox

- **Type**: Public (LSE: WISE)
- **Founded**: 2011
- **Founders**: Kristo Käärmann, Taavet Hinrikus
- **Headquarters**: London, United Kingdom
- **Model**: Multi-currency account / EMI

## Frequently asked questions

### What is Wise?

Wise is a British fintech offering multi-currency accounts and low-cost international transfers.

### When was Wise founded?

Wise was founded in 2011.

### Where is Wise headquartered?

Wise is headquartered in London, United Kingdom.

### Who founded Wise?

Wise was founded by Kristo Käärmann, Taavet Hinrikus.

### What type of company is Wise?

Wise is described as Multi-currency account / EMI in its neobank.wiki profile.


## References

[^wise1]: Wise plc is a publicly listed cross-border payments and multi-currency account provider.