Wise, a London-based FinTech and payment institution, has reported a notable 23% growth in revenue and has upgraded its income guidance. Founded by Estonian entrepreneurs Kristo Käärmann and Taavet Hinrikus in 2011, initially as TransferWise, the company is now listed on the London Stock Exchange. Wise is a kind of antithesis to London-based FinTech Revolut and focuses on product payment processing.
The world of fintech has been rocked once again by the astounding performance of Wise, which has proven that innovation and profitability can coalesce seamlessly. The latest Q2 2024 figures from the money transfer juggernaut underline its monumental ascent in the financial technology domain. On 7 July 2021, Wise went public with a direct listing on the London Stock Exchange and was valued at $11 billion. Currently, in the midst of the FinTech crisis, the market cap is still an impressive $8.5 billion.
According to Sky News, the UK FinTech pioneer Wise (previously known as TransferWise) is in the final stage of its IPO preparation. The plans include introducing a dual-class share structure to keep control of the company in the hands of its founders Taavet Hinrikus and Kristo Kaarmann, and early investors. Sky News has learned that Wise and its bankers plot the creation of a new dual-class share structure as part of proposals to go public on the London Stock Exchange.
TransferWise prepared for a blockbuster IPO and appointed the two Wall Street giants Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley as joint coordinators, Sky News reported last week. The surprising thing here is the decision in favor of a listing in London and against New York. This is certainly an important milestone for London to remain Europe's most important financial center after Brexit. The valuation for the IPO is expected to exceed $5 billion. And hey, they are profitable!
A battle is currently raging between the old central bank-controlled FIAT monetary system with the dollar as the reserve currency and the new decentralized cryptosystem. Quantitative easing policies in the wake of various crises in recent years cast doubt on the FIAT system's sustainability. 2020 was also the year institutional investors got into Bitcoin. In 2021, FinTech unicorn TransferWise is planning a billion-dollar IPO - a FinTech that rejects the cryptosystem.