
Wise has grown rapidly, with revenue increasing from $64 million in 2016 to $343 million in 2020.
The company's financial performance has been driven by the growth of its consumer business, which offers borderless accounts and debit cards.
Wise's revenue has been fueled by the increasing demand for cross-border payments and the company's ability to offer a more cost-effective and convenient alternative to traditional banks.
The company's customer base has grown significantly, with over 12 million customers worldwide.
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Financial Performance
Wise's financial performance is a key aspect of its overall success. As of 10/16/2025, the company's trailing total returns include dividends or other distributions.
The FTSE 100 (^FTSE) serves as a benchmark for Wise's performance.
Wise's balance sheet is a strong indicator of its financial health.
The company's total cash is a substantial 1.43B as of the most recent quarter.
Its debt-to-equity ratio is relatively low at 13.39%.
Wise's levered free cash flow is a notable 442.4M over the trailing 12 months.
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Financial Data
Wise's financial health is impressive, with a substantial total cash reserve of $1.43 billion as of the most recent quarter.
This significant cash cushion provides a safety net for the company and gives it flexibility to invest in growth opportunities.
The company's debt-to-equity ratio is a relatively manageable 13.39%, indicating that Wise is not over-leveraging itself.
This balance is a testament to the company's prudent financial management and its ability to maintain a stable financial foundation.
Here's a breakdown of Wise's key financial metrics:
- Total Cash (mrq): $1.43B
- Total Debt/Equity (mrq): 13.39%
- Levered Free Cash Flow (ttm): $442.4M
Wise's levered free cash flow of $442.4 million in the trailing 12 months is a clear indication of the company's ability to generate significant cash from its operations.
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Services and Technology
Wise offers three main products: Wise Account, Wise Business, and Wise Platform. These products help customers and businesses manage their money across borders.
Wise Account allows customers to hold their money while sending, receiving, and spending, and they can even earn interest on their account and gain FDIC insurance on up to $250,000 of their deposit, thanks to Wise's partnership with banks.
Wise Business enables businesses to perform cross-border money transfers, making it easier for them to manage their finances internationally.
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IT Services / Technology
Wise plc is a company that provides a wide range of IT services, including cross-border and domestic financial services.
It offers a variety of products, such as international money transfer, wise account, and international debit card, which cater to both personal and business customers.
The company has a strong presence in many countries, including the UK, Europe, Asia-Pacific, North America, and internationally.
Wise plc was founded in 2010 and is based in London, UK.
Its product portfolio also includes receive money, amount transfer, wise platform, business debit card, and mass payment services.
The company was formerly known as 456 Newco plc and changed its name to Wise plc in June 2021.
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Payments
Wise offers a range of services that make international payments faster, cheaper, and more transparent.
Wise is a peer-to-peer currency exchange platform that allows users to transfer funds directly from one bank account to another, eliminating the need for intermediaries like banks.
Users can pay a small fee by credit or debit card to use Wise's pooled bank accounts to wire funds to the intended recipient. This means that funds never actually cross international borders.
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Transfers are often executed extremely quickly, often in just a few seconds.
Recipients do not need a Wise account to receive transferred funds, only a bank account into which transferred funds can be deposited.
Wise can offer users transfers at or near the true exchange rate, unlike most commercial banks that obscure their rates.
Wise has reduced its fees 27 times between 2017 and 2018, making it a more competitive option for users.
Wise offers three products: Wise Account, Wise Business, and Wise Platform. Wise Account allows customers to hold their money while sending, receiving, and spending, and customers may opt-in to earn interest on the account and gain FDIC insurance on up to $250,000 of their deposit.
Wise Business allows businesses to perform cross-border money transfers, and Wise Platform is a platform that allows banks and businesses to offer their customers fast, cheap, and transparent ways to manage their money across borders.
As of 2023, Wise partners with BlackRock for its interest-bearing accounts.
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Valuation and Comparison
Wise's valuation measures paint a picture of the company's worth. Market Cap stands at 9.94B.
The Enterprise Value of Wise is a notable -2.70B, a significant difference from its Market Cap. This discrepancy may be due to various factors such as debt or cash reserves.
Looking at the P/E ratios, the Trailing P/E is 24.77, while the Forward P/E is slightly higher at 25.97. This indicates that investors are expecting a moderate increase in earnings.
Here's a summary of the key valuation metrics:
- Market Cap: 9.94B
- Enterprise Value: -2.70B
- Trailing P/E: 24.77
- Forward P/E: 25.97
- PEG Ratio (5yr expected): 4.61
- Price/Sales (ttm): 5.71
- Price/Book (mrq): 7.17
Valuation Measures
Valuation Measures play a crucial role in determining a company's worth.
The Market Cap of a company is a key indicator of its size, standing at 9.94B.
Trailing P/E ratio is a measure of how much investors are willing to pay for a company's stock, currently at 24.77.
Forward P/E ratio gives us an idea of the expected growth, standing at 25.97.
The PEG Ratio, which takes into account the expected growth, is 4.61, indicating a relatively high valuation.
Price/Sales ratio is 5.71, indicating a relatively high price compared to sales.
Price/Book ratio is 7.17, indicating that investors are willing to pay a premium for the company's assets.
Here are the key valuation measures in a concise table:
Compare to Competitors
Wise is often compared to other fintech companies that offer international payment solutions. Zepz, founded in 2010, serves the ecommerce industry with online money transfers, but Wise has a more established presence in this sector.
Airwallex, founded in 2015, offers a global financial platform with business payment solutions, but its focus is primarily on the payment industry, whereas Wise has a broader range of services.
TransferGo specializes in digital money transfers and international remittance services, supporting over 160 countries, but Wise has a more comprehensive platform with features like borderless accounts.
TerraPay operates as a cross-border payment network, simplifying the movement of money worldwide, but Wise has a more direct approach to international payments with lower fees and faster transfers.
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Competing with Traditional Banks
Wise has secured permission to offer investment products in the U.K., a move that mirrors other fintech companies like Betterment and Robinhood.
The company's investment product is just one example of how Wise is expanding its services beyond its core business.
Wise's founder, Kristo Käärmann, has expressed skepticism about retail banking, which suggests the company may not be interested in competing directly with traditional banks.
However, Wise has not ruled out the possibility of expanding into other financial services in the future.
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Business Operations
Wise is a fintech company that offers a range of business operations tools, including payment processing and accounting software.
The company's payment processing system is designed to be simple and efficient, allowing businesses to receive payments from customers in over 30 currencies.
Wise's accounting software provides businesses with real-time financial updates, helping them stay on top of their finances.
Wise's business operations tools are designed to be user-friendly, with a simple and intuitive interface that makes it easy for businesses to manage their finances.
Wise's payment processing system is integrated with its accounting software, allowing businesses to reconcile payments and invoices in one place.
The company's tools are designed to help businesses save time and money, by streamlining their financial operations and reducing the need for manual processing.
Wise's business operations tools are available to businesses of all sizes, from small startups to large enterprises.
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Trust and Security
Wise has committed to a culture of transparency to leverage trust as a competitive advantage.
This transparency is a rare commodity in retail banking, and Wise's efforts have helped to attract new users at scale.
The company's high-profile social campaigns, such as the #nothing2hide social media campaign in New York City, were designed to raise awareness of hidden bank charges and attract new users.
These campaigns were launched in 2015 and were successful in driving strong growth for Wise.
By positioning itself as an alternative to the opaque, high-cost model of currency exchange, Wise has been able to offer fast transfers and very low fees that are more appealing to users.
The company's peer-to-peer model is a key factor in its ability to offer these competitive advantages.
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Research Containing
Wise has been mentioned in 5 CB Insights research briefs, with the most recent mention on Feb 23, 2024.
CB Insights Intelligence Analysts have analyzed Wise in multiple reports, with one report dated Dec 22, 2022, containing 88 items of data.
This suggests that Wise has been a subject of interest for CB Insights Intelligence Analysts, who have compiled a significant amount of data about the company.
Funding and Criticism
Wise, the company, has received significant funding from various investors, including venture firms and individual investors. Wise received seed funding amounting to $1.3 million from a consortium including IA Ventures and Index Ventures.
By May 2016, Wise had raised a total of $117 million in funding, with a valuation of $1.1 billion after securing a funding of $26 million. This valuation more than doubled in May 2019, reaching $3.5 billion after a secondary investment round of $292 million.
In July 2020, Wise disclosed a secondary investment round of $319 million, reaching a total valuation of $5 billion.
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Funding
Wise received seed funding of $1.3 million from a consortium including venture firms and individual investors.
This initial funding helped Wise get off the ground and set the stage for future growth. Wise received investment after being named one of Seedcamp 2011's winners.
In May 2013, Wise secured a $6 million investment round led by Peter Thiel's Valar Ventures. This was followed by a further $25 million investment in June 2014, adding Richard Branson as an investor.
Wise raised a significant $58 million in January 2015, led by investors Andreessen Horowitz. By May 2016, Wise had raised a total of $117 million in funding.
This funding helped Wise reach a valuation of $1.1 billion by May 2016. In November 2017, the company raised a $280 million Series E round, led by Old Mutual Global Investors and Institutional Venture Partners.
Wise continued to grow, reaching a valuation of $3.5 billion in May 2019 after a secondary investment round of $292 million. The company's valuation more than doubled from its previous valuation in late 2017.
In July 2020, Wise disclosed a secondary investment round of $319 million, led by new investor D1 Capital Partners and existing shareholder Lone Pine Capital.
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Criticism
Wise has faced criticism from the UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) in May 2016, who called their claim "you save up to 90% against banks" misleading.
The ASA determined that the currency conversion calculator on Wise's website provided misleading calculations. This was a major blow to the company's reputation.
In June 2020, experts raised ethical and privacy concerns around the digital COVID-19 immunity passports Wise was helping develop. The company conceded that immunity passports were not a "perfect solution".
Wise's co-founder Hinrikus said they would not be launched publicly until there was scientific consensus on COVID-19 immunity. This was a significant concession by the company.
In January 2023, Wise was accused of harming competition by its competitor Atlantic Money. Wise removed the cheaper challenger from its international transfers price comparison table for economic reasons.
Wise is also alleged to have denied Atlantic Money access to additional comparison sites the firm owns and controls. This move has sparked further criticism of the company's business practices.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Wise company do?
We provide financial infrastructure to over 85 partners worldwide, including top banks and fintechs. Our services help them offer secure and reliable financial solutions to millions of customers globally.
Is Wise.com a legitimate company?
Yes, Wise.com is a legitimate company, regulated and licensed in the US with oversight from multiple bodies. They securely safeguard customer funds in reputable banks and financial institutions.
Who is Wise owned by?
Wise is owned by a combination of venture capital firms, its co-founders, and over 4,000 current and former employees. This diverse ownership structure supports Wise's mission to make money without borders a reality for everyone.
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