Airwallex, the global payments and banking platform, has crossed $1billion in annualised run rate revenue (ARR). The company stated this is a significant milestone in its mission to build the future of global banking, and it comes as the UK cements its position as one of Airwallex’s fastest-growing markets.
The global $1billion milestone is the result of rapidly accelerating growth. According to the company, it took nine years to reach its first $500million in ARR, but the next $500million was achieved in just over one year. At its current growth rate of roughly 90 per cent year-on-year, Airwallex is on track to surpass $2billion in ARR within the next 12 months.
UK growth and EMEA headquarters
The milestone reflects Airwallex’s increasing growth in the EMEA region, with the UK serving as a key driver of this expansion. The company reported that its UK revenue in the first half of 2025 grew by 109 per cent compared to the same period last year, outpacing growth in its founding market of Australia and the wider APAC region. Its overall headcount in EMEA grew by 35 per cent over the same period.
To accommodate this rapid expansion, Airwallex has outgrown its Holborn office and acquired a new EMEA regional headquarters in Fitzrovia, London. The new office, which is over 16,000 sq ft, is more than double the size of its previous space.
Jack Zhang, co-founder and chief executive officer of Airwallex, said: “We’ve hit a major milestone: crossing $1bn in annualised run rate revenue. It’s tangible proof that global businesses are moving past the constraints of an outdated financial system. It represents the trust that our customers place in us and our ability to address the needs of modern businesses as they scale across markets, currencies and borders.”
Zhang attributed the steepened growth curve to several factors: “The number of customers using multiple Airwallex products has doubled since last year, as we’ve deepened our go-to-market presence in EMEA and North America. We’ve also utilised our proprietary financial infrastructure to make a real difference with AI, becoming indispensable to finance teams. And finally, we’ve built the foundations of a brand that businesses can trust.”
Targeting ‘Broken Banking’ with brand partnerships
The surge in UK growth has been supported by high-profile brand partnerships, including with the McLaren F1 racing team and Arsenal FC. This month, the fintech also launched its ‘Broken Banking’ campaign across London transport hubs.
The digital campaign features films that dramatise the end of “clunky” business banking and outdated financial processes by destroying office equipment and a traditional bank façade with heavy machinery. The company stated this is its largest above-the-line advertising investment in the region.
James Elias, vp marketing EMEA at Airwallex, said: “Businesses today need financial infrastructure that matches their ambition, not systems that slow them down. ‘Broken Banking’ speaks directly to the frustrations we hear from companies every day – the delays, the complexity, the barriers to growth. We’re not just highlighting these pain points – we’re showing businesses there’s a better way forward.”
Since launching in the UK in 2019, Airwallex has built a client base of thousands of businesses, offering global business accounts, merchant acquiring, corporate cards, spend management, and embedded finance. The company is in advanced planning to launch several new products in the UK market in the coming months.
The $1billion ARR milestone follows Airwallex’s Series F funding round earlier this year, which valued the company at $6.2billion and brought its total funding to over $1.2billion.
