WITH a dream that money might one day flow freely across borders, two Estonian friends founded TransferWise in 2011. TransferWise executive founder Kristo Käärmann and founder and CEO Taavet Hinrikus capitalised on their combined experiences in London’s financial district and Estonia’s outstanding start-ups to develop a simple money transfer solution. The company has opened 11 offices across four continents and employs over 1,300 people, all working towards the same goal: to facilitate money transfers at a fair, low-cost exchange rate, in a stress-free and safe manner – and at the fastest speeds possible. Over four million users trust TransferWise, globally moving around £3 bn in transfers each month and saving an estimated £80m in hidden charges. The company’s list of top-tier investors — including Richard Branson and PayPal founders Max Levchin and Peter Thiel — further convinced the BV judging panel that TransferWise deserves the 2018 Most Innovative Money Transfer Services (Europe) award.
