Airwallex to invest $1.1bn in UK and EMEA expansion

Global payments platform Airwallex has planned to invest $1.135 billion over the next five years to expand its presence across the United Kingdom and the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region, as competition intensifies in the market for cross-border financial infrastructure.

The investment will support market expansion, new product launches and the creation of around 100 senior engineering roles in the United Kingdom. The company said the move is intended to strengthen its regional technology capabilities while responding to rising demand from businesses seeking digital platforms to manage global payments and financial operations.

The expansion follows strong growth in the region. Airwallex reported year-on-year increases of 116% in revenue and 226% in transaction volume across EMEA in the fourth quarter, reflecting increased adoption of its payments and financial services platform among companies operating internationally.

Founded in 2015, Airwallex has grown into a global payments and financial services platform with more than 80 licences across North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia Pacific. The company serves over 200,000 businesses worldwide and operates through a network of 26 offices.

The latest commitment builds on a series of recent investment initiatives by the firm. In December, Airwallex announced a $590 million investment in its UK operations through 2030, alongside plans to expand into markets including the Netherlands, France and Germany. The company has also been strengthening its leadership team in the region, appointing Chamberlain—formerly of Flexport—to oversee operations across the UK and wider European market.

The expansion strategy follows a $330 million Series G funding round that valued Airwallex at $8 billion, up from $6.2 billion achieved in its previous Series F round earlier in the year. The company has also been scaling its global footprint, establishing a second global headquarters in San Francisco alongside its existing base in Singapore.

The investment underscores intensifying competition among FinTech infrastructure providers seeking to support cross-border commerce and digital payments across Europe and other global markets. As businesses increasingly operate across multiple jurisdictions, platforms offering integrated payments, treasury and financial operations capabilities are emerging as a critical component of international expansion strategies.