Airwallex is redefining how founders think about finance

Summary:

• Finance should be treated as a growth engine, not a cost center. Financial infrastructure should be established from day one to help startups operate globally.
• As AI transforms routine financial operations, the role of a CFO will become more critical as a strategic leader.
• The refreshed Airwallex for Startups program aims to set startups up for success in managing their finances, moving beyond tools to create an ecosystem of support, mentorship, and growth opportunities.
• Unlock the power of finance with Airwallex for Startups.

You’ve spent years building your startup from the ground up, and you’re very successful in your home country. Now it’s time to take the leap and expand into an exciting new market to seize fresh opportunities

You’re raring to go, but you realize you can’t actually operate or do any business in this new market yet because you can’t receive revenue in the local currency. Unfortunately, traditional bank transfers aren’t just a pain; they’re also really slow. And the fees – well, it’s going to eat into your earnings.

You were so focused on everything else that you missed something really important: your finances.

Lucy Liu, co-founder and president of Airwallex / Photo credit: Airwallex

“Many founders think that CFOs or finance strategies come in at series B, but that’s the wrong way to think about it,” says Lucy Liu, co-founder and president at global financial and payments platform Airwallex. “Founders should treat CFOs and finance operators as growth partners, not cost centers.”

To help founders reframe how they think about finance and learn to manage their money effectively, Airwallex launched its Airwallex for Startups program.

By a startup, for startups

Liu and her four co-founders started Airwallex in Melbourne, Australia, in 2015.

As the company grew and the founding team learned more about what it takes to build a successful business, they saw a significant opportunity in helping fellow entrepreneurs better understand the value of finance.

The founders of Airwallex: (From left) Jacob Dai Xijing, Jack Zhang, Lucy Liu and Max Li / Photo credit: Airwallex

Having a strong, consistent view on finances can help startups identify significant growth opportunities or catch potential issues before they blow up. However, proper financial management often falls to the wayside as founders chase growth. This can lead to major consequences down the line.

“We’ve seen many horror stories,” shares Liu. “Unit economics being completely upside down, startups burning 30% more than they realized because foreign exchange leakage went unnoticed for months, companies raising big rounds but nearly missing payroll due to poor cashflow structuring… the list goes on.”

She thinks today’s startups are more global, distributed, and capital-conscious than ever before. Yet, finance remains one of the most underdeveloped functions in these companies’ early days.

Airwallex for Startups was first launched in beta in Hong Kong in 2023, before the company expanded the program into Singapore and Australia.

Liu says the startup program is “designed to help founders turn finance into a growth engine.”

“It gives startups the financial infrastructure to operate globally from day one,” she adds.

Live demo of Airwallex’s new AI assistant at its recent Startup CFO Summit / Photo credit: Airwallex

In its earliest iterations, Airwallex for Startups focused mostly on equipping startups with the necessary tools needed to set up their finances, such as global accounts and corporate cards for multi-currency spend. It also offered business acceleration grants.

“The goal was, and still is, simple: help early-stage founders extend their runway, stay investor-ready, and scale across borders with confidence,” Liu says.

Digital wealth management platform Endowus, for one, leveraged Airwallex’s solutions to balance growth and costs across four markets. It reduced transaction costs by 90% and leveraged cashback from Airwallex’s corporate cards to improve profit margins.

The program has been successful, receiving applications from over 2,000 startups globally.

Going to the next level

Two years into the journey, Liu and the team realized that there was more the company could offer. Airwallex for Startups was then refreshed this year to provide more comprehensive support for startups.

The updated program was announced at Airwallex’s flagship Startup CFO Summit in Singapore. The city-state became the first market to experience the new offering.

“What we’re launching now is a significantly upgraded and more strategic version of our previous program, built around deeper founder value,” says Liu.

Unlock the opportunities of finance with Airwallex for Startups

Financial infrastructure remains at the core of Airwallex for Startups. Companies in the program will continue to benefit from Airwallex’s vast ecosystem of financial services, ranging from cross-border payments to spend management and even the ability to invest idle funds. These help founders access the fundamental tools they need to monitor their financial situation.

On top of that, the program features three new avenues to support startups more holistically.

For starters, founders are given access to strategic mentorship from experienced finance leaders who have faced similar challenges earlier in their journeys.

Airwallex is working with several other notable tech companies in Southeast Asia – such as Endowus, Advance Intelligence Group, and PropertyGuru – to create spaces where emerging founders can connect with experienced CFOs. Through small group sessions, these experts offer guidance on topics like cap table strategy, fundraising preparation, and investor relations.

CFO Office Hours during Airwallex’s Startup CFO Summit / Photo credit: Airwallex

“We want to help forge the networks and connections to turn financial operations into a growth opportunity,” says Liu.

Airwallex has also launched an AI Sandbox, which presents new opportunities for market validation.

Selected companies will receive real challenge statements from Airwallex and work directly with internal champions to design and test solutions in live conditions. These challenges will be real problems that Airwallex is trying to solve, such as customer acquisition or workflow automation. The most promising teams have the opportunity to develop design-partner relationships with Airwallex.

“This offers startups an avenue to gain early customer validation and proof points to accelerate future fundraising,” says Liu.

Beyond this support, Airwallex has also partnered with several other ecosystem players, such as OpenAI, Google Cloud, and HubSpot. The goal is to give founders an integrated stack of exclusive perks across the different tools they will need.

“This ecosystem approach creates a multiplier effect that extends beyond financial services, giving startups the complete toolkit they need to build, ship, and scale faster,” Liu explains.

Making an impact

With the refreshed program, Airwallex plans to reshape how founders navigate finance, positioning startups for success in managing their money.

On the road ahead, Liu sees the CFO’s role continuing to evolve and becoming even more critical as AI helps streamline everyday operations.

“The future CFO will be an orchestrator of AI-driven financial workflows, using real-time insights to guide significant business decisions,” she says. “As financial operations get more automated, more strategic work like scenario planning and capital allocation becomes even more critical. Startups that build this muscle early will have a compounding advantage.”

Southeast Asia will remain a strong focus for Airwallex and its startup-centric initiatives.

“Southeast Asian founders are some of the most resilient and globally minded in the world, but they face disproportionate financial friction,” Liu adds. “We want to give founders the support they need to scale across borders – and spotlight the operational discipline that will determine who becomes the next generation of game-changing startups.”

Airwallex is the go-to financial partner for the next generation of globally ambitious startups, aiming to help founders move money faster, smarter, and more cost-effectively across borders – empowering them to turn finance into a true competitive advantage.

Its program, Airwallex for Startups, is redefining how founders think about finance – not as an afterthought but as a growth engine.

Unlock the opportunities of finance with Airwallex for Startups – check out its website to learn more.

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This content was produced by Tech in Asia Studios, which connects brands with Asia’s tech community. Learn more about partnering with Tech in Asia Studios.