Airwallex to invest $234m in Netherlands

Airwallex, a Melbourne-based payments company, plans to invest about 200 million euros (US$234 million) in its Netherlands operations over the next five years.

The firm said it will expand its Amsterdam team by 60%, bringing the local headcount to roughly 70 by the end of 2026.

Airwallex provides a platform for businesses to handle international payments and multi-currency accounts.

Founded in 2015, Airwallex recently raised US$330 million in a series G round and was valued at more than US$6 billion after its latest round.

The company received a Netherlands licence in 2021, allowing access to the European Economic Area.

🔗 Source: Reuters

🧠 Food for thought

Implications, context, and why it matters.

Dutch EMI licence enables EU/EEA passporting

In April 2021, Airwallex got an Electronic Money Institution (EMI) licence from the Dutch Central Bank, which gives EU/EEA passporting in Europe’s single market 1. It offers foreign exchange (FX), card issuing and online payments in Europe 1.
The Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) covers 40 countries with 27 EU members, 3 EEA states and 10 non-EEA countries 2. SEPA Direct Debit and Credit Transfers are standardised, so cross-border euro payments work like domestic transfers 2.
Airwallex supports iDEAL in the Netherlands, which has 60% share, and Bancontact in Belgium 3 4.

Add Airwallex as a backup PSP for euro payments

Payment orchestrators routing across multiple payment service providers (PSPs) with high euro volumes can add Airwallex to reduce reliance on established providers. SEPA Credit Transfer settles within one business day and SEPA Instant Credit Transfer can process in as little as 10 seconds 2. Confirm which schemes Airwallex supports.
SaaS platforms with European customers can use multi-currency business accounts in 23+ currencies and send payments to 150+ countries at interbank FX rates plus 0.5% to 1% margin 5. That can cut conversion costs vs Dutch banks, which often price FX poorly outside the Eurozone 5.
For a fair evaluation, ask about Airwallex’s plans to expand local method coverage and verify support in countries like Germany, where PayPal holds 57% of online payments 6.