Kristo Käärmann and Taavet Hinrikus about to hit big time as Wise lists on London Stock Exchange
• Fintech firm Wise’s direct listing plan buoys City of London
For the co-founders of the money transfer firm Wise, who will become billionaires when their fintech company lists on the London Stock Exchange in the coming days, the venture began as a way to outsmart the big City beasts whose ranks they are about to join.
Wise’s chief executive, Kristo Käärmann, has blogged about how he and his business partner, Taavet Hinrikus, set up Wise due to frustration with the “hidden exchange rate markups” that banks charge for cross-border transfers.