Cross-border payments company Airwallex is making a substantial new bet on Singapore, pledging more than S$2 billion in local investment over the next five years.
The spending will support a hiring push that is expected to lift the company's Singapore headcount from more than 750 employees today to over 1,000. According to a report by Fintech Singapore, the money will go toward strengthening product, engineering and AI capabilities while also backing the company's regional and global operations.
A Five-Year Plan Centred on Product and AI
Airwallex said the investment is aimed at deepening its technical bench in Singapore rather than simply expanding sales coverage. New roles will be concentrated in specialised areas such as product development, engineering and artificial intelligence.
Teams based in the city-state are expected to contribute directly to the company's international business, not just its local or regional activity. That positions Singapore as a production centre for the platform itself.
The company will work with the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) on expanding its local capabilities, tying the plan to the government's broader effort to promote the country as a centre for financial services and technology.
Singapore's Role as a Global Co-Headquarters
Airwallex operates two global co-headquarters, one in San Francisco and one in Singapore. The company set up its global headquarters presence in Singapore in 2023.
Its local workforce of more than 750 people currently spans commercial, corporate, product and engineering functions. The company described Singapore as central to its global ambitions, citing the country's talent pool, innovation ecosystem and connectivity.
Bigger Offices at Guoco Tower
The investment news was timed with the opening of an expanded Airwallex office at Guoco Tower in the Tanjong Pagar business district.
The company has taken additional space on level 35 and intends to move onto another floor in early 2027. When that is finished, its Singapore office will stretch across four floors and more than 80,000 square feet.
Strong Local Growth Behind the Commitment
The expansion follows a period of rapid growth in the Singapore market. Airwallex reported that its revenue in Singapore rose 90 percent year on year in the first half of 2026, with total transaction volume climbing at the same pace.
The company works with Singapore businesses that are expanding overseas, including Circles, Far East Flora, Stryv and Moom Health. It noted that local small and medium-sized enterprises are increasingly looking for integrated financial platforms to run their operations, and that interest in AI tools for managing finances more efficiently is rising.
Government Backing for the Fintech Hub Strategy
The EDB said the expansion would add product and AI capabilities in Singapore and generate jobs in next-generation financial services.
Herman Loh, Senior Vice President and Co-Head of Digital Industry Singapore at the EDB, said the move underscores the country's appeal as "a strategic base for companies expanding across Southeast Asia and the wider APAC regions."
What the Move Signals for Fintech and Founders
Airwallex's commitment suggests that scaled fintech companies see value in anchoring core engineering and AI work in Singapore, not only regional sales teams. That could intensify competition for specialised technical talent in the local market.
For SMEs and founders, the company's observations point to growing demand for all-in-one financial tools and AI-driven finance management, a trend likely to shape how payments and business banking products are built across the region.
Source: Fintech Singapore
