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Wise profile

Who owns Wise?

traditional · London, UK · E-money institution · custody: Custodial

short answerWise is an e-money institution, not a bank. Customer money is safeguarded in segregated accounts at partner banks rather than held as insured deposits. Wise's most notable disclosed backers include Index Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz, Valar Ventures and Baillie Gifford.

Is Wise a licensed bank?

No — it is an e-money institution. Licence detail: E-money/payment licences globally.

Where is your money held?

Custody model: Custodial.

Wise runs on: Evolve Bank & Trust (BIN sponsor bank) · Galileo (card issuing processor) · Community Federal Savings Bank (BIN sponsor bank). Full stack on the infra map.

Who's behind Wise?

Wise was founded by Kristo Käärmann, Taavet Hinrikus (2011), headquartered in London, UK.

Early investors

Notable venture and strategic investors from Wise's publicly disclosed funding rounds (Public (WISE.L)).

Index Ventures ↗ Andreessen Horowitz ↗ Valar Ventures ↗ Baillie Gifford ↗

Is my money safe with Wise?

As an e-money institution, Wise safeguards funds in segregated accounts rather than insuring them as deposits. That protection works differently from a bank — money is generally not covered by deposit-guarantee schemes, though it must be ring-fenced from the company's own funds.

go deeperSee the full Wise profile with every verified field, or Wise alternatives. Raw fields: data.json.

Figures compiled from public sources, for comparison only — not financial advice. "Up to" rates change constantly; always confirm with the issuer. Spotted an error? Suggest a fix.