Wise

Wise, the U.K.-based payments company, is expanding fast in Asia; the Asia-Pacific region is now Wise’s second biggest revenue-generator, growing by almost 34% over its last fiscal year. Wise's innovative mechanism of payments--a more formal version of the traditional hawala system--allows it to transfer money across borders faster and more cheaply than traditional banks. The company works with local tech and fintech players like Agoda, ZA Bank, and Tiger Brokers. Wise recently launched in the Philippines, expanding its APAC presence, and recently got approval to join Zengin, Japan's domestic payment system.