Melbourne-founded, Singapore-based Airwallex, a financial platform that helps businesses manage everything from payments to embedded finance, announced a partnership with Amsterdam-based Bird (previously MessageBird).
As a part of the partnership, Bird will leverage Airwallex’s financial infrastructure to simplify payments for over 30,000 customers, replacing the more than 20 global banks it relied on previously, thus streamlining its international payments operations.
Bird’s platform, applications, and APIs assist over 29,000 businesses in creating engaging experiences through their customers’ preferred channels, including WhatsApp, Email, SMS, Voice, WeChat, Messenger, and Instagram.
Why this partnership?
As a global business, Bird claims to have faced issues due to the fragmented financial operating system that existed across more than 20 banking partners globally.
This resulted in operating inefficiencies and made it difficult for the Dutch company’s finance team to create and approve supplier payments, as well as reconcile them with Bird’s accounting software.
To address these issues, Bird consolidated its financial operations into a single platform using Airwallex’s global payments and financial infrastructure.
This resulted in greater control, visibility, and automation of supplier payments across the world, with the help of Airwallex’s FX engine.
Bird also used Airwallex’s issuing product and batch transfers tool for payroll and supplier payments.
Additionally, Airwallex and Bird collaborated on a superior integration via Netsuite that provides greater speed, consistency, and depth of reconciliation for Bird’s finance team.
Bird: Connects enterprises to their global customers
Founded in 2011 by Adriaan Mol and Robert Vis, Bird is a cloud communications platform that connects enterprises to their global customers.
The company’s platform and APIs facilitate conversations across diverse channels—WhatsApp, Email, SMS, Voice, WeChat, Messenger, Instagram, and more.
Earlier this year, the company officially rebranded itself to Bird.
The company processes over 5 trillion+ messages, calls, and emails for 29k+ customers, including industry giants like Google, Facebook, and Uber.
Robert Vis, Founder and CEO at Bird, says, “Before working with Airwallex, we were using legacy systems and technology which slowed down our entire global operations. With Airwallex, we’re able to streamline our payments infrastructure and supercharge our finance operations globally. We are continuing to explore more opportunities to leverage the Airwallex product and I look forward to deepening our relationship with the team.”
Airwallex: Taking the friction out of global payments and financial operations
Headquartered in Singapore, Airwallex offers businesses solutions to manage everything from payments, treasury, and spend management to embedded finance.
Currently, the company supports over 100,000 businesses globally and is trusted by brands such as Brex, Rippling, Navan, Qantas, SHEIN, and many more.
Since its inception, the company has grown to over 20 locations globally, currently employs 1,400 people, and plans to hire approximately 300 people in 2024.
Airwallex (Netherlands) B.V. is licensed as an electronic money institution and supervised by the Dutch Central Bank (De Nederlandsche Bank).
Pranav Sood, Executive General Manager, EMEA at Airwallex says “Bird is one of the standout success stories in the Dutch tech community and has revolutionised the way that consumers and businesses communicate on a global scale. We’re proud that Airwallex’s financial technology and payments infrastructure can support Bird’s mission of creating a world where communicating with a business is as easy as talking with a friend. We’re looking forward to deepening our partnership with Bird and serving many more world-leading Dutch businesses with our growing local team in Amsterdam.”
