Airwallex Acquires Paynuri to Unlock Global Opportunities for Korean Businesses

With Airwallex, Korean businesses will gain access to a comprehensive platform for managing financial operations in multiple markets and currencies, including:

• Global Business Accounts: A multi-currency account to manage ‌global banking, FX conversion, and international transfers.
• Payments: Help businesses accept online and in-store payments from their customers around the world with cards and 160+ local payment methods, all with a localized, multi-currency shopping experience.
• Spend: Giving customers a single platform to efficiently manage all types of company spend across their global business, including multicurrency corporate and employee cards, expense management, and bill payments – all powered by AI.

Global business accounts and payment acquiring will be the first planned product launches in Korea following the acquisition, with successive releases planned in 2026.

The acquisition follows Airwallex’s recent Series G fundraise, which valued the company at US$8 billion, a ~30% increase from its previous round. Backed by top-tier global investors, Airwallex is using this capital to accelerate the build-out of secure, licensed financial infrastructure in key markets like Korea.

Arnold Chan, General Manager, APAC at Airwallex, said, “This acquisition marks a pivotal milestone for Airwallex as we expand the global reach of our financial platform. Korea’s fast-growing ecommerce, creative and entertainment sectors present immense opportunities for Korean businesses on the global stage. Our goal is to support these businesses with a more efficient solution to expand beyond borders.”

With the global ‘K-wave’ driving global demand for Korean entertainment and consumer goods – a market projected to reach USD198 billion by 2030 – Airwallex is ensuring Korean businesses have the financial tools to navigate this global growth opportunity with greater ease and efficiency.

Lee, Jihyung, President & CEO of Invest Seoul, said,“We are excited by this significant investment by Airwallex into the Korean market. We believe Airwallex’s entry will strengthen the financial operating environment for both Korean and global companies in the market. Invest Seoul will continue to collaborate closely with Airwallex to accelerate the digital transformation journey for Korean businesses, and to support more global companies in entering Seoul and operating their businesses successfully.”

The acquisition expands Airwallex’s existing presence across major Asia markets, including Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam. In the APAC region, the company reported an 85% year-on-year increase in revenue and a 71% year-on-year growth in transaction volume in 2025. Globally, Airwallex achieved US$1.2 billion in annualised revenue and US$260 billion in annualised transaction volume in 2025 – a testament to the growing demand for its trusted solutions and global financial infrastructure.

Airwallex plans to expand its local operations by hiring professionals across multiple functions in 2026, targeting a headcount of 20 employees in Korea by the end of the year.

FF NEWS TAKE: This transaction undoubtedly moves the needle, solidifying Airwallex’s aggressive strategy to build a truly global, licensed financial network that can compete with major banks. The focus on integrating essential services like payment acquiring and global business accounts will make them an indispensable partner for ‘K-wave’ exporters. The key factor to monitor next will be the speed and efficiency of their product rollout in 2026, and how they navigate a potentially competitive and complex regulatory environment to achieve their ambitious volume and revenue targets across APAC.