Airwallex, the Australia-founded leading financial platform for modern businesses, announced the launch of Airwallex for Startups, Australia’s comprehensive program for local startups seeking to accelerate their growth.
The initiative – which includes practical resources, networking and content opportunities, exclusive product offers “from Airwallex and others within the startup ecosystem, and the opportunity to win an AUD $10,000 Business Acceleration Grant – has been created to empower the next generation of Australian entrepreneurs to scale faster and more efficiently.”
Free and open to registered businesses with 2-100 employees, Airwallex for Startups will support businesses with tips and tools “to manage their money more effectively from the beginning of their business journey.”
Joining the program gives startups access to the following for their first six months1:
- AUD $50k worth of payments acceptance fee waiver to onboard your first customers;
- AUD $50k free FX for your next capital raise – that’s $0 fees and 0% margin on your first $50k in FX conversions, and;
- Free employee cards for your co-founders.
In addition, founders will have access “to guidance and exclusive perks from a variety of ecosystem partners on all things from ESOP (Employee Share Option Plans) and insurance, to AI workforce tools and Board support.”
Startups can find out more about the program and get involved here.
Airwallex VP SME & Growth, Matthew Sek said:
“As a homegrown startup turned global fintech, we have an important role to play in supporting Australian startups as they navigate the opportunities and challenges of growing a business. Airwallex for Startups has been designed to unlock growth opportunities for tomorrow’s unicorns. Whether it’s connecting them with mentors, VCs or partners, giving them a $50k payment acceptance fee waiver to onboard their first customers, or sharing templates and tools to simplify their finance function, this is the go-to program for ambitious startups. “Mastering your financial foundations is essential to any business’ success. We will bring together the experts – including established founders and finance leaders – to share practical guidance so you can do exactly that. It’s just one more way Airwallex is helping businesses accelerate their growth domestically and beyond borders.”
Currently, Australia ranks among the top countries “for entrepreneurship worldwide, with more than 406,000 new businesses entering the Australian market in 2023.”
In addition Australia’s producing 1.7 unicorns per US$1B of VC investments, which is:
- 2x more than the UK, Singapore, and India
- 60% more than the US; and
- only second behind the Norwegians.
According to the annual State of Australian Startup Funding Report, $3.5 billion was invested in Australian startups “across 413 deals over the course of the financial year, with 42% of those including at least one international investor.”
