As 2025 draws to a close, it’s clear that Wallester has continued its rapid trajectory of growth, innovation, and market impact. From opening major new offices to launching game-changing products and earning industry accolades, this year has been nothing short of remarkable.
It was a year in which we made the leap from fast-paced expansion to delivering scalable, trusted infrastructure for European businesses – with no loose ends. Behind every feature launch and milestone was a broader push to strengthen what we do best: building accessible, compliant, and future-ready financial tools that help companies grow with clarity and control.
Of course, none of it would have been possible without the focus, pace, and collaboration of our teams, working across functions, time zones, and challenges to make it happen.
Here’s an overview of the milestones that made us most proud over the last 12 months.
Expanding Our Footprint – New Offices in Tallinn and Cannes
Golden Gate Headquarters, Tallinn
In November 2025, we unveiled our new headquarters in Tallinn’s Golden Gate building– a landmark moment that reflects Wallester’s maturation from high-growth startup to established European fintech leader. This office is not just a space but a foundation for innovation, collaboration, and international growth. It’s already supporting our product, engineering, compliance, and operations teams.
Designed with collaboration and sustainability in mind, the Golden Gate HQ positions us to scale effectively, hire top talent, and strengthen our presence in Estonia, a leading fintech hub in Europe.
Wallester Office in Cannes
September 2025 saw the opening of our Cannes office, marking a strategic expansion into France. Located on the Côte d’Azur, this office is designed to deepen local engagement, better serve French clients, and tap into regional talent. With plans to scale the team from its initial 15 employees, Cannes is a hub for innovation, partnership, and client support in one of Europe’s largest markets.
CEO Sergei Astafjev emphasised that both offices represent Wallester’s long-term commitment to local growth and global ambition – a dual approach that defines our expansion strategy.
Product Advancements – Built for Scale, Control and Flexibility
2025 was a year of product breakthroughs that improved access, control, security, and financial flexibility for our clients.
Scaling, evolving, and delivering this fast also meant rethinking how we work together – and rebuilding many internal processes almost as quickly as we launched new products. That shared effort, across every team and department, defined much of the behind-the-scenes momentum that carried us through 2025.
Security & Control
- App-Based Login
We rolled out login via the Wallester mobile app, enabling users to authenticate into Wallester Business using push notifications and biometric security. This update reduces friction, strengthens security, and makes day-to-day operations smoother for every team member.
- Disposable Virtual Cards
To help businesses control spend and reduce risk, we introduced disposable virtual cards:
- Single-use cards that deactivate automatically after one transaction
- Custom expiry cards are active up to three years
- Real-time tracking via the portal and app
These cards make project-level budgeting, contractor payments, and online purchases safer and simpler.
Operational Scale & Usability
- 24/7 Instant Currency Exchange
Our new 24/7 currency exchange allows clients to convert between multiple currencies instantly, at live rates, and without relying on banking hours. This feature provides speed, transparency, and flexibility – crucial for global teams, dynamic billing, and real-time financial decision-making.
- Physical Card Design Selection
We introduced physical card design selection for Wallester Business clients, allowing teams to choose from six distinct card designs when ordering a new physical card. The selected design is reflected consistently across the Client Portal, Mobile App, and supported mobile wallets, adding a more personal and recognisable touch to everyday payments.
- Direct Accounting Integrations
Finally, in December, we also launched direct accounting integrations with Xero and QuickBooks. Finance teams can now review, categorise, and sync transactions – including receipts and tax data – directly into their accounting system, reducing manual exports and simplifying month-end reconciliation. Support for additional platforms is already on the roadmap for 2026.
Partner & Ecosystem Growth
- Affiliate Platform Expansion
In 2025, we expanded the reach of our affiliate programme through Wallester Affiliate Web – a multilingual platform with real-time dashboards and flexible commission models (RevShare Max, Flat, Hybrid). Built for agencies, publishers, and fintech influencers, it helped us grow across new verticals and markets. This year’s rollout of the platform marked a major step forward in partner experience and performance.
Key Appointments – Strengthening Leadership Across Wallester
As Wallester’s team grew to over 200 people in 2025, we focused not only on scale but on bringing in leaders with expertise to accelerate growth, innovation, and compliance. Multiple key hires strengthened our executive and strategic capabilities.
- Indrek Tibar joined as Head of AML, reinforcing our compliance and risk functions with deep regulatory expertise.
- Edgars Valmers came on board as Chief Commercial Officer to accelerate European expansion and drive commercial partnerships.
- Mikhail Sidorovstepped in as Chief Marketing Officer, bringing hands-on experience from the agency world and a fresh fintech perspective.
- Maksim Piskarev joined as Head of Performance Marketing, bringing agency and in-house experience to drive data-led growth and long-term acquisition across key channels.
- Adam George joined as Head of UK Operations, Resilience & Outsourcing, with two decades of experience in fraud, AML, and prepaid to build a strong UK presence.
- Natalia Suurtee-Pavlova became Head of Client Success for White-Label, applying her experience from Skype and Advapay to help partners grow through strong relationships and clear, consistent support.
- Nazhmudin Mikson joined as Head of Finance, bringing experience from PwC and Coinmetro to strengthen Wallester’s financial operations, visibility, and long-term resilience.
- Rein Ojavere joined as Head of Risk, bringing leadership experience from banking, fintech, and licensing processes to strengthen Wallester’s operational, regulatory, and financial risk frameworks.
- Garry Comley joined as UK Head of IT and Operations, overseeing technology and operational readiness from licence application through to launch as part of Wallester’s UK founding team.
These leadership additions complement Wallester’s existing team, providing strategic expertise and operational excellence to drive innovation, regulatory compliance, and market growth in 2025 and beyond.
Awards and Recognition – Celebrating Our Success
2025 was also a year of industry recognition, reflecting Wallester’s growth, innovation, and leadership:
- Fintech Growth Story – Baltic Fintech Awards 2025
- FT1000 Europe’s Fastest Growing Companies – 1st in Estonia, 7th in Fintech, 47th in Europe
- 44th in Sifted 100: DACH & CEE Leaderboard, 4th in Estonia
- Best Business Expenses Provider – Finder’s Provider Of The Year Awards
- Best Spend Management System – Paytech Awards
- Fintech of the Year & Fintech Partner Award – Europe Fintech Awards
- 231st place on Sifted 250 Europe
- Executive of the Year – Sergei Astafjev, Runner-Up: Partner of the Year, Fintech Live
- Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Central Europe – 6th place
These accolades are a testament to the dedication, creativity, and excellence of the Wallester team – and to the trust and support of our clients and partners across Europe.
Events & Industry Presence
In 2025, Wallester deepened its engagement with the fintech and payments ecosystem by participating in over 52 leading conferences and events across Europe.
From Pay360 and Visa Innovation Madrid to Money 20/20 Europe, Sibos, and Web Summit, our teams were present at the key forums shaping the future of finance, payments, and embedded solutions.
These events helped us stay close to our clients, share what we’re building, and stay connected to the ideas driving the industry forward.
Expanding Industry Collaboration
This year, Wallester became a member of the Fintech Latvia Association, reinforcing our commitment to the Latvian market and the broader Baltic fintech ecosystem. With one of our offices in Riga, this membership strengthens our local presence and supports responsible financial innovation in partnership with regulators, peers, and public institutions.
We also continued our long-standing engagement with France FinTech, participating in key events and industry working groups to help shape the future of finance in one of Europe’s largest markets.
Giving Back in 2025
In 2025, Wallester doubled down on its commitment to community impact through long-term support for Naerata Ometi, helping families and children across Estonia.
We also backed 16-year-old pole vaulter Emili Nurkon a year-long academic and athletic exchange in Canada, and sponsored Tallinn-based volleyball team Vortex, helping them rebrand and compete at a higher level. For us, responsible growth means investing in people, not just platforms.
Looking Ahead to 2026
We wrapped 2025 in true Wallester style: with a company-wide Gala themed around Peaky Blinders. A night to celebrate how far we’ve come and everything that’s still ahead.
Now our sights are firmly set on what’s next. 2026 will bring new milestones, new partnerships, and new product capabilities but also new challenges worth solving. From embedded finance to smarter spend control, we’ll keep building tools that help businesses move faster, work cleaner, and grow with confidence.
We’ll also stay true to what’s made Wallester different from the start: our speed, our focus on the customer, and our belief that finance should work better for everyone and not just the few.
“2025 was a turning point. We stopped thinking like a fast-growing company and started building like an enduring one,” says Sergei Astafjev, CEO and Co-Founder of Wallester. “That meant tighter infrastructure, sharper execution, and raising the bar on how we serve clients – not just fast, but well. The next stage for Wallester isn’t about growth alone. It’s about becoming the most reliable, forward-thinking partner for businesses across Europe. And we’re ready.”
From everyone at Wallester: thank you for being part of the journey so far. The journey continues – and 2026 is where it gets even more exciting.
