As we approach the end of 2024 and look ahead to the challenges and opportunities of 2025, it’s the perfect time to reflect on and celebrate what we’ve accomplished. And what a journey it’s been! This year, Wallester achieved remarkable milestones: growing our team, welcoming new customers and business partners, expanding into new regions, and enjoying every step of the way.
There’s a lot to go through, so let’s dive right in.
Growth, More Growth, and Even More Growth
We saw our team grow in 2024 like never before as we welcomed over 40 new Wallesterians to the crew. They brought fresh ideas, new expertise, and exciting perspectives while helping us maintain our absolutely phenomenal momentum. We also expanded to two new countries, and we’re supremely confident that this is just the beginning.
Wallester Opens for Business in Latvia
One of the most exciting events of 2024 took place in October when we officially opened our brand-new Latvian office. The Riga office strengthens Wallester’s ability to serve clients in Latvia, the Baltic region, and beyond. This new location enhances our infrastructure, offering additional resources and flexibility to fuel business growth, develop cutting-edge financial solutions, and expand our reach in the fintech sector.
We’ve assembled a fantastic team led by Ludmila Nikitina, our Country & Partnership Manager, to drive our efforts in the country. She is supported by Natalija Danilevica, Business Development Management Team Lead, and Mihails Hruščovs, Business Development Manager.
London Calling – UK, Here We Come
After months of dedicated efforts, in March, we proudly announced that we had received a cross-border activity license – a key development in expanding into the United Kingdom.
The Estonian Financial Supervisory Authority (FSA) authorized Wallester to issue payment instruments and facilitate payment transactions in the UK. As the first Estonian company to secure this license post-Brexit, we are uniquely positioned to navigate one of the world’s premier financial hubs and seize new opportunities in a transforming market.
Our UK team is led by CEO and Executive Board Member Julian Brand, who is ably supported by Anna Maxim, Group Chief Risk Officer at Wallester AS and UK and Executive Director at Wallester UK.
Watch this space as we expect great things from this fantastic team in 2025.
New Clients and Partners
Reflecting on 2024, we’re proud and grateful for the exceptional amount of businesses that have chosen to trust us and our business solutions. We partnered with 12 new clients who chose our White-Label solution to drive their business growth and help them expand their fintech footprint.
In addition, we added 2,250 new Wallester Business clients and issued a staggering 1,000,000+ cards!
Today, our clients span diverse sectors, including travel businesses, payment service providers, large corporations, fintechs, governmental providers, and beyond. The range and scale of industries we serve reinforce our unwavering belief that we are on the right track and leading the field in our sector by having the perfect market fit.
We Never Stopped Innovating – And We Never Will
The success and growth we experienced during 2024 are built on one very secure foundation – our determination to deliver new products and solutions to our clients and partners.
The list of launches and unveilings is lengthy, but here is a quick overview of some of the most important things our team delivered during the year.
Client Portal Upgrade.We implemented major Wallester Business Client Portal updates to enhance account management, simplify navigation, and deliver a more intuitive user experience. These improvements make essential features easier to access, helping clients save time and streamline their business operations on the platform.
Demo Portal. The ultimate solution to the ‘can I try before I buy’ dilemma that faces many clients when considering software and tech solutions, our Demo Portal allows prospective clients to experience the full power of Wallester’s products before they become official customers. This means they can navigate and test features such as card creation, internal payments, and statement generation without entering personal information or registering.
3DS In-App verification.We revolutionized 3D Secure verification by integrating the process directly into our app. This innovation allows users to make online payments faster and more convenient. With in-app verification, clients can confirm transactions within the Wallester App, eliminating the need for SMS codes or emails. This approach ensures a seamless and user-friendly experience while maintaining robust security standards.
Other key launches delivered include:
- Website redesign
- Instant card top-up launch
- Receipt reminders
Awards, Celebrations, and Events
We thrive on recognition from our peers in the industry, and 2024 gave us plenty to be proud of.
All in all, we were nominated for 18 awards over the course of the year and brought home some major wins.
We are proud to say that Wallester was named the top startup in Estonia at the Äripäev TOP100 Gala, secured the 5th spot in the Sifted 30 Eastern Europe & Baltics Leaderboard, reaffirming our place among the best in the region’s fintech space, was named the Best FinTech Partner at the 2024 FinTech Awards Europe and Best Enterprise Software Solution by SaaStock. We also proudly secured a spot on the iconic #EstonianMafia Wall of Fame at LIFT99 Tallinn Hub.
Our team traveled near and far as we attended 25 industry conferences, met amazing new people, forged important partnerships, and spread the Wallester vision with passion and belief.
It was fantastic to catch up with colleagues at several company get-togethers. These events empower us to share knowledge, sharpen our strategic focus, and simply enjoy each other’s company. We’re already excited to see everyone again next year!
Looking Ahead to 2025
At Wallester, we’re always focused on the future. That’s why our plans for 2025 are ambitious, expansive, and above all, incredibly exciting.
We’re planning to expand our business to new countries, and we can’t wait to add new locations in 2025. This means that we will grow our team significantly, bringing in fresh ideas, new faces, and more experts to help us deliver our roadmap for the year.
We’ll leave you with some closing words from our co-founder and CEO, Sergei Astafjev:
“Looking back at 2024, I am filled with great pride at how our team dealt with the many challenges thrown at them, both by external factors and general market conditions. We never stopped believing in our ability to deliver exceptional solutions for our partners and clients. I would like to thank every business that chose Wallester as their partner throughout the year – without your faith and support, we could not have enjoyed such amazing success. Now, let’s fly into 2025 and build on our success to make Wallester the best it can be. Thank you for your amazing support during this incredible journey”.
