The co-founder and CEO of Wise, Kristo Käärmann visited their Budapest office and sat down for an exciting fireside chat with a handful of founders, operators, and community members.

Wise perfectly embodies the kind of ecosystem flywheel effect we’d all love to see:

Estonian co-founders, partly stemming from Skype, grew a small company over 14 years into a global powerhouse processing €120+ billion in annual transaction volume for nearly 13 million active users in 2024. Along the way, they helped pave the way for a new generation of Estonian tech companies—like Lightyear.

​Wise has also been an integral part of the local tech/startup community, too, ever since opening their Budapest office nearly 9 years ago. They are supporting the local ecosystem as Startup Hungary partner, and their office is home to a 400+ strong team.