Payoneer vs Wise: Founders, CEOs and History
Payoneer was founded in 2005 by Yuval Tal, Yaniv Chechik and is led by John Caplan. Wise was founded in 2011 by Kristo Käärmann, Taavet Hinrikus and is led by Kristo Käärmann.
Company facts
Founders
Payoneer
Yuval Tal
Yuval Tal founded Payoneer in 2005 after seeing how hard it was for companies to pay overseas contractors. He served as its first CEO before Scott Galit took over in 2010, and Payoneer later grew into a NASDAQ-listed cross-border payments company.
Yaniv Chechik
Ben Yaniv Chechik co-founded Payoneer with Yuval Tal in 2005 and served as its CTO and VP R&D, responsible for building the company's early payments platform and product strategy. He later held product roles at payments startup Zooz.
Wise
Kristo Käärmann
Kristo Käärmann co-founded TransferWise with Taavet Hinrikus in 2011 and has been chief executive since 2017, when Hinrikus stepped back from the CEO role.
Taavet Hinrikus
Taavet Hinrikus co-founded TransferWise in 2011 and served as its first chief executive until 2017. He later chaired the board before stepping down from that role, and has since focused on investing in early-stage companies.
CEOs and their tenures
Payoneer
- Bea Ordonez
Chief Financial Officer
Payoneer reported $146 million in 2025 free cash flow and repurchased $175 million of stock.
Source - Scott Galit2010–2023
Former CEO
Built Payoneer's marketplace payout business and global licensing footprint.
Source - John Caplan2022–present
Chief Executive Officer & Director
Revenue grew from $627.6 million in 2022 to $1.05 billion in 2025, and annual net income turned positive from 2023.
Source
Wise
- Taavet Hinrikus2011–2017
Co-founder and CEO
First CEO of TransferWise.
Source - Kristo Käärmann2017–present
Co-founder and CEO
Led the 2021 rename and London direct listing and the 2026 move of the primary listing to Nasdaq.
Source
Timeline: Payoneer and Wise side by side
2005Payoneer
Payoneer Founded in New York: Yuval Tal founds Payoneer to pay international freelancers and contractors through prepaid cards.
2009Payoneer
Partnership with Freelance Marketplaces (oDesk & Elance): Integrates as the preferred international payout rail for oDesk and Elance (later Upwork), enabling tens of thousands of global software contr…
2011Wise
TransferWise launches
Kristo Käärmann and Taavet Hinrikus launch TransferWise in London.
2013Payoneer
Global Payout Alliance with Airbnb: Secures enterprise partnership with Airbnb to process host payouts across dozens of emerging tourism markets in Latin America, Asia, and Eastern Europe.
2015Wise
$58 million round led by Andreessen Horowitz
TransferWise raised $58 million in a Series C round led by Andreessen Horowitz in January 2015, taking total funding past $90 million.
2016Payoneer
Amazon Cross-Border Seller Selection: Amazon officially selects Payoneer as an approved cross-border payment solution, allowing sellers in China, Japan, and Europe to receive sales proceeds from US an…
2017Wise
Multi-currency account
The Borderless account, now the Wise Account, lets customers hold balances in several currencies.
2021Payoneer
NASDAQ Debut (PAYO): Payoneer completes its merger with FTAC Olympus Acquisition Corp and lists on NASDAQ under the ticker PAYO.
2021Wise
Rename and London direct listing
TransferWise becomes Wise and lists directly on the London Stock Exchange in July.
2023Payoneer
John Caplan Becomes Sole CEO: Caplan takes sole charge on March 1, 2023; full-year revenue reaches $831.1 million with $93.3 million in net income.
2025Payoneer
Revenue Passes $1 Billion: Revenue reaches $1.05 billion on $87.5 billion of volume, with $272 million in adjusted EBITDA.
2026Payoneer
Nuvei Agrees to Acquire Payoneer: Nuvei agrees to pay $7.40 per share in cash, about $2.75 billion; closing expected mid-2027.
2026Wise
Nasdaq primary listing
Wise begins trading on Nasdaq under WSE on May 11, 2026, keeping a secondary LSE listing.
2026Wise
FY2026 results
Wise reports net revenue of $2,502.8 million and net income of $498.7 million for the year ended March 31, 2026.
Acquisitions
Payoneer
- Nuvei (acquirer of Payoneer, pending)2026$2.8B
- Easylink Payment Co., Ltd.2025Undisclosed
- Skuad2024$61M
- Spott2023Undisclosed
- Optile GmbH2019Undisclosed
Wise
No verified acquisitions are listed.
Questions about Payoneer vs Wise
Who is the CEO of Payoneer and Wise Group plc?
Payoneer is led by John Caplan and Wise Group plc is led by Kristo Käärmann. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Payoneer founded vs Wise Group plc?
Payoneer was founded in 2005 — 6 years before Wise Group plc, which was founded in 2011. Payoneer's longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Wise Group plc.
How many employees does Payoneer have compared to Wise Group plc?
Payoneer employs approximately 2,540 people. A verified employee count for Wise Group plc is not currently available.
Where are Payoneer and Wise Group plc headquartered?
Payoneer is headquartered in United States and Wise Group plc is headquartered in United Kingdom. Their different home markets mean they may face different regulatory frameworks, tax regimes, and currency exposure.
Who founded Payoneer and Wise Group plc?
Payoneer was founded by Yuval Tal, Yaniv Chechik. Wise Group plc was founded by Kristo Käärmann, Taavet Hinrikus.
Which company has a longer operating history — Payoneer or Wise Group plc?
Payoneer has been operating for approximately 21 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Wise Group plc has been in operation for around 15 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Payoneer vs Wise overview