Aspire secures key licences for global fintech rollout

Singapore-based fintech Aspire has secured a string of new licences and regulatory approvals across Australia, Europe and the United States, setting up a wider international rollout of its business finance platform.

The company said it obtained eight licences and registrations over the past year. The new permissions extend its regulated presence beyond its core Asian markets into what it described as some of the world's largest financial centres.

Aspire focuses on an integrated product set for business customers. Its offering includes multicurrency accounts, payments, corporate cards and spend management, alongside treasury, payables and receivables tools.

Australian licence

In Australia, the company has been granted a full Australian Financial Services Licence. The approval allows Aspire to serve Australian businesses directly under its own licence rather than through third parties.

The firm said it plans to roll out its full financial stack in the market. It will target Australian companies that now expect a modern and integrated approach to finance and spend management.

EU entry

In Europe, Aspire has gained an Electronic Money Institution licence. This marks its official entry into the European Union's regulated payments and e-money sector.

The licence sits alongside a formal investment commitment that Aspire has signed with the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs. The company has selected the Netherlands as its European base.

The Dutch hub gives Aspire the ability to offer business accounts across multiple European markets under EU passporting rules. The firm said this underpins its plan for pan-European coverage from a single regulatory centre.

US registrations

In the United States, Aspire has registered as a Money Services Business. It has also registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission as a Registered Investment Adviser.

The new US status extends the range of financial products that Aspire can offer to American companies. The approvals form part of a wider plan for a US rollout that the company targets for 2026.

Aspire said the combination of banking, payments and advisory permissions across the three regions forms the basis of its next phase of growth. The company is positioning its platform for cross-border use by internationally active firms.

Leadership hires

The fintech has also expanded its senior leadership team. It has recruited executives with backgrounds at several high-profile digital finance brands.

Devanjan Sinha, formerly of Wise, now leads Aspire's Australia business. He will oversee the local application of the new AFSL licence and the rollout of the Australian product set.

Akash Kaul has joined as Vice President Global Expansion and Growth from Revolut. He is responsible for driving the company's entry into Europe and the build-out of its operations from its Dutch base.

David Harris, also previously at Revolut, has taken charge of the company's planned US launch. He will focus on go-to-market execution using the MSB and SEC registrations.

Paul Brooking, who joins from Freetrade and Revolut, has become Chief Financial Officer. He will oversee Aspire's global finance function as the company operates across a wider regulatory footprint.

CEO outlook

The company said its core customer base consists of digital-first, internationally oriented businesses that require integrated finance services across borders.

"Our clients are digital-savvy, international, and have high expectations of service quality. We're building Aspire to be their all-in-one global finance stack," said Andrea Baronchelli, Co-Founder and CEO of Aspire.

Baronchelli said the latest regulatory advances form part of that strategy.

"These milestones strengthen the regulatory foundation we need to deliver unified, intelligent infrastructure for their cross-border financial needs, while bringing our Financial Operating System to thousands of businesses in these new markets," said Baronchelli.

Asian base

Aspire continues to deepen its presence in Asia alongside its new Western markets. The company said 2025 had been a defining year in which it both secured major licences and expanded its Asian footprint.

It reported strong initial traction in Hong Kong, which it entered earlier in the year. The firm said business there had already grown more than threefold since launch.

The company also holds a Capital Markets Services licence in Singapore. It said this has reinforced its position in its home market.

Aspire said it now serves more than 50,000 business customers in over 30 markets. The company has more than 600 employees across nine countries and backing from investors including Sequoia, Lightspeed, Y Combinator, Tencent and Paypal.

The fintech plans to use its new Australian, European and US permissions as a base for further market launches and product extensions over the coming year and ahead of its scheduled US rollout in 2026.