Fintech firms from Airwallex to Revolut are on hiring spree in Singapore amid AI-driven boom

While the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence has fuelled fears of job losses, some FinTech firms in Singapore are ramping up hiring precisely because of the technology.

Business expansion is also spurring headcount growth, with the firms saying that hiring talent who are the right fit – especially those with the ability to leverage AI – is key.

Australia-founded Airwallex, for example, plans to grow its Singapore headcount by more than 70 per cent year on year to nearly 800 by the end of 2026. It now has close to 700 full-timers.

The firm is looking to fill roles mostly in product, engineering, and design, as well as in functions such as operations management, sales, and finance. Singapore is where the firm is building customer-facing AI products such as agentic wallets – which let AI agents make purchases on a user’s behalf within pre-set rules – as well as internal AI tools to improve business productivity and efficiency.

“It is an internal and external story that AI has created in terms of what we can build and how we can scale our business,” said Airwallex vice-president for global people and talent Richard Yan.

With offices around the world, including Singapore, Airwallex helps businesses manage their global financial operations with one platform, covering everything from multi-currency accounts and international transfers to corporate cards, expense management, and online payments.

In Singapore, Airwallex reported a 107 per cent revenue increase in the 2025 financial year, marking its second consecutive year of triple-digit growth.

Similarly, global payments firm Revolut Singapore’s headcount almost doubled – or grew 95 per cent – from 2024 to 2025. The company plans to sustain this momentum, targeting to grow its workforce to over 300 employees within the next three years, from the current 168. Open positions at Revolut include those in product and design, as well as risk, compliance, and audit.

“Singapore is a key hub for our expansion in Asia, allowing us to build and scale products that support our ambition of serving 100 million customers globally,” said Ryan Park, Revolut’s head of human resources for the Asia-Pacific.

This comes as Revolut Singapore’s retail customer base expanded by over 20 per cent, while the business customer base grew fivefold in 2025. Domestic transaction volumes increased by over 30 per cent, while the number of domestic transactions rose by approximately 25 per cent year on year.

Revolut said AI is not used as a standalone tool, but as a capability increasingly embedded across how it builds products, serves customers, and runs the business.

“Contrary to the perception that AI will reduce the need for people, we are seeing the opposite. AI is increasing our demand for talent,” said Park.

“By automating administrative and repetitive tasks, AI frees our people to focus on higher-value work that requires judgment, creativity, problem-solving, and deep domain expertise. It also enables our teams to take on more projects, which in turn requires more highly skilled talent,” he added.

Multi-currency payment platform YouTrip, too, is ramping up hiring, actively employing across product, engineering, finance, and other departments.

The firm currently has 150 employees in Singapore and is looking to expand its headcount by at least 10 per cent by the end of the year (2026).

Hiring more talent who are the right fit – especially those who can harness the power of AI – is critical as the firm continues to seek strong growth in product development, business and operational excellence, as well as expand its geographical footprint, said Caecilia Chu, co-founder and chief executive of YouTrip.

“We see AI as a force multiplier, and thereby increasing individuals’ and teams’ throughput,” she noted.

“The operational gains from AI across YouTrip have been transformative not by shrinking our team, but by vastly increasing our capacity to innovate and execute,” she said.

For example, the time saved from automating routine analytical and administrative tasks is immediately funnelled back into building new, high-value customer experiences. It allowed the company to roll out major product enhancements, such as time-sensitive features like real-time rate alerts for users monitoring specific currencies, and introduce new product verticals with YouTrip Family and its in-app eSIM.

As AI takes hold, FinTech companies say roles are evolving, driving changes in the skills they look out for, which include critical thinking and strong domain knowledge.

“With technologies handling the routine heavy lifting, it shifts hiring focus towards individuals with strong domain expertise who can think critically and leverage AI tools as force multipliers in their daily work,” said Chu.

While AI can generate excellent answers, breakthrough ideas often come from connecting concepts across disciplines and spotting opportunities that are not immediately obvious, she said.

Great leaders also differentiate themselves by asking the right questions and making sound judgment under uncertainty, she added.

Adaptability and problem-solving are important traits as well, said Park of Revolut, as AI becomes part of every function – requiring judgment, creativity, and deep domain expertise.

Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction.