Founded in 2010 by Estonia-born Taavet Hinrikus, 39, and Kristo Kaarmann, 40, TransferWise’s currency exchange technology bypasses the traditional international bank-payments system to allow it to charge lower fees to its eight million customers. TransferWise moves the equivalent of £4bn a month between 54 currencies, and has 14 offices around the world. In response to the pandemic it is waiving fees on donations made through its platform to organisations researching a Covid-19 vaccine. Sales reached £302.6m this year, and in July, it sold $319m (£246m) of shares in a private transaction that valued it at $5bn.