ALT21
ALT21 is an FCA- and MFSA-regulated fintech platform offering self-serve FX execution, payments in 180+ countries, hedging instruments, and cash management for UK and European growing businesses, finance teams, professional services firms, and embedded platform partners.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersDublin, Ireland
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What ALT21 does
ALT21 is a Dublin-headquartered, London-operating fintech founded in 2016 that provides an API-first platform for foreign exchange execution, international payments, and currency hedging, targeting growing businesses, finance teams, professional services firms, and embedded platform partners. The platform unifies four product lines: international payments to 180+ countries with full pricing transparency (mid-market rate, spread, and all-in cost shown before every transaction); self-serve hedging instruments including forward contracts (1–24 months), vanilla FX options, target rate orders, and the recently launched Trackers zero-cost hedge product; cash management earning returns on GBP, EUR and USD balances; and a Connect & Automate layer linking to 1,200+ banks and accounting systems (Xero, QuickBooks, NetSuite, Sage) for automated reconciliation. Underlying technology is built around straight-through processing with a REST API and webhooks, OAuth2 and HMAC authentication, sub-second FX rate latency, and machine learning models that power instant credit decisions for deposit-free hedging and automated exposure detection from invoicing data.
ALT21 firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ALT21
- Legal name
- Alt21 Limited
- Website
- https://alt21.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- ALT21 is an FCA- and MFSA-regulated fintech platform offering self-serve FX execution, payments in 180+ countries, hedging instruments, and cash management for UK and European growing businesses, finance teams, professional services firms, and embedded platform partners.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ALT21 industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Foreign Exchange & Treasury Platform
- NAICS
- Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (522320)
- SIC
- Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211), Security & Commodity Brokers, Dealers, Exchanges & Services (6200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- FX Conversion, Pricing & Hedging Infrastructure (Treasury/Rate Engines) (FSAGAKAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Multi-Currency Accounts, Wallets & FX Management (Consumer/SME) (FSAGAKAF), Cross-Border FX, Multi-Currency & Treasury for Payments (FSAGABAK), Cross-Border & FX Payments Platforms (BPAMAFAK), Bank-to-Client (Single-Dealer) FX Trading Platforms (FSAFADAB)
Keywords
Where ALT21 is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Dublin
- HQ country
- Ireland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
ALT21 business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- FX Spread Revenue: Alt21 earns revenue on the spread (margin) between the rate they receive and the rate passed to clients. The spread is shown transparently before every trade. This is the primary revenue stream.
- Partner Revenue Share: Revenue share program for partners referring clients - partners earn on the volume their clients generate through the Alt21 platform
- Platform/Embedded Revenue: Platforms and marketplaces embedding Alt21 infrastructure earn on FX conversions, payments, and financial transactions executed by their users through the embedded solution
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | No subscription tier - free to open account with transparent spread-based pricing |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
ALT21 product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ALT21 provides a unified FX, payments, hedging, and cash management platform for growing businesses operating internationally. The offering includes transparent FX execution with mid-market rate and spread visibility, self-serve forward contracts and options, multi-currency accounts with payments to 180+ countries, competitive returns on idle GBP/EUR/USD balances, and an API for embedding financial infrastructure into third-party platforms.
Product overview
Alt21 is a unified FX, payments, hedging, and cash management platform built for growing businesses operating internationally. The platform combines four core product areas: (1) Payments/Send & Receive — international payments in 180+ countries with transparent pricing showing mid-market rate, spread, and all-in cost; (2) Hedging & Options — self-serve forward contracts, vanilla FX options, target rate orders, and the newly launched Trackers (zero-cost hedge) and HNPL (spread premium across option strips); (3) Earn Returns — competitive yields on GBP/EUR/USD balances managed alongside FX exposure; (4) Connect & Automate — integrations with 1,200+ banks and accounting software (Xero, QuickBooks, NetSuite, Sage). The platform also offers a Developer API for embedding FX capabilities, a Partner Platform for professional services firms, and a Marketplaces & Platforms solution for embedding Alt21 infrastructure. All products are FCA and MFSA regulated, with human FX expert support available alongside self-serve tools.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Alt21 Platform Unified FX, payments, hedging, and cash management platform for growing businesses operating internationally; provides transparent FX execution, rate hedging, and full pricing visibility with self-serve tools and expert support available when needed.
- Payments (Send & Receive) International payment services in 180+ countries; shows mid-market rate, spread, and all-in cost before every payment; multi-currency accounts for GBP, EUR, USD, and 30+ more currencies; virtual IBANs and pooled accounts for local counterparty payments without SWIFT delays.
- Hedging & Options Self-serve FX hedging instruments including forward contracts (1-24 months), vanilla FX options, target rate orders, and trackers; enables businesses to protect margins from currency moves without broker relationship.
- Earn Returns Cash management product enabling businesses to earn competitive returns on GBP, EUR, and USD balances; terms from one week to one year; managed alongside FX exposure in same platform; no lock-in beyond chosen term.
- Alt21 API Programmatic REST API with webhook support enabling developers to embed FX execution, forward contracts, payment initiation, settlement data, and reporting into their own products; OAuth2 and HMAC authentication; real-time FX rates with sub-second latency.
- Marketplaces & Platforms (Embedded Finance) Embedded finance solution for marketplaces, SaaS platforms, and payment platforms; embeds full Alt21 infrastructure via API including payments, FX, hedging, and cash returns; platforms earn revenue share on volume users generate.
- Partner Platform Partner program for professional services firms, financial advisors, and business services companies; enables partners to offer FX, hedging, and payment solutions to clients under their own relationship; optional revenue share on client volume.
- Trackers Zero-cost hedging product providing downside protection without upfront premium by setting both a Protection Rate and Tracking Rate; secures protection while maintaining opportunity to benefit from favorable market movements; flexible alternative to traditional forward contracts.
- Hedge Now, Pay Later (HNPL) on Option Strips Allows spread of FX option premium across multiple expiry dates within a strip structure; enables clients to book option protection without paying full premium upfront; useful for clients managing multi-month FX exposure who want to combine flexible premium payments with broader strip coverage.
- Connect & Automate Integration hub connecting Alt21 to 1,200+ banks via Open Banking and accounting software (Xero, QuickBooks, NetSuite, Sage); enables automated FX reconciliation, payment approvals, exposure tracking, and real-time reporting.
Quantifiable outcome
- Cost savings: £14,600 annual saving per £1M FX volume vs bank rates (based on 0.04% vs 1.5% effective margin)
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use ALT21
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
ALT21 technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration6 records
AI capability4 records
Feature10 records
ALT21 partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- PlaidcoreOpen Banking integration via Plaid for instant wallet funding. Users can top up GBP and EUR wallets directly from their bank account without leaving the platform. Powered by Plaid's globally trusted Open Banking infrastructure.
- XerocoreFull accounting integration with Xero. FX trades and settlements sync automatically, keeping books current without manual entry. Month-end reconciliation automated.
- QuickBookscoreFull accounting integration with QuickBooks. FX trades and settlements sync automatically for automated reconciliation.
- NetSuitecoreFull ERP integration with NetSuite. FX trades and settlements sync automatically for enterprise reconciliation needs.
- SagecoreFull accounting integration with Sage for automated FX reconciliation and reporting.
- Paid (Bank Integrations)coreBank connectivity via Paid for 1,200+ bank integrations. Links account balances, transactions, and currency flows from multiple institutions into one consolidated view.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights7 records
ALT21 competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- OFX: OFX is a long-standing FX and international payments specialist serving SMEs and mid-market businesses with forwards, options and spot FX, directly comparable to Alt21's hedging and payments offering.
- Revolut: Revolut Business offers multi-currency accounts, international payments and increasingly FX hedging features to SMEs, directly competing with Alt21 for UK/EU SMB cross-border customers.
- Moneycorp: Moneycorp is a UK-based FX and international payments provider serving individuals and businesses with spot, forwards and options, comparable to Alt21's hedging and payments product set.
- Wise (formerly TransferWise): Wise is a direct peer offering transparent international payments and multi-currency accounts to consumers and businesses, competing head-to-head with Alt21 on FX pricing transparency and cross-border payments in the UK/EU and globally.
- WorldFirst (Ant Group): WorldFirst provides cross-border payments and FX services to SMEs and online sellers globally, comparable to Alt21's payments/hedging proposition and now backed by Ant Group's capital.
- Airwallex: Airwallex provides cross-border payments, multi-currency accounts, and FX/hedging APIs for businesses and embedded platforms, closely mirroring Alt21's API-first and marketplaces proposition.
- Argentex: Argentex is a UK-listed FX and payments specialist serving SMEs and corporates with spot and forward FX, directly competing with Alt21 in the UK mid-market segment (note: senior Alt21 staff were previously at Argentex).
- iBanFirst: iBanFirst is a European fintech offering multi-currency accounts, FX execution and hedging for SMEs, regulated across the EU and competing directly with Alt21 in UK/EU corridors.
Emerging players
- Brex: Brex is a US-led business financial platform expanding into multi-currency accounts and cross-border payments for SMEs, an emerging adjacent competitor to Alt21 in the business FX/payments category.
Broad incumbents
- Corpay (formerly Western Union Business Solutions): Corpay is a large, established cross-border payments and FX risk management provider serving mid-market and enterprise customers, offering a broader portfolio but overlapping directly with Alt21's hedging and payments product.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
ALT21 social profiles
Digital presenceALT21 compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
ALT21 financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ALT21 leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles18 records
ALT21 subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
ALT21 funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds11 records
Investors3 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ALT21 M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about ALT21
What does ALT21 do?
ALT21 provides a unified FX, payments, hedging, and cash management platform for growing businesses operating internationally. The offering includes transparent FX execution with mid-market rate and spread visibility, self-serve forward contracts and options, multi-currency accounts with payments to 180+ countries, competitive returns on idle GBP/EUR/USD balances, and an API for embedding financial infrastructure into third-party platforms.
Is ALT21 a public or private company?
ALT21 is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was ALT21 founded?
ALT21 was founded in 2016. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is ALT21 based?
ALT21 is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, in the Europe region.
How does ALT21 make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. FX Spread Revenue is the primary driver. The others are partner Revenue Share and platform/Embedded Revenue.
Who are ALT21's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are OFX, Revolut, Moneycorp, Wise (formerly TransferWise), WorldFirst (Ant Group), Airwallex, Argentex and iBanFirst. Brex is listed as an emerging player. Corpay (formerly Western Union Business Solutions) is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does ALT21 have an API?
Yes. REST API with webhook support for real-time FX rates, payment execution, forward contract booking, settlement data, and reporting. OAuth2 and HMAC authentication available. Sub-second latency for spot rates, forward points, and mid-market rates across all supported currency pairs. Sandbox environment mirrors production for testing payment flows, FX conversions, forward contract bookings, and webhook events before going live. Developer documentation is at www.alt21.com/api.
What industry is ALT21 in?
ALT21's product category is Foreign Exchange & Treasury Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAGAKAG, FX Conversion, Pricing & Hedging Infrastructure (Treasury/Rate Engines), with a secondary code of FSAGAKAF, Multi-Currency Accounts, Wallets & FX Management (Consumer/SME). Its NAICS code is 522320 and its SIC code is 6211.