CIRCLES
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
CIRCLES firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CIRCLES
- Website
- https://thecircles.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
CIRCLES industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Telecom SaaS Platform
- NAICS
- Wired Telecommunications Carriers (517111), Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (52232)
- SIC
- Services-Telephone Interconnect Systems (7385), Communications Services, Nec (4899)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Digital Wallets & Account Aggregation Hub (Multi-account, Stored Value) (FSAGAAAD)
Keywords
Where CIRCLES is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
CIRCLES business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- SaaS Platform Licensing: Circles provides its CirclesX SaaS platform to telecom operators on a subscription basis, enabling digital transformation and embedded finance capabilities.
- Embedded Finance Transaction Fees: Revenue generated from financial services (global payouts, travel cards, supplier payments, expense management) powered by Airwallex infrastructure, with transaction-based fees.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels1 record
CIRCLES product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Circles provides CirclesX, a SaaS platform for telecom operators that consolidates legacy BSS, orchestration, and digital experience systems into a unified cloud-native platform while maintaining service continuity. Integrated within CirclesX, the FinX financial services stack enables operators to offer digital banking capabilities such as global payouts, travel cards, supplier payments, and expense management across 70+ countries. Circles also delivers AI-driven connectivity solutions and complex legacy modernization programs for Tier-1 telecom operators and MVNO/MVNE platforms.
Product overview
Circles provides a unified platform-plus-modules architecture centered on CirclesX, a SaaS platform for telecom operators that enables digital banking and embedded financial services globally. The platform integrates FinX, a financial services stack powered by Airwallex, allowing operators to offer digital banking, global payouts, travel cards, and expense management. Circles also operates Circles.Life as a consumer MVNO brand demonstrating platform capabilities, and has delivered the by.U platform for Telkomsel as a vertical SaaS solution modernizing legacy telecom systems.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- FinX: Financial services stack enabling telecom operators to offer digital banking capabilities including global payouts, travel cards, supplier payments, and expense management.
Products and services
- CirclesX
Quantifiable outcome
- 40% incremental subscriber growth
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use CIRCLES
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
CIRCLES technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
AI capability3 records
Feature4 records
CIRCLES partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.
- AirwallexcoreStrategic partnership to integrate Airwallex's Embedded Finance infrastructure into CirclesX platform. The FinX financial services stack enables telecom operators to offer digital banking capabilities including global payouts, travel cards, supplier payments, and expense management across 70+ countries. Early results from Circles.Life show significant customer growth and transaction increases.
- Telkomsel (by.U)flagshipPartnership to develop a new vertical SaaS platform for by.U, a brand of Indonesian telecommunications operator Telkomsel. This represents one of the most complex modernization programs undertaken by a Tier-1 telecommunications operator, consolidating multiple legacy systems into a unified cloud-native platform with AI-ready architecture.
- HCLTechcoreHCLTech was selected by Circles to power AI-driven connectivity solutions for MVNOs and MVNEs worldwide. HCLTech leverages its full-stack AI portfolio and product engineering expertise to accelerate innovation in Circles' platform and enable faster platform implementation for global customers.
- Vodacom South AfricacoreStrategic partnership to enhance growth of Vodacom South Africa's MVNE platform. The first MVNO (Mr Price Mobile) is already operational. The collaboration aims to enable more MVNOs in South Africa and expand Circles' presence in Africa, supported by continued investment and regional ambitions.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
CIRCLES competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- MATRIXX Software: Telecom-native SaaS platform providing real-time BSS, charging, and digital monetization for operators. Highly comparable to CirclesX as a vertical SaaS stack for MVNOs and Tier-1 carriers.
- Optiva: Cloud-native BSS and revenue management software built for communications service providers. Directly overlaps with CirclesX's BSS modernization value proposition.
- Netcracker Technology: Provides BSS, OSS, and digital experience solutions to telecoms globally. Comparable in serving large operator modernization programs, though typically at much larger scale and broader scope.
- Hansen Technologies: Specialist BSS vendor for telecoms, utilities, and media, with a focus on customer care, billing, and digital transformation — directly comparable to Circles' BSS consolidation focus.
Broad incumbents
- CSG Systems: Large, established provider of BSS, billing, and digital monetization for telecoms and media. A broader incumbent with overlapping capabilities but a wider portfolio than Circles.
- Amdocs: Global incumbent in telecom software and services, offering BSS, OSS, and digital experience platforms. Comparable in serving Tier-1 operator modernization, but at significantly larger scale and broader scope.
- Stripe Connect: Embedded payments and financial infrastructure from Stripe enabling platforms to monetize payments. Comparable to FinX's role inside CirclesX as the underlying payments engine.
Emerging players
- Synctera: Embedded banking and fintech infrastructure platform enabling non-banks to launch financial products. Comparable to the FinX stack in enabling embedded finance for non-financial verticals, with stronger focus on community banks and fintechs.
- Mambu: Cloud-native core banking platform enabling embedded finance for non-banks and digital banks. Compares to the FinX financial services stack powering CirclesX's digital banking capabilities.
Others
- Vodacom: Pan-African telecom operator and Circles' MVNE partner. Comparable not as a competitor but as a customer/partner ecosystem participant that drives regional MVNE platform adoption.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
CIRCLES social profiles
Digital presenceCIRCLES financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CIRCLES leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
CIRCLES funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CIRCLES 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 CIRCLES
What does CIRCLES do?
Circles provides CirclesX, a SaaS platform for telecom operators that consolidates legacy BSS, orchestration, and digital experience systems into a unified cloud-native platform while maintaining service continuity. Integrated within CirclesX, the FinX financial services stack enables operators to offer digital banking capabilities such as global payouts, travel cards, supplier payments, and expense management across 70+ countries. Circles also delivers AI-driven connectivity solutions and complex legacy modernization programs for Tier-1 telecom operators and MVNO/MVNE platforms.
Is CIRCLES a public or private company?
CIRCLES is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was CIRCLES founded?
CIRCLES was founded in 2021. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is CIRCLES based?
CIRCLES is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does CIRCLES make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. SaaS Platform Licensing is the primary driver. The others are embedded Finance Transaction Fees.
Who are CIRCLES's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are MATRIXX Software, Optiva, Netcracker Technology and Hansen Technologies. Broad incumbents are CSG Systems, Amdocs and Stripe Connect. Emerging players are Synctera and Mambu. Vodacom is listed as an others.
Does CIRCLES have an API?
No public API is recorded for CIRCLES.
What industry is CIRCLES in?
CIRCLES's product category is Telecom SaaS Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAGAAAD, Digital Wallets & Account Aggregation Hub (Multi-account, Stored Value). Its NAICS code is 517111 and its SIC code is 7385.