MSB | Foreign Exchange & Finance

What MSB | Foreign Exchange & Finance does

MSB | Foreign Exchange & Finance (legal entity: Money Service Business Limited) is a London-based financial services intermediary operating as an Appointed Representative of Swoop Finance Limited (FRN: 936513). The firm delivers two integrated service lines from its Moorgate headquarters: foreign exchange (spot contracts, forward contracts, market orders, and risk management guidance) and business finance broking (business loans, asset finance, invoice finance, trade finance, property finance, and merchant cash advances). Its target customers are UK SMEs and businesses engaged in cross-border trade; all named client references on the company website are small businesses or individuals. Founded circa 1995 with 30+ years of combined FX experience across the leadership team, MSB is currently a 1–10 employee private limited company with no disclosed external funding.

The firm does not hold its own FCA authorisation for payments. Instead, it routes FX and payment services through three FCA-regulated partners—Currencycloud (FRN: 900199), Ebury Partners UK Limited (FRN: 900797), and Sciopay Ltd (FRN: 927951)—and extends into the United States via Visa Global Services Inc. (NMLS ID 181032). The finance broking arm operates through Spark Finance Limited (FRN: 958123) and the Spark Intel platform, connecting clients to a panel of lenders without MSB taking balance-sheet risk. US dollar funding is supplemented by FinCEN and FINTRAC registration through VGSI, and EEA clients are covered by CurrencyCloud B.V. under De Nederlandsche Bank oversight.

The business model is transaction-fee and commission-based. FX revenue derives from competitive exchange-rate spreads and contract fees (spot, forward, market orders), with the firm explicitly stating it adds no additional payment fees. Finance broking revenue is generated through commissions from the lender panel, with pricing varying by product—e.g., merchant cash advances from 15% per annum, trade finance at 1–3% per month, property finance at Base +1% upwards, and asset finance from 3.5%. Go-to-market is sales-led and direct-to-consumer, with dedicated personal dealers (Sam Macionis, Director; Jaycob Ball; Lily Budd, Head of Brand/DPO) assigned to each client, supplemented by online onboarding portals integrated with Currencycloud and Swoop Funding and supported by Trustpilot-sourced testimonials and LinkedIn presence.

Name

MSB | Foreign Exchange & Finance

Legal name

Money Service Business Limited

Website

https://msb-fx.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

MSB | Foreign Exchange & Finance is a London-based FCA-regulated financial intermediary offering FX services and business finance broking—including loans, invoice, asset, and trade finance—to UK SMEs through partners Currencycloud, Ebury, Sciopay, and Spark Intel.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Foreign Exchange & Business Finance Brokering

NAICS

Securities and Commodity Contracts Intermediation and Brokerage (5231), Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (522), Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (522320)

SIC

Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211), Short-Term Business Credit Institutions (6153)

akta.pro primary industry

Cross-Border & FX Payments Platforms (BPAMAFAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Trade Finance & Supply Chain Finance Platforms (FSAGAJAL), B2B / Invoice-Based BNPL (Trade Credit at Checkout) (FSAGAIAC)

Keywords

• Foreign exchange services
• Business finance brokering
• Currency risk management
• International payment services
• Commercial lending solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

London, England

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Foreign Exchange Transaction Fees: MSB provides foreign exchange services through regulated partners. Revenue is generated through competitive exchange rates and transaction fees for FX transfers, spot contracts, forward contracts, and market orders.
2. Finance Broking Commission: MSB acts as a credit broker connecting businesses with lenders for various finance products including business loans, asset finance, invoice finance, trade finance, property finance, and merchant cash advances. Revenue is generated through commissions from the lender panel.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

MSB provides foreign exchange services and business finance brokering for UK and international businesses. The FX arm delivers spot contracts, forward contracts, market orders, and risk management tools with access to 180+ currencies across 180 countries through FCA-regulated partners. The finance division operates as a credit broker connecting SMEs with lenders for asset finance, business loans, invoice finance, merchant cash advance, property finance, and trade finance via the Spark Intel-powered platform.

Product overview

MSB is a financial services company offering a unified platform combining Foreign Exchange services and Finance/Business Loans. The FX arm provides spot contracts, forward contracts, market orders, and risk management tools with access to 180+ international currencies, processed through partnered FCA-regulated payment providers (Currencycloud, Ebury, Sciopay). The Finance division offers six product lines: Asset Finance, Business Loans, Invoice Finance, Merchant Cash Advance, Property Finance, and Trade Finance — all delivered through their Spark-powered intelligent platform that connects businesses with appropriate lenders. The company positions itself as a personalized alternative to high street lenders, providing dedicated dealer contacts and bespoke service alongside their technology platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• $3bn in trade volume processed by MSB dealing team
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Currencycloud (The Currency Cloud Limited)coreTechnology or IntegrationPrimary payment and foreign exchange services provider. FCA-authorised Electronic Money Institution (FRN: 900199). Provides MSB with access to FX products, ability to send funds to 180+ countries in 36 currencies. Acquired by Visa Inc. in December 2021. Payment services provided for UK and US clients.
• Ebury Partners UK LimitedcoreTechnology or IntegrationSecondary payment and foreign exchange services provider. FCA-authorised Electronic Money Institution (FRN: 900797). Allows MSB to offer FX capabilities in 130+ currencies, domestic and international payments, and named accounts. Santander acquired majority stake in April 2020.
• Sciopay LtdcoreTechnology or IntegrationAdditional FX and payment services provider. FCA-authorised Payment Institution (FRN: 927951). Provides cross-currency and cross-border business fintech products. Registered in England & Wales.
• Spark Finance LimitedcoreTechnology or IntegrationFinance and lending partner providing Spark Intel technology platform. FCA-authorised (FRN: 958123). Powers MSB Finance's intelligent lending platform that connects businesses with appropriate lenders.
• Swoop Finance LimitedcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCredit broker partner (FRN: 936513). MSB operates as Appointed Representative of Swoop Finance Limited, who is FCA-authorised as a credit broker. MSB offers credit from a limited panel of lenders through this partnership.
• Visa Global Services Inc. (VGSI)supportingTechnology or IntegrationPayment services provider for US-based clients (Non-MiFID products). Licensed money transmitter (NMLS ID 181032), registered MSB with FinCEN and Foreign MSB with FINTRAC. Provides payment services where Currencycloud is not available.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Clear Currency: Independent UK FX broker targeting SMEs and corporates with personal dealer service and forward contracts, mirroring MSB's FX-led, relationship-driven go-to-market.
• TorFX: UK-based FX specialist serving private clients and SMEs with personal account management and international payments, overlapping directly with MSB's FX service proposition and customer segment.
• Currencies Direct: Established UK FX broker providing international payments and FX risk management to individuals and SMEs, with a similarly personal-service positioning to MSB.
• Equals Money (formerly FairFX): UK-listed FX and payments platform serving SMEs with multi-currency accounts, international payments and prepaid cards, directly competing with MSB's FX and cross-border payment offering through Currencycloud and Ebury partners.
• Moneycorp: Long-established UK FX broker serving businesses and individuals with spot, forward and market orders plus international payments, highly comparable to MSB's FX product set and SME focus.
• Smart Currency Exchange: UK FX specialist focused on SMEs and private clients with personal dealer service and forward contracts, closely overlapping with MSB's FX positioning and target customer.
• Swoop Finance: Swoop Finance is MSB's Appointed Representative principal and operates the same UK SME credit-brokering model across business loans, asset finance, invoice finance, and trade finance via its own platform, making it the closest like-for-like competitor.

Broad incumbents

• OFX: Global FX and payments platform with a dedicated SME/business segment, offering spot and forward contracts and cross-border payments, competing with MSB on cross-border FX while operating at much larger scale.
• Wise (Business): Global multi-currency account and cross-border payments provider with a growing SME offering; competes with MSB on price-transparent FX while MSB differentiates on personal advisory and bundled lending products.
• WorldFirst: Ant Group-owned international payments and FX provider for SMEs and online sellers, competing with MSB on cross-border FX and payments for UK SMEs, with deeper proprietary infrastructure.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/msb-fx

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about MSB | Foreign Exchange & Finance