Wirecard is taking aim at Asia and the Americas. The German financial services provider is advancing these plans through new product offerings, including cashierless checkout technology for retailers, a payments app for U.S. brands and retailers, and efforts to support China UnionPay‘s expansion to new markets.
Georg von Waldenfels, executive vice president of group business development at Wirecard, explained that the company is expanding beyond its sphere of influence as a bank in Europe to an international payments and financial services provider. “We try to find the hidden champions in the different areas and acquire them, then we have the experts and also a sustainable business model we can rely on,” he said. “From that foundation, we extend our business.”
See also: With Wirecard, UnionPay takes aim at Visa, Mastercard
A key means to scaling Wirecard’s offerings is its move into new product areas, including its cashier-free checkout product suite it rolled out in August. According to Susanne Steidl, chief product officer, the technology will help retailers meet customer expectations shaped by Amazon.
Partnerships also add to Wirecard’s arsenal of growth tools. In April, the company announced a partnership with Softbank, through which it will collaborate with portfolio companies. At the time, Softbank also invested €900 million in Wirecard, a deal in which it gained a 5.6% stake in the company, per reports. “Softbank introduced us to a lot of their portfolio companies, and that really helps in growing our business,” Steidl explained.
Publicly-traded Wirecard announced its long-term outlook earlier this week, stating that its revenue could potentially reach €12 billion by 2025. However, analysts expressed skepticism since other financial giants like Visa only announce one-year outlooks of their financial goals.
By contrast, Wirecard said the goals are based on the company’s efforts to grow its global footprint. “It’s hard to compare us [with competitors] because there are not too many that have two-sided businesses,” said von Waldenfels. “The growth potential is enormous.”






