Richard Branson, London protests, £1 billion - a look back at 2014

###2014 was a year of milestones in our crusade for a new, transparent world of finance.

In 2014 Wise got naked, moved £1 billion transparently and got Sir Richard Branson on board. We were honoured with awards, commended in parliament and held a funeral for hidden charges. In January we had 40 employees, in December we hit 240.

This is just the beginning for Wise – 2015, we're ready for you!

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####March

Wise wins the Financial Times Boldness in Business Award.

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####April

In April Wise had transferred its first £1 billion. Transparently and fairly.

Wise founders Taavet & Kristo:

"Today, we’re so proud of what we’ve achieved and it’s amazing to say that we’ve transferred £1bn. There’s no way we could have done any of this without all your trust and feedback. From Wise being just the two of us and a computer to today’s crack-team of 76 brilliant staff sending money across 176 currency routes, we’ve always felt quite humbled by the support we’ve received."

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####June

Sir Richard Branson joins our mission to stamp out hidden charges by joining a $25m investment.

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#Nothing2Hide

100 Wise revolutionaries got naked in London. The mission? To show the banks Wise has nothing to hide.

Transparency is king!

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####August

Wise is featured as one of London's top 10 startups as part of 'Europe's 100 Hottest Startups' by Wired.

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####September

September marked a new look for Wise, the birth of the Fast Flag.

A flag for everyone who’s already said bye bye to bank fees. And all the people who one day will too.

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September also saw the unveiling of the first UK Wise TV ad.

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####October

#RIPHiddenFees

You’ve been overcharged and underserved by the old world of money for too long. Enough is enough. It was time to lay hidden fees to rest.

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In October the new world of Wise was announced.

The revolution will be animated.

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####November

Stop Hidden Fees

In November Stop Hidden Fees was launched. Our aim? To change the law and end decades of hidden bank fees.

Days later 18,000 had signed the petition. UK MPs Chi Onwurah and Stephen Lloyd had given the petition their backing in Westminster. Soon after, Reuters reported that HSBC will be refunding some customers after charging them excessive foreign currency fees.

Taavet spoke about the campaign on Bloomberg TV. Watch back here.

The fight isn't over. Sign the petition here.

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####December

In December, Tessa Jowell MP commended Stop Hidden Fees to parliament. The movement is gaining momentum, but we need your support. Sign the petition here.

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Wise joins Tech City's Future Fifty and is hailed by The Guardian as a “Top Innovator for 2015”. Wise is proud to be cementing London as the global FinTech capital.