Wise rebrands, looks a lot like a global neobank

Wise has launched a new look, combining big chunky block letters with splashes of green.

What's changed: In addition to launching a new design and color palette, the international money transfer firm also addressed some of the finer points of its product, including tone of voice, illustrations, and photography. The new look focuses on textures, an eye-catching but high contrast color palette which drives away from the monotonous blue-white combo seen on most money-related websites. While the look and feel is different, this is a product refresh, not a pivot -- "a refurbish, not moving house."

Why this matters: As Wise has grown, it has matured as a company, too. Adding in savings and investing features, as well as targeting business customers, the firm rebranded to clarify its value proposition. And because the firm serves customers in 170 countries and 50 currencies, international people and places feature prominently in the firm's image.

Wise now has about six million active customers and £100 billion in money movement per year. The company claims it is onboarding 100,000 new users every week.

Wise may be the sleeper winner in the move to digital banking. With a foothold in international money transfer, users generally appreciate the user experience and pricing. From there, it's a no-brainer to move more deeply into things like savings and investing. And because the core value function is money transfer, there's a natural revenue model built in.