Brex Acquires European Payment Institution License, Paving the Way for Wide-Reaching Global Growth
Brex Expands into European Union, Offering Global Finance Solutions
Brex, a leading financial platform for businesses, has announced its major expansion into the European Union (EU). The expansion is made possible by acquiring a Payment Institution (PI) license through the Netherlands, allowing Brex to operate in all 30 EU countries.
This license enables Brex to directly issue commercial credit and debit cards, and offer its full suite of spend management products to businesses based in the EU. The target market for this expansion focuses on high-growth and multi-country European businesses, allowing companies to use the same financial platform without requiring a U.S. headquarters or presence.
Mark Topping, Group Finance Manager at Ooni, a global leader in home pizza ovens, has expressed that his team has really embraced the Brex platform because of its ease of use. Brex's proprietary global payments infrastructure already powers a truly integrated solution for global businesses.
Brex plans to begin onboarding select EU-based customers in the coming months, aiming for a steady rollout across the region throughout 2026 and beyond. Until now, Brex customers had to be based or headquartered in the U.S. to take full advantage of Brex's platform.
While banking and bill payment services are not initially available in the EU, Brex also plans to secure a separate license to support UK-based customers soon, indicating an expansion into the UK market as well.
The EU PI license deepens Brex's strategic moat and reinforces its position as the financial platform of choice for companies with global operations. Pedro Franceschi, CEO and Co-Founder of Brex, expressed pride in what the new licenses will unlock for Brex and the global founders and finance teams they serve.
Brex has already established offices in the Netherlands with a full board and local teams across sales, operations, and customer success. The company currently has a dozen team members on the ground in the Netherlands, with plans to scale as Brex continues to grow its European footprint.
Brex's EU expansion plans are not limited to the Netherlands. The company aims to serve businesses across Europe, leveraging its EU license to deepen treasury management services beyond just payments by integrating innovative technologies such as generative AI and offering embedded payment solutions (e.g., virtual cards embedded in partners’ products).
In summary, Brex's EU expansion plans include:
- License: Payment Institution (PI) license in the EU via the Netherlands
- Countries Covered: All 30 EU countries
- Core Products Offered: Corporate credit/debit cards, expense management, treasury tools
- Banking/Bill Pay Services: Not initially available
- Target Customers: High-growth, multi-country European enterprises
- Rollout Timeline: Begin onboarding late 2025, expand steadily through 2026 and beyond
- UK Expansion Plans: Separate license to support UK customers planned soon
- Innovation & Integration: Generative AI tools, embedded payment solutions
- EU Office Location: Amsterdam
Pedro Franceschi stated that this is just the beginning, indicating further growth and development for Brex in the European market. With its expansion, Brex aims to become a global finance platform supporting businesses seamlessly across borders and markets without the need for complex workarounds or local setups.
Brex's expansion into the European Union allows the financial platform to offer global finance solutions not limited to corporate credit/debit cards and expense management to businesses in all 30 EU countries, with plans to secure a separate license for UK-based customers, and aims to become a global finance platform supporting businesses without the need for complex workarounds or local setups by leveraging technology such as generative AI and embedded payment solutions.
The EU PI license and Brex's strategic plans enable the company to compete in the global business and technology landscape, providing financial solutions to high-growth, multi-country European businesses.
