Sydney fintech Hello Clever tops 2026 Smart50 Awards with 307% growth
Hello Clever is a Sydney fintech. It offers card-free payments and loyalty rewards. It won top place at the 2026 Smart50 Awards.
Hello Clever won the top spot on the Smart50 list after growing revenue to $17 million in 2025-26. The company had compound annual growth of 307% over three years.
Founded in 2021 by Caroline Tran and Gavin Nguyen, the company started Australia's first PayTo cardless transaction. It now combines real-time payments with loyalty programs.
These programs give customers cashback on card processing fees merchants save. The startup has processed $3.5 billion in transactions.
It operates offices in Singapore, Tokyo, Ho Chi Minh City, and New York. Hello Clever now employs 110 staff.
The company is aiming for $100 million in annual recurring revenue. The US is its next major growth market.
Hello Clever also won the Smart50 Innovator Award.
- $17 million
- Revenue 2025-26
- 307% CAGR
- Three-year growth rate
- $3.5 billion
- Transactions processed
- 110 employees
- Staff
Why it mattersCard-free payment systems and loyalty rewards change how Australians make payments. They cut costs for both businesses and everyday shoppers.
AustraliaAustralian shoppers are gaining access to faster, cheaper alternative payment methods that challenge the traditional card system and deliver instant cashback rewards.
