Why SwissFx exists: a conversation with Rachael

Foreign exchange and international payments are often discussed through rates, platforms and transaction flows. Behind SwissFx, there is also a founder story: one shaped by a mix of research, design, user experience and ongoing conversations with businesses facing practical FX and payment challenges.

In this interview, Rachael Camp, co-founder of SwissFx, explains how the company began, what the founding team felt was missing in the market and why SwissFx was built around transparency, problem-solving and human support.

Before creating SwissFx, your background was not purely financial. What led you into foreign exchange and international payments?

My background has a few twists in it. I originally studied graphic design, then moved into market research in the UK. That gave me a strong foundation in understanding people’s behaviour, expectations and frustrations.

When I moved to Switzerland a few years ago, I worked in the field of UX (User Experience). That created a bridge between my research background and my design studies. In UX, you spend a lot of time listening to people, understanding where they are struggling and thinking about how a product or service could work better.

Finance was also part of my environment from a young age. My family worked in different areas of financial services, including insurance and actuarial work. My partner also works in commodities, so I was exposed a lot to the operational side of international business.

Over time, FX issues kept appearing in different contexts. In my agency work in the UK, billing could be affected by exchange rates. In Switzerland, I heard stories about how currency movements had affected businesses. As a freelancer, I also experienced practical payment questions myself, especially when working with international clients.

In many ways, SwissFx grew out of the different threads of my background. Looking back, everything felt interconnected. Experiences that seemed unrelated at the time gradually linked together and pointed towards the same conclusion: there was an opportunity to help businesses navigate FX and international payments in a more thoughtful and human way.

When did the idea for SwissFx first start to take shape?

The idea really started to take shape in December 2024. My partner and I were having conversations with people in our networks, and we kept hearing similar problems around FX and international payments.

We were asking ourselves: why is there not a better way to do this? Why is this still a problem for so many people?

Switzerland is a major financial centre, but we felt that many SMEs did not necessarily have access to the type of service they needed. If you are a private banking client, you may have a very tailored relationship. But that kind of relationship-led support is not always available in the same way to smaller or mid-sized businesses.

That was one of the starting points. We saw space for a service built around business needs, not only transactions.

What did you feel was missing for SMEs?

We felt there was room for a more relationship-led FX and payments partner for businesses.

Many companies are dealing with international clients, suppliers or markets. They may need to receive funds in one currency, pay in another, manage timing, access local payment capabilities or understand what their options are before expanding into a new market.

These are practical business questions. They are not only financial questions.

What can be difficult is that companies do not always have someone to speak to who can look at the whole situation. A platform can execute a transaction, but a business may also need guidance, context and a clear explanation of what different options mean.

That is where we wanted SwissFx to sit: close to the client’s real business situation.

How did your research and UX background influence the way you built SwissFx?

It influenced it a lot.

In UX, you start by listening. You try to understand what people are trying to achieve, what problems they are having and where the friction appears. I brought that mindset into SwissFx.

The question was not only: what services can we provide? It was also: what are businesses trying to do, and where do they get stuck?

That changes the conversation. Instead of placing clients into a pre-formulated answer, we can ask what problem they are trying to solve. Then we can look at what we are able to offer and how that could support them.

I see myself as a problem-solver. That is also how I want SwissFx to work with clients.

Why is the human element so important in a financial platform?

In FX and international payments, technology is important, of course. But technology alone is not enough.

A business may have questions about currencies, timing, payment rails, local accounts, suppliers or risk. The right setup depends on the situation. It can depend on where the business is trading, which currencies are involved, how often payments are made and what level of flexibility or control is needed.

That is why the human element matters. Clients should feel that they can speak with someone who understands the context, not just use a system without guidance.

For us, the relationship is very important. We want to build partnerships with clients.

I sometimes describe this ambition as bringing a white-glove service to SMEs. That means being personable, approachable and reliable, while still operating with the seriousness expected in financial services, especially in Switzerland.

What values were important from the beginning?

Trust is the key one.

If you cannot trust each other, there is no basis for anything. That applies internally, and it also applies to client relationships. Clients need to know that they can rely on us, that we will be upfront and that we will be honest with them, even if something is not perfect.

Transparency is part of that. So is problem-solving.

If there is a problem, I believe you discuss it and try to solve it. You do not pretend every situation is the same. You look at what is happening, what the client needs and what can realistically be done.

That is also where being a smaller organisation can be a strength. We can stay flexible. We can explore new areas. We can move towards where the client is, rather than forcing every situation into the same structure.

What do you want SwissFx to become known for?

We want to be the go-to FX and international payments partner for Swiss businesses that want clarity, support and a more human relationship.

We want to be known as a local service that understands the Swiss market and the businesses operating here. We also want to be known for being approachable and reliable.

SwissFx is still young, so we know this takes time. Building awareness in a specialised B2B market is a long game. It comes through conversations, relationships, trust and consistent service.

But the vision is clear.