Crockd takes its at-home pottery experiences global with Airwallex

Introducing Crockd

In late 2019, Andrew Ford and Rosa-Clare Willis were deep in the fast-paced world of tech startups on Gold Coast, Australia. Burnt out and craving a way to unplug, they saw an opportunity to help people do the same – by bringing meaningful conversations back into everyday life through pottery. And so, Crockd was born.

Crockd creates at-home pottery experiences designed to spark real connections. Whether for teams, families, or friends, their kits provide a hands-on way to unwind, get creative, and engage in meaningful conversations.

What started as a local idea has now grown beyond Australia. Crockd is bringing its unique at-home pottery experiences to the United States and New Zealand, helping people worldwide slow down and reconnect – one creation at a time.

The challenge

Andrew and Rosa envisioned Crockd as a globally scalable brand from day one. However, to support thousands of international customers each month, they needed a financial system that could grow with them. They needed something seamless, cost-effective, and easy to integrate into their existing operations.

Finding the right business account was critical. Crockd needed a solution to handle cross-border transactions effortlessly while keeping fees low and processes simple. When they discovered Airwallex, they knew they had found the perfect fit – so much so that they signed up before even setting up their domestic bank account.

The solution

A scalable, frictionless system for global growth

Crockd needed a financial infrastructure that could scale as fast as the business. Within 24 hours of signing up with Airwallex, Andrew and Rosa had Australian and US accounts and multi-currency virtual cards to manage their SaaS expenses. With everything in one place, Crockd could now transact seamlessly across major currencies, eliminating the need for multiple banking providers.

Integrating Airwallex with Xero provided real-time cash flow visibility, allowing the team to make fast, data-driven decisions. They could monitor global cash flow hourly and receive proactive email notifications about payment issues – ensuring quick resolutions with suppliers and minimizing disruptions to the customer experience.

Andrew Ford and Rosa-Claire Willis

Founders of Crockd

“Airwallex has allowed us to get things done at ten times the speed it used to happen. It means we can spend more time on our brand, our website, and the customer experience. That’s what helped us to grow so much in a short span of time. These solutions just didn’t exist a few years ago.”

The results

Rapid expansion, time savings, and cost efficiency

With a scalable eCommerce tech stack, Crockd could launch in the US within three weeks of planning its expansion. Airwallex’s Global Accounts seamlessly integrate with PayPal, allowing them to collect and hold USD revenues without incurring costly conversion fees.

By transacting directly in USD, Crockd eliminated unnecessary currency conversions and saved over $2,000 monthly on supplier and SaaS expenses. Batch international payments further streamlined operations, cutting down 16 hours of manual work every month and freeing up valuable time for the team to focus on growth.

With Airwallex powering its global finances, Crockd is well-positioned to continue expanding into new markets and helping more people around the world unplug, connect, and create.