An Airwallex Program

Built Finance Infrastructure From the Ground Up and Automated Month-End Closes With AI

EdSmart is an Australian EdTech platform helping more than 1,400 schools digitise duty-of-care, risk, and compliance workflows. As CFO and Company Secretary, Wong joined when the company had no ARR reporting, no SaaS metrics, and no cash flow visibility. She brought in specialist R&D advisers early and completed the R&D tax incentive claim in six weeks.

Twelve months on, month-end closes run in a single day, year-end accounts were locked by mid-July, and she has deployed autonomous AI agents including a daily CFO briefing, a debtors monitor, and a weekly cash flow check, alongside AI finance team personas.

Her wider work includes "The Finance Hybrid" brand, AI webinars with CPA Australia and CA ANZ with over 1,000 registrations, hands-on hackathons for CFOs, and an investor seat as Venture Finance Lead at Gravel Road Ventures.

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Rachel Wong

EdSmart

What Startup Finance 30 is

Finance is one of the most under-leveraged growth levers a startup has.

The best finance leaders don't just keep the books. They extend runway, structure capital that changes what a company can do next, and build the systems that let it scale across borders.

Startup Finance 30 is the first list built to recognise that work. Beginning in 2026 and continuing annually, we name 30 finance leaders at venture-backed, globally ambitious startups. The operators shaping how the next generation of companies grow.

Who's doing the most consequential finance work in the startup world right now?

This list is the answer.

FAQ

More information on how SF30 works.

Who's behind Startup Finance 30?

Startup Finance 30 is published by Airwallex. We built it because we work with globally ambitious companies every day, and the finance leaders driving that growth deserve more recognition than they get. Selection sits with the committee.

Who selects the final 30?

A committee of operating CFOs and finance leaders. They score every candidate against a five-part merit rubric and ratify the final list. See the full selection methodology.

Is there a fee? Can I pay to be included?

No. It's free to enter, and recognition is earned on merit.