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The world is on the move like never before.
Today, more individuals live, work, and invest across borders than in recorded history. According to the United Nations, approximately 304 million people—nearly 3.7 percent of the world’s population—are expatriates, a number that has nearly doubled since 1990. Almost half of expats decide to move abroad for work, according to a 2021 survey, with nearly a quarter saying they earn more than $100,000 per year. In 2025 alone, an estimated 142,000 high-net-worth individuals are projected to relocate globally, according to a 2025 report, seeking jurisdictions that offer stability, tax efficiency, and institutional certainty.
Entrepreneurs are no different. As they look to grow their businesses, borders become immaterial. According to the Global Entrepreneurial Wealth Report 2025, from HSBC Private Bank, many entrepreneurs are adapting to changes in the economic environment by focusing on cross-border trade. Of the 3,000 business owners from 15 markets that were surveyed, 49 percent said they are planning to expand their business into new markets; 57 percent are considering a personal move abroad.
“Entrepreneurs continue to lean into key corridors to build wealth and grow their businesses,” says Racquel Oden, US head of international wealth and private banking at HSBC. “Despite all the uncertainty impacting businesses around the world, our research shows that entrepreneurs believe their best days are ahead, buoyed by new technology and artificial intelligence that will bring about exciting advancements in their respective sectors.”
International working and living are no longer just for professional outliers or retirees—it’s a lifestyle choice for millions.
Driven by remote work, digital nomadism, and international entrepreneurship, this new class of expats is spurring the rise of borderless banking, financial services that seamlessly span countries and currencies. Across continents and time zones, these global citizens are demanding a banking partner that reflects their borderless lives.
When Your Office Is Everywhere, Your Money Must Be Too
Increasingly, founders, freelancers, and consultants are launching startups from Bali, closing deals in Buenos Aires, and coding from cafés in Cape Town.
In 2024, more than 18 million American workers described themselves as digital nomads, a growth of more than 147 percent since 2019, according to an industry report. These workers spend most of the year abroad, visiting an average of roughly six locations per year and spending an average of nearly six weeks at each location.
Even traditional corporate employees find themselves moving overseas for their job more regularly. In this new global environment, these workers need a bank that moves with them.
For example, if a young executive relocates for work, taking her family with her, that move likely entails obtaining a new credit card once she’s settled in her new country. It might require transferring money from an investment account in one country to a local account to pay for her kids’ tuition. Maybe it even means securing a mortgage to purchase a second home.
This is one reason that so many are turning to trusted international institutions like HSBC. HSBC’s premier checking and savings accounts, for example, are designed with several features in mind for those traveling or living overseas. These consumer accounts offer the ability to manage your global finances in one place online, the ability to open an account in another country before relocating, and even to bring along your previous credit history.
“Founders, creators, and professionals are increasingly building global lives—earning in one market, investing in another, and living across several,” says Dave Sabow, global head of Innovation Banking at HSBC. “HSBC Innovation Banking is focused on removing friction so capital can move as freely as [its owners’] ideas and ambitions.”
Not only does HSBC offer ease of use through its digital tools, but it also has extensive on-the-ground presence in more than 50 countries—presenting both seamless online access and dependability.
How Banks Are Rewriting the Financial Rules for International Entrepreneurs
As global lifestyles become the norm, entrepreneurs expect their banking to move as fluidly as their businesses.
Today, it’s not uncommon for a small- or medium-sized startup in the US to do business across Europe, Asia, and Latin America. That often requires paying invoices and receiving payments in multiple currencies, which can mean wire delays, hidden fees, exchange-rate headaches, and sometimes managing multiple disconnected banking relationships.
For example, a US cabinet maker selling to customers in Germany might prefer to price his wares in euros—without the need to have a local account, which could expose him to large foreign exchange swings. Or, say, a startup Singaporean software company opens a subsidiary in Mexico. Instead of racking up international wire costs, it needs a bank that can route transfers through local payment rails, saving the company thousands annually.
Few banks cater to the unique nature of international startups like HSBC, which even has a tailored banking solution for early-stage companies in the US, called the Spark Promo Package. One of the many companies entrusting their banking needs to HSBC is Evolectric, a California-based startup focused on bringing innovative vehicle-electrification technologies, including electric conversion kits for commercial fleets to emerging markets and underserved segments.
“As we continue to grow around the world, we absolutely love the fact that HSBC is a global organization,” says Bill Beverley, co-founder of Evolectric. “It means that we have access to the same type of banking ecosystem that we’re building here in the United States, and we have a partner that can grow as much as we can.”
Whether it’s reduced friction, cost transparency, or real-time control of finances, international entrepreneurs and expatriates are increasingly demanding these features in their financial partner, so they can live life on the road with more freedom—and ease—than ever.
The Future of Borderless Banking
Despite economic uncertainty and geopolitical concerns—and perhaps because of them—the growth of expats operating in multiple currencies, time zones, and legal systems is only likely to expand.
International entrepreneurs remain confident in growth, and they need banking partners that can scale services just as dynamically. They also need to be able to pay and track expenses as seamlessly as paying for groceries in their hometown market.
For this new class of expats, borderless banking is not only helpful, it’s essential—and trusted international institutions like HSBC become not just banking partners, but the financial foundation for a new generation of borderless leaders and innovators.
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