Knightsbridge Foreign Exchange
Knightsbridge Foreign Exchange is a Canadian foreign-exchange company serving personal and business customers across North America.
Last updated August 31, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Knightsbridge Foreign Exchange, also known as Knightsbridge FX, is a Canadian foreign-exchange services company headquartered in Toronto, Ontario. Founded in 2009, the company provides currency-conversion services to customers seeking an alternative to conventional bank exchange channels. Its business is centered on arranging foreign-currency transactions, receiving customer funds through online banking or bank transfer, converting those funds, and sending the proceeds to a designated Canadian or international bank account. The company positions itself around competitive exchange rates and a digitally facilitated transfer process. Its public materials describe rates intended to be lower than those commonly available through traditional financial institutions, where foreign-exchange spreads and fees can materially affect the amount received by a customer. Knightsbridge serves both personal and business users, including customers transferring money between Canadian and foreign accounts. The company’s offering is therefore focused less on cash retail exchange and more on scheduled or arranged electronic currency transfers. Knightsbridge Foreign Exchange was co-founded and is led by Rahim Madhavji. Before establishing the company, Madhavji worked at TorQuest Partners, where his experience included leveraged buyouts, expansion-capital investments, and work with existing portfolio companies. His transition from private-equity work to entrepreneurship attracted attention in 2015 after he published an account of leaving his former career to build Knightsbridge FX. He has also appeared as a financial commentator on Canadian television and business programs. The company became more widely known in Canada after Madhavji appeared on CBC’s Dragons’ Den in March 2019. During the appearance, Knightsbridge reached an announced deal with investors Arlene Dickinson and Michele Romanow involving CAD 1 million for a 30 percent stake. The appearance provided national exposure and placed the company’s growth story within a prominent Canadian entrepreneurship program. Knightsbridge has received recognition in Canadian growth-company rankings. PROFIT Magazine included it in its PROFIT HOT 50 in 2013 and 2014, citing substantial year-over-year revenue growth. It was subsequently listed in the PROFIT 500 in 2017, the Growth 500 in 2018, and a Globe and Mail ranking of Canada’s fastest-growing companies in 2019. The company was also reported among Canada’s top-growing companies in 2021 and 2022, and the Financial Times identified it in 2020 as one of North America’s fast-growing companies. Its compliance framework includes registration and regulation by Canada’s Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre, or FINTRAC. In Quebec, the company is registered with and regulated by the Autorité des marchés financiers. Knightsbridge identifies Bank of Montreal as its primary banking partner. The available reference material does not establish the company’s current ownership structure, detailed revenue, employee count, or a complete list of currencies and service locations. It remains an active Canadian foreign-exchange brand with a primarily online and bank-transfer-based operating model.
History
Knightsbridge Foreign Exchange was founded in Canada in 2009 by Rahim Madhavji and developed as a specialist foreign-exchange business serving customers across Canada and, more broadly, North America. The company’s formation followed Madhavji’s earlier career in private equity at TorQuest Partners, where he worked on leveraged buyouts, expansion capital, and portfolio-company investments. His move from investment work into entrepreneurship later became part of the company’s public origin story. The business was designed around electronic currency conversion rather than a conventional bank branch model. Customers arrange an exchange, transfer funds to Knightsbridge through online banking or a bank transfer, and receive the converted funds in a Canadian or international bank account. This model allows the company to focus on the exchange transaction and associated customer service while using banking infrastructure to settle transfers. The company has promoted exchange rates intended to undercut those available through traditional financial institutions. Knightsbridge’s growth received recognition from Canadian business publications. PROFIT Magazine named the company to its PROFIT HOT 50 in 2013 and 2014, highlighting reported year-over-year revenue growth. It later appeared in the PROFIT 500 in 2017 and the Growth 500 in 2018. In 2019, the Globe and Mail ranked it 68th among Canada’s top-growing companies. Further appearances in Canadian growth-company rankings were reported for 2021 and 2022. In April 2020, the Financial Times included the company among North America’s fastest-growing businesses. Madhavji’s public profile expanded in 2015 when a blog post describing his decision to leave TorQuest Partners and establish Knightsbridge FX attracted viral attention. He also became a guest on Canadian financial broadcasts, including appearances associated with BNN and CTV News. The company reached a larger general audience on March 7, 2019, when Madhavji appeared on CBC’s Dragons’ Den. The episode resulted in an announced deal with Arlene Dickinson and Michele Romanow: CAD 1 million in exchange for 30 percent of the company. The company operates within Canada’s financial-compliance framework. It is registered and regulated by FINTRAC, and its Quebec operations are registered and regulated by the Autorité des marchés financiers. Bank of Montreal is identified as its principal banking partner. The company’s Toronto headquarters are located at First Canadian Place in the city’s financial district, a building that also houses Bank of Montreal’s global headquarters. The available reference material provides limited information about later corporate ownership, detailed product architecture, geographic expansion beyond North America, and current leadership beyond Madhavji. It does, however, establish Knightsbridge as an active Canadian foreign-exchange company whose core proposition is online currency conversion and cross-border transfer support.
- 2021
Canadian growth-company recognition
[1]The company was again reported among Canada’s top-growing companies.
- 2020
Financial Times fast-growth recognition
[1]The Financial Times recognized Knightsbridge Foreign Exchange among North America’s fastest-growing companies.
- 2019
Dragons’ Den investment agreement
[1]Rahim Madhavji appeared on CBC’s Dragons’ Den and reached an announced CAD 1 million deal for 30 percent of the company with Arlene Dickinson and Michele Romanow.
- 2019
Globe and Mail growth ranking
[1]Knightsbridge Foreign Exchange ranked 68th among Canada’s top-growing companies in a Globe and Mail ranking.
- 2018
Growth 500 recognition
[1]The company was included in the Growth 500 ranking of Canadian growth companies.
- 2017
PROFIT 500 recognition
[1]Knightsbridge Foreign Exchange was included among Canada’s fastest-growing companies in the PROFIT 500.
- 2015
Founder’s career-change story gains attention
[1]Rahim Madhavji attracted viral attention after publishing a post about leaving TorQuest Partners to establish Knightsbridge FX.
- 2014
Second PROFIT HOT 50 recognition
[1]The company received a further PROFIT HOT 50 recognition, with reported year-over-year revenue growth of 564 percent.
- 2013
First PROFIT HOT 50 recognition
[1]PROFIT Magazine recognized Knightsbridge Foreign Exchange in its PROFIT HOT 50 of fast-growing companies.
- 2009
Company founded
[1]Knightsbridge Foreign Exchange was founded in Canada, with Rahim Madhavji identified as a co-founder.
Products and positioning
A Canadian foreign-exchange specialist positioned as a lower-cost, service-oriented alternative to traditional bank currency conversion, using online and bank-transfer workflows for personal and business customers.
Foreign-exchange service
Personal foreign exchange
A service for individuals exchanging Canadian dollars and other currencies. Customers initiate the transaction through Knightsbridge, send the required funds using online banking or a bank transfer, and receive the converted amount in a Canadian or international bank account. The service is positioned as an alternative to obtaining currency through a conventional bank, with the company emphasizing competitive exchange rates.
Foreign-exchange service
Business foreign exchange
A currency-conversion service for business and other organizational customers operating across borders. The available reference material indicates that Knightsbridge serves customers throughout North America and facilitates transfers through banking channels. Specific business tools, contract structures, supported currencies, and transaction limits are not detailed in the reference material.
Cross-border payment service
International money transfers
Knightsbridge’s transfer process supports sending converted funds to a client’s Canadian account or, where applicable, to an international account. The workflow relies on customers funding transactions through online banking or bank transfer before Knightsbridge completes the currency conversion and remits the proceeds.
Brand decisions
2019
Announced investment agreement on Dragons’ DenM&ABackground
The company appeared on CBC’s Dragons’ Den as it sought to present its growth story and foreign-exchange business to prospective investors.
Action taken
Rahim Madhavji reached an announced agreement with Arlene Dickinson and Michele Romanow for CAD 1 million in exchange for a 30 percent stake.
Aftermath
The agreement increased the company’s national visibility. The available reference material does not confirm whether the televised terms were ultimately completed or describe subsequent ownership changes.
Announced investment for equity. CAD 1 million for 30 percent (2019)
Recent events
- 2022
Knightsbridge Foreign Exchange included among Canada's top-growing companies[1]
Other
Knightsbridge Foreign Exchange was reported among Canada's top-growing companies in a 2022 ranking.
- 2021
Knightsbridge Foreign Exchange included among Canada's top-growing companies[1]
Other
Knightsbridge Foreign Exchange was reported among Canada's top-growing companies in a 2021 ranking.
- 2020
Knightsbridge Foreign Exchange recognized by the Financial Times[1]
Other
The Financial Times identified Knightsbridge Foreign Exchange among North America's fast-growing companies.
- 2019
Knightsbridge Foreign Exchange appears on CBC's Dragons' Den[1]
M&A · Other
Rahim Madhavji appeared on season 13, episode 20 of Dragons' Den and reached an announced CAD 1 million investment agreement with Arlene Dickinson and Michele Romanow for a 30 percent stake.
Sources1 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/knightsbridge-foreign-exchange · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled