About
Stripe: Building the Financial Backbone of the Internet
Stripe is revolutionizing the global financial ecosystem by providing a seamless, developer-friendly platform that powers online payments, financial management, and business scalability. At its core, Stripe's mission is to "increase the GDP of the internet," equipping businesses of all sizes—from nimble startups to global enterprises—with the tools they need to thrive in the digital economy. Beyond payments, Stripe’s suite of services includes advanced fraud prevention, subscription billing, corporate card issuance, and financial analytics, solidifying its position as the financial infrastructure layer for the internet.
Founding Story: A Vision for Simplifying Online Payments
Stripe was founded in 2010 by brothers Patrick and John Collison, who recognized a critical gap in the online payment landscape. As young entrepreneurs building their own projects, they experienced firsthand the complexity and inefficiency of existing payment systems. Frustrated by the lack of simple, developer-friendly solutions, the Collison brothers set out to create a platform that would eliminate friction for businesses accepting online payments.
From its inception, Stripe focused on building a product tailored for developers, offering simple APIs that could be integrated in hours, not days. This approach resonated with engineers and business owners alike, fueling rapid adoption. Today, Stripe is one of the most valuable private technology companies in the world, a testament to its relentless innovation and ability to solve critical challenges for the internet economy.
Why Susquehanna Capital Invested in Stripe
Our focus is on investing in transformative fintech and blockchain companies that shape the future of finance. Stripe represents the epitome of our investment thesis: a category-defining company with a massive addressable market, exceptional leadership, and an unwavering commitment to innovation.
Stripe stood out to us for three key reasons:
Market Opportunity: The rise of e-commerce, digital subscriptions, and online services has created an unprecedented need for reliable payment solutions. Stripe is uniquely positioned to capture this demand, with its platform powering millions of businesses across 120+ countries.
Leadership: Patrick and John Collison exemplify the qualities we look for in founders: visionary leadership, technical expertise, and a deep understanding of their market. Their ability to stay ahead of industry trends and continually innovate has been key to Stripe's success.
Ecosystem Impact: Stripe’s expansion beyond payments into broader financial services—such as Stripe Issuing for custom payment cards and Stripe Treasury for banking as a service—makes it a cornerstone of the internet economy. This strategic diversification aligns with our belief in the growing convergence of fintech and traditional finance.
Impressive Growth Metrics
Stripe’s growth trajectory has been nothing short of extraordinary. Here are a few highlights that underscore its market leadership:
Transaction Volume: Stripe processes hundreds of billions of dollars in payments annually, with clients ranging from small businesses to global brands like Amazon, Shopify, and Lyft.
Developer Adoption: Stripe’s developer-first approach has fostered an active community of over 1 million developers worldwide, driving its rapid integration across industries.
Valuation: As of its most recent funding round, Stripe is valued at $50 billion, reflecting its dominant market position and growth potential.
Global Reach: Stripe supports payments in over 135 currencies and has offices in more than 10 countries, enabling businesses worldwide to scale across borders effortlessly.
Impact of Susquehanna’s Investment
Our partnership with Stripe has enabled the company to accelerate its global expansion and deepen its product offerings. As an early investor, Susquehanna provided both capital and strategic guidance, supporting Stripe in its journey to redefine financial infrastructure.
Key outcomes of our collaboration include:
International Growth: Susquehanna’s network facilitated Stripe’s entry into new markets, particularly in Asia-Pacific and Europe, where digital payments are experiencing exponential growth.
Product Innovation: With our focus on blockchain and fintech, we worked closely with Stripe’s leadership to explore opportunities in decentralized finance (DeFi) and tokenized payments, ensuring the company remains at the forefront of emerging financial technologies.
Stripe continues to align with our core belief that the future of finance lies in seamless, borderless, and developer-friendly platforms. We are proud to support Stripe as it builds the financial backbone of the internet, empowering millions of businesses to thrive in an increasingly digital world.