Stripe, the payment processing firm co-founded by Irish brothers Patrick and John Collision, has raised €6.1bn ($7.6bn) in a funding round that will help fuel its global expansion plans. However, the company’s valuation has fallen significantly since its last funding round in April 2020, with the latest investment valuing Stripe at $95bn, down from $120bn. This news has raised questions about the sustainability of high valuations in the tech industry, as some investors show growing concerns about a potential tech bubble. In this article, we’ll look at the key factors behind Stripe’s latest funding round and what it means for the company’s future growth.
Stripe, the payment company founded by brothers Patrick and John Collison from Limerick, has secured over $6.5 billion (€6.15 billion) in a new funding round at a valuation of $50 billion (€47 billion). Dubbed the “Series I” cash, it is primarily intended to provide liquidity to current and former employees and address employee withholding tax obligations linked to equity awards. Stripe has clarified that the business does not require the capital to operate. The round sees the company’s value plummet to almost half its previous valuation of $95 billion in March 2021. Existing investors such as Andreessen Horowitz, Baillie Gifford, Founders Fund, General Catalyst, MSD Partners, and Thrive Capital are among the primary investors, with new investors such as GIC, Goldman Sachs Asset and Wealth Management, and Temasek also getting involved. The funding round also complicates Stripe’s potential IPO plans, which have been widely speculated about in recent years. Stripe’s Dublin office is its joint global headquarters, with tens of thousands of firms worldwide using the payment firm to handle their online payments. Furthermore, Stripe’s newest initiative is its partnership with Amazon, where they became a strategic payment partner for the retail giant’s services such as Prime, Audible, Kindle, and Amazon Pay in the US, Canada, and Europe.
Despite being valued at nearly half its previous worth, Collision Brothers’ Stripe has secured an impressive €6.1bn investment. This news is a testament to the company’s resilience and ability to weather difficult times. With this latest investment, Stripe can continue to innovate and expand, providing essential services to businesses worldwide. As we look to the future, there is great anticipation for what this innovative fintech company will accomplish next.
