Patreon vs Stripe: Founders, CEOs and History
Patreon was founded in 2013 by Jack Conte, Sam Yam and is led by Jack Conte. Stripe was founded in 2010 by Patrick Collison, John Collison and is led by Patrick Collison.
Company facts
Founders
Patreon
Jack Conte
Jack Conte co-founded Patreon in 2013 after years of building an audience on YouTube with Pomplamoose and earning little from ads.
Sam Yam
Sam Yam co-founded Patreon with Jack Conte in 2013 and built the first version of the platform, serving as its chief technology officer during its early growth.
Stripe
Patrick Collison
Patrick Collison is Stripe's co-founder and CEO. Before Stripe he co-founded Auctomatic, an eBay seller-tools startup that was acquired in 2008. In 2010 he and his brother John started Stripe to make online payments easy for developers to integrate.
John Collison
John Collison is Stripe's co-founder and President. He has focused on Stripe's commercial expansion, large-customer relationships and partnerships with banks and card networks.
CEOs and their tenures
Patreon
- Jack Conte2013–present
Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder
Has led Patreon since founding, through $10 billion in lifetime creator earnings and the 2026 restructuring.
Source - Sam Yam2013–present
Co-Founder (former CTO)
Built the original Patreon platform and led early engineering.
Source
Stripe
- Patrick Collison2010–present
Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer
He built Stripe from a developer payments API into a platform that handled $1.9 trillion of business volume in 2025.
Source - John Collison2010–present
Co-founder and President
John Collison co-founded Stripe and serves as President, focusing on commercial growth, large customers and partnerships with banks and card networks.
Source
Timeline: Patreon and Stripe side by side
2010Stripe
Stripe is founded
Patrick and John Collison founded Stripe to simplify online payments for developers.
2011Stripe
Stripe launches publicly
Stripe became known for developer-friendly payment APIs and fast onboarding.
2013Patreon
Patreon Founded in San Francisco by Jack Conte and Sam Yam
Musician Jack Conte and engineer Sam Yam founded Patreon, writing the platform in six weeks and raising $2.1M.
2014Patreon
$15M Series A Led by Danny Rimer at Index Ventures
Raised Series A, crossing 10,000 creators earning over $1 million per month in fan subscriptions.
2016Patreon
$30M Series B & Crosses $100M in Cumulative Creator Payouts
Raised $30 million led by Thrive Capital, passing $100 million paid out directly to artists.
2017Patreon
$60M Series C & The December Fee Crisis Humility Moment
Reached $60M Series C; reversed controversial transaction fee changes following creator community feedback.
2019Patreon
$60M Series D at $660M Valuation & Launches European Entity
Expanded internationally, establishing Dublin operations and launching multi-currency billing.
2020Patreon
$90M Series E at $1.2B Valuation & Pandemic Creator Boom
Achieved unicorn status during COVID-19 lockdowns as creators turned to Patreon for direct survival.
2020Stripe
Paystack acquisition
Stripe acquired Paystack to deepen payment infrastructure in African markets.
2021Patreon
$155M Series F at $4.0B Valuation Led by Tiger & Lone Pine
Valuation reached $4.0 billion; cumulative creator payouts surged past $2.0 billion.
2023Patreon
Launches Free Memberships, Patreon Commerce & Spotify Partnership
Debuted digital goods sales, free membership tiers, and native podcast streaming inside Spotify.
2025Stripe
Bridge acquisition completed
Stripe completed the Bridge acquisition and expanded stablecoin infrastructure.
2025Stripe
$1.9T in total volume
Businesses on Stripe generated $1.9 trillion in total volume, up 34% from 2024.
2026Patreon
Creators Pass $10 Billion in Lifetime Earnings
Cumulative creator earnings passed $10 billion in August 2025, with about 25 million paid memberships.
2026Stripe
$159B tender valuation
Stripe announced a tender offer for current and former employees at a $159 billion valuation in February 2026.
2026Stripe
$53B PayPal bid dropped
Stripe and Advent International made a joint offer of about $53.4 billion for PayPal in July 2026 and abandoned it in late August.
2026Stripe
OpenRouter acquisition agreed
Stripe agreed to acquire AI model gateway OpenRouter in August 2026, reportedly for about $7.5 billion.
Acquisitions
Stripe
- OpenRouter2026$7.5B
- Bridge2025$1.1B
- Privy2025Undisclosed
- Metronome2025Undisclosed
- Lemon Squeezy2024Undisclosed
- Recko2021Undisclosed
Questions about Patreon vs Stripe
Who is the CEO of Patreon, Inc. and Stripe, Inc.?
Patreon, Inc. is led by Jack Conte and Stripe, Inc. is led by Patrick Collison. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Patreon, Inc. founded vs Stripe, Inc.?
Stripe, Inc. was founded in 2010 — 3 years before Patreon, Inc., which was founded in 2013. Stripe, Inc.'s longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Patreon, Inc..
How many employees does Patreon, Inc. have compared to Stripe, Inc.?
Patreon, Inc. employs approximately 370 people, while Stripe, Inc. employs approximately 9,000. Stripe, Inc. has the larger workforce at 9,000 employees, compared to Patreon, Inc.'s 370. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are Patreon, Inc. and Stripe, Inc. headquartered?
Patreon, Inc. is headquartered in United States and Stripe, Inc. is headquartered in United States / Ireland. Their different home markets mean they may face different regulatory frameworks, tax regimes, and currency exposure.
Who founded Patreon, Inc. and Stripe, Inc.?
Patreon, Inc. was founded by Jack Conte, Sam Yam. Stripe, Inc. was founded by Patrick Collison, John Collison.
Which company has a longer operating history — Patreon, Inc. or Stripe, Inc.?
Stripe, Inc. has been operating for approximately 16 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Patreon, Inc. has been in operation for around 13 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Patreon vs Stripe overview