Patreon vs Teespring: Founders, CEOs and History
Patreon was founded in 2013 by Jack Conte, Sam Yam and is led by Jack Conte. Teespring was founded in 2011 by Walker Williams, Evan Stites-Clayton and is led by Aaron Day.
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.
Teespring
Walker Williams
Walker Williams co-founded Teespring in 2011 with Evan Stites-Clayton and led it as CEO through its Y Combinator and venture-funded growth years. He later stepped back from the role.
Evan Stites-Clayton
Evan Stites-Clayton co-founded Teespring in 2011 and worked on building the platform that let anyone sell custom apparel through pre-order campaigns.
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
Teespring
- Aaron Day
Chief Executive Officer, Amaze Holdings
Took the business public as Amaze Holdings (NYSE American: AMZE).
Source - Walker Williams2011–2017
Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer (20112017)
The founding who created the social commerce crowdfunding category and established custom apparel as an accessible online asset class.
Source - Chris Lamontagne2018–present
Former Chief Executive Officer
Repositioned Teespring around creator merchandise.
Source
Timeline: Patreon and Teespring side by side
2011Teespring
Teespring founded
Walker Williams and Evan Stites-Clayton launched a pre-order model for custom T-shirts.
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.
2013Teespring
Y Combinator
Teespring went through Y Combinator.
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.
2014Teespring
Venture rounds
Raised a Series A led by Andreessen Horowitz and a $35 million Series B led by Khosla Ventures.
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.
2018Teespring
YouTube merch shelf
Became a launch partner for YouTube's merchandise shelf beneath creator videos.
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.
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.
2021Teespring
Rebrand to Spring
Teespring rebranded as Spring to reflect products beyond T-shirts.
2023Patreon
Launches Free Memberships, Patreon Commerce & Spotify Partnership
Debuted digital goods sales, free membership tiers, and native podcast streaming inside Spotify.
2023Teespring
Warehouse closure
Spring closed its production warehouse and laid off staff, according to Business Insider.
2025Teespring
Public via Fresh Vine Wine
Fresh Vine Wine completed its acquisition of Amaze Software (Spring, Teespring Marketplace) in March 2025 and renamed itself Amaze Holdings (AMZE).
2026Patreon
Creators Pass $10 Billion in Lifetime Earnings
Cumulative creator earnings passed $10 billion in August 2025, with about 25 million paid memberships.
2026Teespring
Q2 2026 update
Amaze reported Q2 revenue of about $0.6 million (+32% QoQ) and a narrower net loss of about $4.4 million.
Acquisitions
Questions about Patreon vs Teespring
Who is the CEO of Patreon, Inc. and Teespring (Spring by Amaze)?
Patreon, Inc. is led by Jack Conte and Teespring (Spring by Amaze) is led by Aaron Day. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Patreon, Inc. founded vs Teespring (Spring by Amaze)?
Teespring (Spring by Amaze) was founded in 2011 — 2 years before Patreon, Inc., which was founded in 2013. Teespring (Spring by Amaze)'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 Teespring (Spring by Amaze)?
Patreon, Inc. employs approximately 370 people. A verified employee count for Teespring (Spring by Amaze) is not currently available.
Where are Patreon, Inc. and Teespring (Spring by Amaze) headquartered?
Both Patreon, Inc. and Teespring (Spring by Amaze) are headquartered in United States, meaning they operate under the same primary regulatory and tax environment.
Who founded Patreon, Inc. and Teespring (Spring by Amaze)?
Patreon, Inc. was founded by Jack Conte, Sam Yam. Teespring (Spring by Amaze) was founded by Walker Williams, Evan Stites-Clayton.
Which company has a longer operating history — Patreon, Inc. or Teespring (Spring by Amaze)?
Teespring (Spring by Amaze) has been operating for approximately 15 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 Teespring overview