Plaid vs Stripe: Founders, CEOs and History
Plaid was founded in 2013 by Zachary Perret, William Hockey and is led by Zachary Perret. Stripe was founded in 2010 by Patrick Collison, John Collison and is led by Patrick Collison.
Company facts
Founders
Plaid
Zachary Perret
Zach Perret is the co-founder and CEO of Plaid. He has led the company since 2013, through its shift from screen scraping to direct bank APIs, the abandoned $5.3 billion Visa acquisition in 2020-2021, and its growth to more than $500 million in ARR by 2025.
William Hockey
William Hockey co-founded Plaid in 2013 and served as its president, focusing on engineering and product. He left Plaid in 2021 and co-founded Column, a nationally chartered bank built for developers.
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
Plaid
- Zach Perret2013–present
Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder
Has led Plaid since 2013, through the abandoned Visa deal, the move to direct bank APIs and growth to $500M+ ARR in 2025.
Source - William Hockey2013–2021
Co-Founder & former President
Led engineering and product in Plaid's early years; left in 2021 to co-found Column, a developer-focused bank.
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: Plaid 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.
2013Plaid
Plaid Founded in San Francisco
Zach Perret and William Hockey founded Plaid to build modern developer APIs for banking data.
2014Plaid
$2.8M Seed Round Led by Spark Capital
Raised $2.8 million in seed capital, launching Plaid Link and signing early fintech customers Venmo and Robinhood.
2016Plaid
$44M Series B Led by Goldman Sachs Investment Partners
Secured $44 million to expand bank connectivity across thousands of regional US credit unions and banks.
2018Plaid
$250M Series C at $2.65B Valuation Led by Kleiner Perkins
Achieved unicorn status at $2.65 billion, acquiring competitor Quovo to expand into wealth management data.
2020Plaid
Visa Announces $5.3B Acquisition of Plaid
Visa announced a definitive agreement to acquire Plaid for $5.3 billion to expand into open banking.
2020Stripe
Paystack acquisition
Stripe acquired Paystack to deepen payment infrastructure in African markets.
2021Plaid
Visa Merger Terminated Following DOJ Antitrust Suit
Mutually terminated the Visa acquisition following a DOJ antitrust suit; raised $425M Series D at $13.4B valuation.
2022Plaid
Acquires Cognito to Expand into Identity Verification
Acquired identity verification platform Cognito, launching Plaid IDV and compliance monitoring.
2024Plaid
CFPB Issues Landmark Section 1033 Open Banking Rule
The CFPB finalized Section 1033 regulations, legally prohibiting banks from blocking consumer open banking data.
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.
2026Plaid
Surpasses $300M+ ARR Connecting 100M+ Consumers Ahead of IPO
Achieved annualized revenue exceeding $300 million, powering over 8,000 fintech applications.
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 Plaid vs Stripe
Who is the CEO of Plaid Inc. and Stripe, Inc.?
Plaid Inc. is led by Zachary Perret 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 Plaid Inc. founded vs Stripe, Inc.?
Stripe, Inc. was founded in 2010 — 3 years before Plaid 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 Plaid Inc..
How many employees does Plaid Inc. have compared to Stripe, Inc.?
Plaid Inc. employs approximately 1,300 people, while Stripe, Inc. employs approximately 9,000. Stripe, Inc. has the larger workforce at 9,000 employees, compared to Plaid Inc.'s 1,300. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are Plaid Inc. and Stripe, Inc. headquartered?
Plaid 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 Plaid Inc. and Stripe, Inc.?
Plaid Inc. was founded by Zachary Perret, William Hockey. Stripe, Inc. was founded by Patrick Collison, John Collison.
Which company has a longer operating history — Plaid Inc. or Stripe, Inc.?
Stripe, Inc. has been operating for approximately 16 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Plaid 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 Plaid vs Stripe overview