Stripe is a US-based technology firm that serves as a payment gateway for sending and receiving money . It was founded in 2009 by two Irish brothers , Patrick and John Collinson , who were both around the age of 20 at the time . Today , John serves as President , while Patrick is CEO . Having gotten its start with assistance from the Y Combinator startup accelerator , it counts among its customers established giants like Amazon , Google and Microsoft , as well as disruptors such as Spotify , Uber and Shopify . Its valuation ties it with SpaceX in fourth place on our list .

YEAR FOUNDED