Stripe is one of the hottest companies in the start-up world. Brothers Patrick and John Collison founded the company in 2010 to process internet payments. Their start-up quickly caught the attention of Elon Musk and Peter Thiel, early co-founders of the companies that became payments processor PayPal (PYPL -1.60%).
Stripe has also attracted the attention of several other venture capital investors who see promise in the company's technology. Their interest has sent the company's private market valuation soaring.
Stripe has become a leading payment processor for merchants, especially those operating online. Its technology allows them to accept credit and debit cards, process payments from mobile wallets, and use buy now, pay later services.
Stripe gets a cut of every payment (a small flat fee and a percentage of the transaction). The company processed more than $1.4 trillion in total payment volume in 2024, a notable increase from $1 trillion from the prior year.
The company is growing rapidly as more merchants use its technology to process payments, driving up its private market valuation. Many more investors wish they could own shares of the highly valued private company.
Here's a look at how to invest in Stripe and factors to consider when evaluating the company.
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