In February 2009, Jim McKelvey wasn’t able to sell a piece of his glass art because he couldn’t accept a credit card as payment. Even though a majority of payments has moved to plastic cards, accepting payments from cards is still difficult, requiring long applications, expensive hardware, and an overly complex experience. Square was born a few days later right next to the old San Francisco US Mint.
Today the Square team is focused on bringing immediacy, transparency, and approachability to the world of payments: an inherently social interaction each of us participates in daily.
Financials
| Date | Type | Amount | Investors | Valuation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11/01/09 | Series A | 10M | Unknown | |
| 01/01/11 | Series B | 27.5M | Unknown | |
| 12/01/11 | Series C | 103M | Unknown | |
| View more financial info about Square | ||||
People
Larry Summers (Board member)
Jim McKelvey (Co-Founder)
Vinod Khosla (Director)
Jack Dorsey (Board member)
Competitors
Payleven:
payleven is the smart way to get paid: it’s low-cost, convenient and secure. payleven gives you… See Company Profile »
Paydiant:
Paydiant will be formally launching later this year, but in the meantime if you are a… See Company Profile »
AppNinjas:
Accept Credit Cards on your iPhone Swipe transforms your iPhone or iPod into a safe and… See Company Profile »
iCharge:
iCharge developed when a small group of serial entrepreneurs and credit card industry experts had a… See Company Profile »
OpenCuro:
OpenCuro is an online payment and money transfer service for individuals and businesses including online merchants.… See Company Profile »
News
Square breaks out of North America, starting with Japan
May 23, 2013 1:31 pm
July 9-10, 2013 San Francisco, CA Early Bird Tickets on Sale The next time you enter a tiny Shibuya noodle… Continue reading ⟩
Square’s next step: Sending cash to friends by e-mail with Square Cash
May 20, 2013 8:42 pm
Sending cash to people by e-mail may be the next big payment feature to spread across the Internet (even though… Continue reading ⟩
Square shows off $300 ‘Stand’ to help retailers ditch old-school cash registers
May 14, 2013 4:16 pm
Mobile payments business Square has debuted a new piece of hardware called the Square Stand that makes using an iPad… Continue reading ⟩