Plug and Play

Plug and Play, founded in 2006 and based in Sunnyvale, California, operates as a business accelerator and venture capital firm that focuses on early-stage and seed investments in technology startups. The firm runs 12 industry-specific accelerator programs annually, connecting startups with corporate partners and investors to foster collaboration and growth. Plug and Play's investment strategy encompasses a wide range of sectors, including fintech, health and wellness, travel, cybersecurity, and sustainability, allowing it to support diverse startups from any country. The firm provides various resources, including funding, mentorship, office space, and networking opportunities, and has a global presence with offices in North America, Europe, and Asia. Plug and Play has a strong track record, having helped numerous startups secure over $9 billion in funding since its inception. Its programs aim to refine business models and facilitate introductions to potential investors, ultimately contributing to the growth of the startup ecosystem.

Saeed Amidi

Co-Founder & Co-Chief Executive Officer

Kiswana Browne

Associate

Gabriela Dow

Co-Founder and Partner

Matt Helmers

Director of Strategy and Innovation

Alex Roudi

Managing Partner, San Diego

Marc Steiner

General Counsel

Jupe Tan

Managing Partner, Asia Pacific & Senior Vice President, Global Operations

Phillip Vincent

Managing Partner, East Asia

Chen Zhao

Managing Partner, China

Past deals in Payments

Gr4vy

Series A in 2022
Gr4vy, Inc. is a payment orchestration platform that provides businesses with comprehensive payment solutions. Founded in 2020 and headquartered in San Mateo, California, the company specializes in streamlining the payments infrastructure through a centralized hub for reporting, monitoring, and management. Gr4vy's services aim to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of payment processing for businesses, allowing them to optimize their financial operations.

CloudWalk

Series C in 2021
CloudWalk, Inc. develops CloudWalk, an open payment cloud platform, which accommodates various payment methods on the same payment device for acquirers, PSPs, and sub-acquirers worldwide. It serves tickets for event, prepaid cell phone, and private label market segments. The company was founded in 2013 and is based in Sunnyvale, California.

Veriply

Pre Seed Round in 2021
We help you identify payment risks and transaction errors by auditing all your invoice-based spend prior to payment. Our specialized solution allows us to make intelligent predictions and create meaningful insights from your data, helping you stay secure at all times. Proud UC Berkeley-born startup.

ChargeAfter

Series B in 2021
ChargeAfter Ltd is a financing technology platform that specializes in Point of Sale financing. Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Ramat Gan, Israel, with additional offices in Sunnyvale, California, and New York, the company connects lenders with merchants to create a global financing network. This platform enables merchants to provide consumers with personalized financing options at checkout from multiple lenders, facilitating real-time financial solutions that enhance the purchasing experience. ChargeAfter's innovative approach aims to streamline the financing process, making it more accessible for consumers while supporting merchants in offering diverse payment solutions.

CloudWalk

Series C in 2021
CloudWalk, Inc. develops CloudWalk, an open payment cloud platform, which accommodates various payment methods on the same payment device for acquirers, PSPs, and sub-acquirers worldwide. It serves tickets for event, prepaid cell phone, and private label market segments. The company was founded in 2013 and is based in Sunnyvale, California.

Jingle Pay

Convertible Note in 2021
Jingle Pay is a social payment application designed for both individuals and enterprises, focusing on financial inclusion in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. It provides a fee-free current account and a multi-currency wallet that facilitates remittance, currency exchange, and peer-to-peer payments, including features for splitting and sharing expenses. Additionally, Jingle Pay offers nano financing, payment processing, and both open and closed-loop offline card payment solutions. By partnering with established financial institutions and technology companies, Jingle Pay empowers users with easy access to a range of financial services, including instant money transfers and other value-added services.

Denim

Series A in 2021
Axle Payments specializes in providing financial solutions to the freight industry, focusing on small freight brokers and their carriers. Founded in 2016 by Shawn Vo and Bharath Krishnamoorthy, the company is headquartered in New York. Axle Payments offers non-recourse factoring and payment processing services, which help brokers and carriers access the working capital they need to operate effectively. In addition to factoring, the company provides integrated payment solutions, collections, and financing options that enhance the efficiency and transparency of financial transactions within the logistics sector. Axle Payments aims to support the sustainability of the global logistics industry through its innovative financial services.

Jerry

Series A in 2021
Jerry is an AI financial service startup that negotiates loans and insurances for american families. The company constantly looks for savings on your fixed costs (subscriptions like insurance, loans, etc) and does all the work to negotiate better rates and paperwork to switch and save money automatically. Like all best things in life, Jerry is completely free for members!

CloudWalk

Series B in 2021
CloudWalk, Inc. develops CloudWalk, an open payment cloud platform, which accommodates various payment methods on the same payment device for acquirers, PSPs, and sub-acquirers worldwide. It serves tickets for event, prepaid cell phone, and private label market segments. The company was founded in 2013 and is based in Sunnyvale, California.

BlueTape

Seed Round in 2021
LinqPal is a financing platform offering flexible payments for construction material purchases to contractors, developers, and other construction pros.

Bankly

Seed Round in 2021
Bankly is a digital savings and peer to peer transfer product where users fund their wallet using tokens available on Bankly vouchers nationwide in a “Recharge to save” model. This cash digitisation system is similar to the telco mobile airtime top up and is currently available on MTN and 9mobile networks in Nigeria. Financial services has to be seen through the lenses of a fast moving consumer product in order to reach the last mile and the use of vouchers has been proven to be a successful cash digitisation system by the telecoms industry. Leveraging this existing consumer behaviour to drive financial inclusion, reduce cost of financial services and create a foundation to provide other financial services is where Bankly identifies huge potential and is poised to make an impact.

Payflow

Seed Round in 2021
Payflow Digital, SL, founded in 2019 and based in Madrid, Spain, offers a digital wallet service that allows employees to access their earned salaries instantly. This employee benefit enhances financial well-being by providing immediate access to funds, which can lead to improved productivity and engagement within the workplace. Companies that implement Payflow's services can enjoy these benefits without any impact on their cash flow, making it an attractive option for employers looking to support their workforce. The company operates as a venture backed by Rocket Internet, emphasizing its commitment to innovation in employee financial solutions.

Bankly

Convertible Note in 2021
Bankly is a digital savings and peer to peer transfer product where users fund their wallet using tokens available on Bankly vouchers nationwide in a “Recharge to save” model. This cash digitisation system is similar to the telco mobile airtime top up and is currently available on MTN and 9mobile networks in Nigeria. Financial services has to be seen through the lenses of a fast moving consumer product in order to reach the last mile and the use of vouchers has been proven to be a successful cash digitisation system by the telecoms industry. Leveraging this existing consumer behaviour to drive financial inclusion, reduce cost of financial services and create a foundation to provide other financial services is where Bankly identifies huge potential and is poised to make an impact.

CloudWalk

Convertible Note in 2020
CloudWalk, Inc. develops CloudWalk, an open payment cloud platform, which accommodates various payment methods on the same payment device for acquirers, PSPs, and sub-acquirers worldwide. It serves tickets for event, prepaid cell phone, and private label market segments. The company was founded in 2013 and is based in Sunnyvale, California.

Gr4vy

Seed Round in 2020
Gr4vy, Inc. is a payment orchestration platform that provides businesses with comprehensive payment solutions. Founded in 2020 and headquartered in San Mateo, California, the company specializes in streamlining the payments infrastructure through a centralized hub for reporting, monitoring, and management. Gr4vy's services aim to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of payment processing for businesses, allowing them to optimize their financial operations.

NowPay

Seed Round in 2020
NowPay, Inc. is a fintech company based in Cairo, Egypt, founded in 2018. It operates an online platform designed to enhance the financial wellness of corporate employees. The platform offers personal finance management services, allowing users to track savings, spending, budgeting, and borrowing. Additionally, NowPay provides a mobile application that offers detailed insights into employees' salaries, balances, and eligible loan amounts. The company partners with employers to facilitate advance salary payments, enabling employees to access their earnings at any time during the month without incurring liabilities, and to repay these advances over multiple months.

NowPay

Seed Round in 2020
NowPay, Inc. is a fintech company based in Cairo, Egypt, founded in 2018. It operates an online platform designed to enhance the financial wellness of corporate employees. The platform offers personal finance management services, allowing users to track savings, spending, budgeting, and borrowing. Additionally, NowPay provides a mobile application that offers detailed insights into employees' salaries, balances, and eligible loan amounts. The company partners with employers to facilitate advance salary payments, enabling employees to access their earnings at any time during the month without incurring liabilities, and to repay these advances over multiple months.

Nemuru

Venture Round in 2020
Nemuru is a point-of-sale platform (B2B2C) that is disrupting how people pay for their services and products on a simple, affordable and convenient way, with special focus on home improvement, healthcare and education sectors.

Payactiv

Venture Round in 2020
PayActiv, Inc. is a financial wellness platform that offers earned wage access services to employees and employers across various industries, including restaurants, factories, hospitals, and retail stores. Founded in 2011 and based in San Jose, California, PayActiv allows users to access a portion of their earned but unpaid wages between pay periods, providing timely financial relief. The platform not only facilitates wage access but also includes tools for budgeting, saving, and money management, leveraging artificial intelligence and machine learning to enhance financial planning. By addressing the financial stress faced by employees, PayActiv aims to empower lower-income workers and foster a more productive workforce, ultimately contributing to improved employee financial health and resilience. The company was previously known as PayKloud, Inc. before rebranding in 2014.

Dapi

Convertible Note in 2020
Dapi Ltd is a fintech company that specializes in developing application programming interfaces (APIs) to facilitate payments between consumer bank accounts and businesses. Founded in 2019 and headquartered in Abu Dhabi, the company provides a suite of open banking APIs designed to connect customer bank accounts, initiate payments, and access financial data in real-time. Dapi acts as an intermediary between financial applications and banks, enabling developers to create solutions such as digital wallets, budget trackers, and investment applications. Its services allow fintech companies to initiate payments through banks and offer financial services based on customer bank statement data. Dapi operates in multiple countries, including the United States, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Pakistan, South Africa, and Kuwait, and has demonstrated significant demand for its offerings, achieving substantial growth in annual recurring revenue.

Denim

Pre Seed Round in 2020
Axle Payments specializes in providing financial solutions to the freight industry, focusing on small freight brokers and their carriers. Founded in 2016 by Shawn Vo and Bharath Krishnamoorthy, the company is headquartered in New York. Axle Payments offers non-recourse factoring and payment processing services, which help brokers and carriers access the working capital they need to operate effectively. In addition to factoring, the company provides integrated payment solutions, collections, and financing options that enhance the efficiency and transparency of financial transactions within the logistics sector. Axle Payments aims to support the sustainability of the global logistics industry through its innovative financial services.

INSTO

Venture Round in 2019
INSTO is the world's first person-to-person payment platform that allows buyers and sellers to schedule payments over time. Buy or sell anything, and schedule recurring payments for things like services or rent.

Zact

Series B in 2019
Priv8Pay Inc. develops a combined payment and expense management platform for corporate travel and entertainment sector. The company’s platform enables approval of payments, management of expenses as well as travel concierge services for the traveler before, during, and after the trip. Priv8Pay Inc. was founded in 2010 and is headquartered in Saratoga, California.

Stoovo

Seed Round in 2019
Stoovo, Inc. develops and offers Stoovo, an application to pay off loans, taxes, and bills with instant gigs. The application also offers financial advice through AI that analyzes spending, debt, and tax obligations in real-time. Stoovo, Inc. was incorporated in 2018 and is based in Sunnyvale, California.

Verse

Venture Round in 2019
Verse is the payments technology platform that takes the friction out of storing, spending and sharing money. The mobile app allows you to share payments easily, instantly and with no hidden fees and also allows you to choose whether your transactions are private or public so that you can have fun while keeping track of your financial activities. Verse is available for both Android and iOS-based phones and transactions are completed in less than two business days. The company was founded in 2016 and is based in Barcelona, Spain.

ChargeAfter

Series A in 2019
ChargeAfter Ltd is a financing technology platform that specializes in Point of Sale financing. Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Ramat Gan, Israel, with additional offices in Sunnyvale, California, and New York, the company connects lenders with merchants to create a global financing network. This platform enables merchants to provide consumers with personalized financing options at checkout from multiple lenders, facilitating real-time financial solutions that enhance the purchasing experience. ChargeAfter's innovative approach aims to streamline the financing process, making it more accessible for consumers while supporting merchants in offering diverse payment solutions.

Tanken

Convertible Note in 2019
Tanken is a contactless smart electronic payment system.

STACK

Seed Round in 2018
STACK delivers a smarter way to spend, save and share your money fee-free and straight from your mobile Replace your wallet with real-time notifications, effortless savings, tap-to-pay funtionality and relevant rewards.

ChargeAfter

Series A in 2018
ChargeAfter Ltd is a financing technology platform that specializes in Point of Sale financing. Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Ramat Gan, Israel, with additional offices in Sunnyvale, California, and New York, the company connects lenders with merchants to create a global financing network. This platform enables merchants to provide consumers with personalized financing options at checkout from multiple lenders, facilitating real-time financial solutions that enhance the purchasing experience. ChargeAfter's innovative approach aims to streamline the financing process, making it more accessible for consumers while supporting merchants in offering diverse payment solutions.

VoPay

Seed Round in 2018
VoPay specializes in payment innovation by offering a fintech platform that enables businesses to digitize online bank account payments with efficiency and transparency. Through its API, VoPay connects digital enterprises to banking systems, allowing them to facilitate direct bank account payments akin to credit card transactions but with enhanced benefits. The platform serves as a single payment layer, automating the process of sending and receiving money directly from any bank account. VoPay's solutions aim to eliminate payment inefficiencies, enabling businesses to concentrate on their core activities. The integration of VoPay's platform provides secure, data-driven financial services, allowing companies to embed these capabilities into their existing applications seamlessly. By leveraging this technology, businesses can connect to major payment networks efficiently and access rich customer data for informed decision-making, enhancing the overall developer experience.

SwayPay

Seed Round in 2018
SwayPay enables conversations between hotels and guests. Hotels need to directly communicate with guests in real-time to drive bookings and improve the guest experience. AI segments and contacts potential guests based on their likelihood to purchase.

Zact

Series A in 2018
Priv8Pay Inc. develops a combined payment and expense management platform for corporate travel and entertainment sector. The company’s platform enables approval of payments, management of expenses as well as travel concierge services for the traveler before, during, and after the trip. Priv8Pay Inc. was founded in 2010 and is headquartered in Saratoga, California.

Denim

Venture Round in 2018
Axle Payments specializes in providing financial solutions to the freight industry, focusing on small freight brokers and their carriers. Founded in 2016 by Shawn Vo and Bharath Krishnamoorthy, the company is headquartered in New York. Axle Payments offers non-recourse factoring and payment processing services, which help brokers and carriers access the working capital they need to operate effectively. In addition to factoring, the company provides integrated payment solutions, collections, and financing options that enhance the efficiency and transparency of financial transactions within the logistics sector. Axle Payments aims to support the sustainability of the global logistics industry through its innovative financial services.

Popcoin

Seed Round in 2017
Popcoin

Token

Series A in 2017
Token, Inc. specializes in providing hosted digital payment solutions designed for banks, payment service providers, merchants, and developers. The company offers a range of products, including Token Connect, which enables banks and developers to create customer-centric services, and Token PSD2, a compliance-focused SaaS solution that facilitates open banking opportunities. Token BankPay allows payment service providers and merchants to leverage new open banking payment systems emerging in Europe. As a leading open banking infrastructure provider, Token aims to facilitate the transition from card-based payments to direct bank payments, enhancing connectivity and compliance across the financial landscape. With access to over 3,000 banks across Europe, Token supports innovation in digital financial services while ensuring security and regulatory adherence. Incorporated in 2015 and headquartered in Gardner, Kansas, Token is authorized by the FCA in the UK and holds passporting rights in 20 additional countries.

Jerry

Seed Round in 2017
Jerry is an AI financial service startup that negotiates loans and insurances for american families. The company constantly looks for savings on your fixed costs (subscriptions like insurance, loans, etc) and does all the work to negotiate better rates and paperwork to switch and save money automatically. Like all best things in life, Jerry is completely free for members!

Juzi Credit

Seed Round in 2016
Juzi Credit

Bankast

Seed Round in 2016
Bankast offers an alternative and instant payment method through our app, at Android and IOS technologies, which allows users to make instant payments at e-commerce or any other type of transaction. It does not necessary any credit or prepaid cards, virtual accounts, cash or bank transfers. It is just needed the smartphone. How is it possible that in the Internet age, a bank transfer is settled between 1 and 4 calendar days? As former employees of the banking sector, it always surprised us that a SWIFT message of an open letter of credit in Japan takes just a few seconds to transmit all necessary information to a Spanish bank. However, a transfer of 10 EUR between entities within the same country may take up to 4 days to cross the street. Card payments also have certain limitations, given that not all establishments have POS devices either by their lack of access to this service or its committees. If we add that the trade settlement is conducted the day after it has entered commercial operation, we believe that not everything is a flexible and economical system. Perhaps credit institutions or national chambers of compensation have not been hard enough to improve processes and settlement information, through given tacit acceptance to its premises when using their services. Nevertheless, following the liberalization of payment systems, regulation of payment institutions and the establishment of the unified European payments area (SEPA), we saw an opportunity to develop alternative system that is capable of recording, accounting and settling financial transactions between users of different financial institutions, cheaper than any other methods, and in real time

FitPay

Seed Round in 2016
FitPay, Inc. develops contactless payment platform based on wearable devices. The company was incorporated in 2014 and is based in San Francisco, California. As of May 23, 2017, FitPay, Inc. operates as a subsidiary of Nxt-ID, Inc. As of September 9, 2019, FitPay, Inc. operates as a subsidiary of Garmin International, Inc.

Merch

Seed Round in 2015
Merch connects students in China with American English tutors while taking care of video, payment, and scheduling logistics.

Bitwage

Seed Round in 2014
Bitwage, Inc. provides an online solution that provides wages and freelance payments solutions. The company’s platform allows employers, employees, or contractors to send/receive payments by leveraging Bitcoin and the Blockchain. It offers individual and employer payroll solutions to integrate individuals with payroll provider; and accept from employers the U.S. dollars or Bitcoins and pay the employee or contractor in BTC. The company was founded in 2014 and is based in San Francisco, California.

Payactiv

Series A in 2014
PayActiv, Inc. is a financial wellness platform that offers earned wage access services to employees and employers across various industries, including restaurants, factories, hospitals, and retail stores. Founded in 2011 and based in San Jose, California, PayActiv allows users to access a portion of their earned but unpaid wages between pay periods, providing timely financial relief. The platform not only facilitates wage access but also includes tools for budgeting, saving, and money management, leveraging artificial intelligence and machine learning to enhance financial planning. By addressing the financial stress faced by employees, PayActiv aims to empower lower-income workers and foster a more productive workforce, ultimately contributing to improved employee financial health and resilience. The company was previously known as PayKloud, Inc. before rebranding in 2014.

CloudWalk

Seed Round in 2014
CloudWalk, Inc. develops CloudWalk, an open payment cloud platform, which accommodates various payment methods on the same payment device for acquirers, PSPs, and sub-acquirers worldwide. It serves tickets for event, prepaid cell phone, and private label market segments. The company was founded in 2013 and is based in Sunnyvale, California.