Stripe Hires New Partnerships Lead - Startup and VC Focus

Asya Bradley Joins Stripe to Lead Startup and Venture Capital Partnerships

Former fintech entrepreneur and investor, Asya Bradley, has been appointed as the new Startup & Venture Capital Partnerships lead at the prominent payments processing company, Stripe.

The announcement was made by Bradley on February 2nd via a LinkedIn post. However, her professional profile indicates that she commenced her role at Stripe in November of the previous year.

Requests for confirmation from both Stripe and Ms. Bradley were not immediately answered.

Previous Roles and Ventures

Bradley’s prior experience includes a three-year tenure as Chief Revenue Officer at Synapse, a fintech firm that ceased operations in 2024, unexpectedly impacting a significant number of its customers.

Following Synapse, she held the position of VP of Revenue at Sila for a period of five months.

Subsequently, she became a venture partner with igniteXL Ventures for one year.

Furthermore, Bradley co-founded Kinly, a financial services startup specifically designed to serve the Black American community.

Kinly, which previously operated under the names First Boulevard and Tenth, was acquired by Greenwood in 2023.

Greenwood is a digital banking platform catering to Black and Latino individuals and businesses.

Throughout its existence, Kinly secured approximately $20 million in funding from a diverse group of investors.

• Investors included Gabrielle Union
• Marshawn Lynch
• Kevin Durant
• Forerunner Ventures
• Point72 Ventures
• Barclays
• Anthemis Group

Venture Capital Involvement

Bradley also functions as a limited partner in several venture funds, notably Cowboy Ventures and Ganas Ventures.

She is also a member of the investment committee for the Cap Table Coalition (CTC).

The Cap Table Coalition is dedicated to broadening participation in the investment landscape, specifically targeting investors historically excluded from the process.

Richie Serna, CEO of Finix – a competitor to Stripe in the payments sector – played a key role in the establishment of the CTC.

Stripe’s Startup Program and Recent Acquisitions

Stripe maintains a startup partner program designed to collaborate with venture capital firms and startup accelerators.

The program aims to provide exclusive Stripe benefits to companies within their portfolios.

In recent years, Stripe has been actively acquiring startups.

Most recently, discussions were underway regarding the potential acquisition of Bridge, a stablecoin platform, for a substantial $1 billion.

Last July, Stripe completed its third acquisition within a 14-month timeframe, and its 15th acquisition overall, by acquiring Lemon Squeezy.

Lemon Squeezy is a merchant of record specializing in the calculation and remittance of global sales tax for digital products, managing associated legal processes and fees.

Note: This article has been updated to accurately reflect Bradley’s title as lead, rather than head, of startups and venture capital at Stripe.

For further updates and news within the fintech industry, subscribe to TechCrunch Fintech here.

Confidential tips and information can be submitted via email to maryann@techcrunch.com or through Signal at 408.204.3036. Alternatively, contact the entire TechCrunch team at tips@techcrunch.com. For enhanced security, click here to access our secure communication channels, including SecureDrop and encrypted messaging applications.