Bolt Financial
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Financial technology |
| Founded | 2014 in San Francisco, United States |
| Founder | Ryan Breslow, Eric Feldman |
| Headquarters | San Francisco , United States |
Area served | United States, Europe |
Key people | Maju Kuruvilla (CEO) |
| Products | One-click online checkout software |
Number of employees | <700 (2024) |
| Website | bolt |
Bolt Financial Inc. (commonly known as Bolt) is a financial technology firm headquartered in the United States that provides merchants with software solutions designed to facilitate one-click online checkout experiences. Established in 2014 in San Francisco by Stanford University computer science graduates Ryan Breslow and Eric Feldman, Bolt's mission is to streamline the online purchasing process and empower independent retailers to rival Amazon, which maintained the patent for one-click checkout until 2017.
History
Bolt began its journey in Breslow's college dormitory, concentrating on optimizing the e-commerce checkout flow. The company expanded its footprint into the European market in 2021 by onboarding its initial European clients and acquiring the Swedish tech company Tipser to broaden its product capabilities.
By the end of 2021, Bolt had secured $393 million in funding, pushing its total capital raised close to $1 billion, and achieved a valuation of $11 billion by January 2022. In February 2022, Maju Kuruvilla took over as CEO, succeeding founder Ryan Breslow.
Nevertheless, by February 2024, Bolt’s valuation had declined sharply by approximately 97%, settling near $300 million, with a workforce below 700 employees. In August 2024, the company pursued $450 million in fresh capital, led by The London Fund; this included as much as $250 million allocated as influencer marketing credits instead of direct cash. This funding round encountered criticism due to reports that several portfolio firms had minimal familiarity with The London Fund.