Stripe is back in the headlines — and this time the numbers are eye-watering. The Irish-founded fintech company is reportedly arranging a tender offer that would value it at around 140 billion dollars, a dramatic jump from last year and a figure that puts it among the most valuable private tech firms in the world. 

So, what exactly is Stripe? If you’ve ever paid for something online — from shopping to subscriptions to gig work — there’s a strong chance Stripe powered the transaction behind the scenes. Founded by Patrick and John Collison from Co Tipperary, the company set out to make online payments radically simple for developers. That simplicity turned into a global payments infrastructure business operating in more than 100 markets, with dual headquarters in Dublin and San Francisco. 

In this episode, Ciara Doherty is joined by Charlie Taylor, Technology and Innovation Editor at the Business Post, to explore the extraordinary story of how two teenage coders built a fintech giant