Startup profile · funding coverage
Dwolla funding, valuation and investors
ACH payments API for programmatic U.S. bank-to-bank transfers.
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Funding, valuation & investors
Answer-first snapshotLatest funding
Series C
$16.5M · April 2013
Latest known valuation
Not publicly disclosed
Total disclosed equity funding
$17M
Excludes debt, grants, acquisitions, secondaries, and IPO proceeds.
Current status
private
growth · Des Moines, Iowa
Overview
Dwolla provides ACH payments APIs — letting fintechs and platforms programmatically initiate bank transfers, verify accounts, and manage compliance for U.S. bank-to-bank payments. Raised $16.5M Series C in April 2013 led by a16z with Union Square Ventures and Thrive Capital participating — an early a16z fintech infrastructure bet.
Why Dwolla is interesting
Early a16z fintech infrastructure bet alongside USV and Thrive — precursor to modern embedded payments stacks.
Product & use cases
ACH transfer APIs with account verification, compliance, and white-label payment flows for fintechs and platforms.
- Marketplace payouts via ACH
- Fintech app bank transfers and account funding
- B2B payment automation replacing checks
Key facts
- Series C (Apr 2013): $16.5M led by a16z; USV, Thrive (TechCrunch)
- Des Moines-based fintech infrastructure pioneer
Funding history (newest first)
Series C
2013-04 $16.5MInvestors in our directory
Funds linked from Dwolla's profile — open a fund page for stage focus and related deal articles.
Competitive landscape
Edge: Early mover in ACH API infrastructure — established bank partnerships and compliance rails.
ACH infrastructure is more commoditized now with Stripe, Plaid, and Modern Treasury. Dwolla's moat is existing bank relationships and mid-market fintech customers.
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Plaid + ACH partners adjacent
Account linking plus payment initiation.
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Stripe ACH incumbent
Stripe's ACH offering within payments suite.
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Modern Treasury direct
Payment operations platform for bank transfers.
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Check (Rippling) adjacent
Payroll payments infrastructure.
Notable stories
- Dwolla was among the first API-first ACH companies — a16z bet on bank-transfer infrastructure before 'embedded finance' became a category (TechCrunch, 2013).
Industries
Related funding articles
Venture Capital Tracker pieces that cover Dwolla's financing or category context.
FAQs about Dwolla
Practical answers founders, operators, and investors typically search for.
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