PayPal Co-Founder Max Levchin to Unveil Affirm at Disrupt SF 2014

PayPal Pioneer Max Levchin Returns to Disrupt SF

Tech industry luminary Max Levchin, co-founder of PayPal and serial entrepreneur, is set to take the stage at Disrupt SF 2014 to discuss his latest venture: consumer finance startup Affirm. The announcement marks Levchin’s return to TechCrunch’s flagship event after his impactful appearance in 2013.

A Track Record of Disruptive Innovation

Levchin’s entrepreneurial journey reads like a Silicon Valley playbook:

• PayPal: Co-founded the payments giant (acquired by eBay for $1.5B)
• Yelp: Early advisor to the review platform (now board chairman)
• Slide: Founded the social media widget company (acquired by Google for $228M)
• Glow: Created the fertility-tracking app with notable success

His newest endeavor, Affirm, emerges from his company-building investment vehicle HVF and has already secured $45 million in funding from top-tier investors including Lightspeed Venture Partners and Khosla Ventures.

Affirm: Reinventing Consumer Credit

Affirm represents Levchin’s ambitious return to financial technology with:

• Point-of-sale financing through its debut product Split Pay
• Data-driven underwriting using social and contextual signals
• Transparent terms that avoid predatory credit card APRs

The startup aims to make financing as seamless as social media posting while competing in the crowded alternative lending space against players like Lending Club.

Why This Matters for Fintech

Levchin’s involvement brings unique credibility to Affirm’s mission:

1. PayPal pedigree with deep payments expertise
2. Data science focus aligning with Levchin’s “crypto-nerd” reputation
3. Timing advantage as e-commerce financing demand grows

Attendees at Disrupt SF can expect insights into:

• Affirm’s unique value proposition
• The future of alternative lending
• Lessons from Levchin’s entrepreneurial journey

Early bird tickets for Disrupt SF 2014 were available through September 1st at the time of original publication.

Anthony Domanico contributed to this report.

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