Waivr

High-Level Overview

Waivr is a fintech startup founded in 2020 that builds payment infrastructure for subscription-based businesses, enabling real-time "pay by bank" recurring payments via RTP and Same-Day ACH networks to prevent overdrafts and failed transactions.[1][2][4] It serves subscription merchants by optimizing billing schedules based on users' real-time bank data, ensuring faster disbursements, lower failure rates, and cashback incentives, while charging a per-transaction fee.[1][2] After raising $100K initially (per CB Insights) or up to $1.4M in pre-seed funding from investors like Forum Ventures, Hustle Fund, Costanoa Ventures, and others, Waivr remains in pre-seed stage with early traction from pivoting off consumer data insights.[1][2]

Origin Story

Waivr was founded in 2020 in Los Angeles by entrepreneurs including Nucamendi, who drew from a failed prior venture—a consumer-facing payments app tracking real-time balances to avoid overdrafts.[2][1] That beta with 300 users provided transaction data revealing subscriptions as the primary overdraft culprit, prompting a pivot to B2B infrastructure for subscription services.[2] Early funding included $100K (last raised 4 years ago), with a reported $1.4M pre-seed round from Costanoa Ventures, NextView Ventures, CRV, Hustle Fund, and others, validating their data-driven focus on real-time payments.[1][2]

Core Differentiators

• Real-time payment processing: Uses RTP network for seconds-fast transactions (vs. days for ACH), with Same-Day ACH fallback, minimizing delays and failures.[1][2]
• Intelligent overdraft prevention: Analyzes subscribers' real-time bank data at checkout to suggest optimal billing schedules, reducing bounces for merchants.[2][4]
• Pay by bank for subscriptions: Offers merchants a modern alternative to cards, with low failure rates, cashback incentives, and per-transaction pricing.[1][2][4]
• Data-backed pivot: Built on insights from 300-user beta, focusing exclusively on subscription economy pain points.[2]

Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

Waivr rides the subscription economy boom and shift to real-time payments, addressing $40B+ annual U.S. overdraft fees largely tied to recurring bills amid rising "pay by bank" adoption.[2] Timing aligns with RTP network expansion (not all banks connected yet) and merchant demand for reliable alternatives to card payments, which suffer high churn from failed subs.[1][2] It influences fintech by enabling subscription platforms to cut costs and boost retention, potentially accelerating open banking trends in a market favoring speed and data-driven billing.[1][4]

Quick Take & Future Outlook

Waivr's emphasis on real-time safeguards positions it for growth as RTP adoption scales and subscription merchants prioritize failure-proof payments, potentially expanding to more networks or international markets.[2] Trends like embedded finance and AI-optimized billing will shape its path, with influence growing via partnerships if it secures Series A amid fintech funding recovery. From its data-fueled origins, Waivr exemplifies resilient pivots turning consumer pain into B2B infrastructure gold.[2][1]