Stealth online payments startup Stripe draws backing from PayPal founders

Stealth online payments startup Stripe has raised $2 million in a venture round from some all-star investors.

Backers include PayPal founders Peter Thiel and Elon Musk, as well as Sequoia Capital, Andreesen Horowitz and SV Angel, according to TechCrunch. The company was valued in the round at about $20 million. If it’s true, there could be a new player in the hot market for online payments.

Just yesterday, American Express announced its Serve online payments business, taking on both PayPal and Visa, which recently acquired digital goods firm PlaySpan.

The company’s web site says only that it is making it easy for “individuals and businesses to accept payments online.” The founders reportedly include Patrick Collison and John Collison, two brothers who previously sold their startup Auctomatic to Live Current Media for $5 million. Sequoia partner Michael Moritz, one of the stars of venture capital, is said to be personally involved in Stripe as well. That’s pretty rare, as Moritz usually only works with startups with big potential.

[photo credit: gmcghana]