Dots
Dots is a San Francisco-based API-first global payouts platform founded in 2021 that automates payments to gig workers, creators, contractors, and marketplace sellers across 190+ countries via 300+ payment rails, with integrated onboarding, automated tax compliance, and AI-driven fraud detection.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Dots does
Dots is a San Francisco-based, API-first global payouts platform founded in May 2021 by former Google AI engineers Sahil Hasan (CEO) and Kartikye Mittal as part of the Y Combinator S21 batch. The platform automates payouts to gig workers, creators, contractors, marketplace sellers, and other distributed recipients across 190+ countries via 300+ payment rails and 135 currencies, processing more than $150 million in payouts per month and over $2 billion in cumulative volume across 1M+ payees. Its core technology is a unified ledger with intelligent payment routing, white-labeled onboarding UI (Dots Onboard) with sanctions screening and KYC via Persona and Plaid integrations, automated tax compliance (Dots Tax — W-9/W-8BEN/T4A collection and 1099 filing in the US and Canada), and an AI-driven fraud detection product (Dots Control) that uses autonomous behavioral analysis to flag suspicious payouts. The platform is exposed via a RESTful API at api.dots.dev/v2 with a sandbox, webhooks, and embeddable Flows and iFrames, and is SOC 2 Type II certified.
The company operates a hybrid go-to-market: a self-serve motion for small businesses and developers (Dots Core at $19/month), a mid-market tier with API access and white-labeling (Dots Scale at $999/month), and a sales-led enterprise tier with custom contracts, volume discounts, and dedicated Slack channels. Revenue is generated via recurring subscriptions layered with per-transaction fees across domestic, international, crypto, instant, 1099, IDV, and wire payout types. Distribution is multi-channel: SEO-driven content marketing, tech-week community events in creator economy and AI data labeling verticals, embedded white-label distribution inside customer platforms, and direct enterprise demos. The customer base is highly diversified across vertical SaaS, creator economy, marketplaces, AI data labeling, NIL sports, esports, telehealth, music royalties, expert networks, and nonprofits.
Dots achieved profitability in 2025 with 400% year-over-year revenue growth and closed an $8.9M Series A led by DCM with Y Combinator participation in February 2026, bringing total funding to over $14.8M. Use of proceeds is product expansion (credit card processing, accounts payable/receivable), international growth, and engineering hiring. Named customers include Appen, Sofar Sounds, Cluely, Collabstr, Don't Tell Comedy, Table22, CookinGenie, TeachMe.To, Empower Project, Aries Tickets, Clicki, CRWD AI, Forward Forestry, Vantage Sports, Zappy, and Groovetime.
Dots firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Dots
- Legal name
- Dots
- Website
- https://usedots.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Dots is a San Francisco-based API-first global payouts platform founded in 2021 that automates payments to gig workers, creators, contractors, and marketplace sellers across 190+ countries via 300+ payment rails, with integrated onboarding, automated tax compliance, and AI-driven fraud detection.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Dots industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Global Payouts Infrastructure
- NAICS
- Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (52232)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Marketplace & Platform Seller Payouts (FSAMAKAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Embedded Payments (Pay-ins, Pay-outs, Wallets) (FSAGALAB), Creator / Affiliate / Ad Revenue Payouts (FSAMAKAF), Alternative Payment Methods (APM) Enablement (Wallets, A2A, Local Rails) (FSAGABAJ), Bill Pay, Invoicing & Payables Platforms (BPAMAFAF)
Keywords
Where Dots is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Dots business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Subscription Platform Fees: Recurring monthly platform fees across three tiers: Dots Core at $19/month, Dots Scale at $999/month, and Dots Enterprise (custom contract). Enterprise plans include volume discounts, custom reporting, and dedicated SLAs.
- Per-Transaction Payout Fees: Per-transaction fees layered on top of subscription: Domestic payouts ($1–$2), International payouts (2.9% + $1 to 3.9% + $2), Crypto payouts (2%–3% + $2), Instant payouts ($0), 1099s ($3.50–$5 + $1 mailing), IDV ($3–$5), Background checks ($10), Intl Wire ($30–$40).
- Enterprise Custom Contracts: Custom-priced Enterprise contracts including dedicated Slack channel, assigned customer support resource, volume discounts, priority feature requests, custom reporting, and user roles (Admin, Users, Viewers).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Dots Core - $19/month entry tier for small businesses and startups |
| Hybrid | Monthly | Dots Scale - $999/month for growing platforms with API access |
| Hybrid | Multi-year contract | Dots Enterprise - custom pricing for large platforms with compliance and scale needs |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Dots product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Dots is an API-first global payouts platform that enables platforms and marketplaces to send payments to payees across 190+ countries via 300+ payment rails and 135 currencies. The platform unifies white-labeled payee onboarding, identity verification, tax form collection and filing, AI-driven fraud detection (Dots Control), and instant disbursements (including stablecoin/crypto rails) through a single RESTful API and embeddable UI components. It sells tiered subscriptions (Dots Core $19/mo, Dots Scale $999/mo, Dots Enterprise custom) plus per-transaction fees to startups, mid-market platforms, and large enterprises.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Dots Payouts: Core platform for sending payments instantly to anyone via 300+ payment rails.
- Dots Onboard
- Dots Tax
- Dots Control
- Dots Core
- Dots Scale
- Dots Enterprise
- Dots Accounts Payable
Products and services
- Dots Payouts Core global payouts product supporting payments through 300+ rails (domestic and international) to 190+ countries. Enables instant bank transfers, mobile money, and digital wallet payouts with intelligent routing, real-time exchange rates, and transparent fees.
- Dots Onboard Fully white-labeled onboarding UI that screens payees against sanctions lists (OFAC), verifies identity across 190+ countries (via Persona), and collects and validates payout information.
- Dots Tax Automated tax compliance module that detects when tax information needs to be collected, validates W-9/W-8BEN/T4A forms, and files 1099 tax forms in the US and Canada.
- Dots Control AI-driven fraud prevention product for enterprises facing contractor fraud. Uses autonomous behavioral analysis to detect suspicious payouts and enables customers to create custom fraud-detection rules; helped Empower Project cut fraud by over 50%.
- Payout Links No-code payout feature allowing payment between two parties via a sharable link. Customizable with branded logo, supports all payout rails accessible from the Dots App.
- Payouts API RESTful developer API (V2 at https://api.dots.dev/v2) for integrating payouts directly into an application, supporting user creation, transfers, and payout orchestration.
- Payouts Automation Automation layer for orchestrating payout workflows, eliminating manual spreadsheet and CSV-based processing by triggering payouts via API or dashboard uploads.
- Dots Accounts Payable Accounts payable product launched to enable global business invoice payments through the Dots platform, expanding beyond contractor payouts to vendor disbursements.
- Stablecoin and Cryptocurrency Payouts Capability enabling payees to receive payouts in USDC, USDT, Bitcoin, Ethereum, and additional stablecoins/cryptocurrencies globally.
Quantifiable outcome
- 31% increase in creator signup conversion rate (Collabstr case study)
- +7 more outcomes
Companies that use Dots
Customer profileNamed customers16 records
Segments11 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Dots technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
AI capability6 records
Feature7 records
Dots partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators12 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Dots competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Stripe Connect: Stripe Connect is the dominant developer-first payouts and marketplace payments infrastructure, directly competing with Dots in multi-party payouts, instant transfers, and global disbursement. Dots explicitly targets Stripe Connect in its SEO comparison content.
- Tipalti: Tipalti is a leading global payables automation platform for marketplaces and platforms paying freelancers/contractors, overlapping directly with Dots' independent contractor, affiliate, and marketplace seller use cases, including tax form collection.
- Trolley: Trolley is a payouts platform focused on global mass payouts, tax compliance, and recipient onboarding for marketplaces and creator platforms — a direct competitor to Dots in cross-border contractor and creator payouts.
Emerging players
- Modern Treasury: Modern Treasury provides payment operations infrastructure including money movement APIs, ledgering, and bank integrations. While not a pure payout provider, it competes for developers building platforms that need orchestrated payouts and reconciliation.
- Routable: Routable provides global mass payouts and accounts payable automation, including contractor payments and international disbursement — an emerging direct competitor in Dots' enterprise tier and accounts payable expansion.
- Request Finance: Request Finance is a crypto-native B2B payments and payouts platform for freelancers and contractors, overlapping with Dots in stablecoin/crypto payouts and international contractor use cases.
- Bitwave: Bitwave offers crypto and digital asset payment infrastructure including payouts and reconciliation for businesses — an emerging player in the stablecoin payouts corner of Dots' roadmap.
Broad incumbents
- PayPal Mass Payments: PayPal Mass Payments and Hyperwallet (a PayPal-owned service) are broad incumbents for global payouts to contractors, creators, and marketplaces. They compete with Dots in international disbursement but operate as part of PayPal's wider commerce stack.
- Payoneer: Payoneer is a global payments platform widely used for marketplace seller payouts, freelancer payments, and cross-border B2B disbursement — a broader incumbent competing with Dots in international contractor and marketplace flows.
Others
- Brex: Brex is a financial platform providing business banking, cards, bill pay, and global payments for businesses — adjacent to Dots via its startup banking and accounts payable capabilities, and also a Dots customer per the partnership data.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks4 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Dots social profiles
Digital presenceDots compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Dots financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Dots leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Dots funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds4 records
Investors10 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Dots M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Dots
What does Dots do?
Dots is an API-first global payouts platform that enables platforms and marketplaces to send payments to payees across 190+ countries via 300+ payment rails and 135 currencies. The platform unifies white-labeled payee onboarding, identity verification, tax form collection and filing, AI-driven fraud detection (Dots Control), and instant disbursements (including stablecoin/crypto rails) through a single RESTful API and embeddable UI components. It sells tiered subscriptions (Dots Core $19/mo, Dots Scale $999/mo, Dots Enterprise custom) plus per-transaction fees to startups, mid-market platforms, and large enterprises.
Is Dots a public or private company?
Dots is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Dots founded?
Dots was founded in 2021. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Dots based?
Dots is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does Dots make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Subscription Platform Fees are the primary driver. The others are per-Transaction Payout Fees and enterprise Custom Contracts.
Who are Dots's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Stripe Connect, Tipalti and Trolley. Emerging players are Modern Treasury, Routable, Request Finance and Bitwave. Broad incumbents are PayPal Mass Payments and Payoneer. Brex is listed as an others.
Does Dots have an API?
Yes. Dots offers a public RESTful API (Dots Payouts API / Dots API V2) accessible at https://api.dots.dev/v2, allowing developers to programmatically create users, send payouts, and automate payout workflows. Authentication is via Bearer API key. Endpoints include Create User, Send Payout, Create Transfer, and Payouts Automation. The platform supports a sandbox environment for testing, white-label embedded components (iFrames, Flows, Payout Links), and webhooks. Most developers can complete a basic integration in under a week. Real-time API status is available at https://dots.instatus.com/. Developer documentation is at dotsdev.mintlify.app.
What industry is Dots in?
Dots's product category is Global Payouts Infrastructure. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAMAKAE, Marketplace & Platform Seller Payouts, with a secondary code of FSAGALAB, Embedded Payments (Pay-ins, Pay-outs, Wallets). Its NAICS code is 52232.