Willa
Willa is a fintech platform that enables creative freelancers and influencers to invoice brands and agencies, receive instant payments, automate tax paperwork, and access early cash-out funding. It also serves agencies and brands through its Enterprise API for bulk creator payouts.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Willa does
Willa is a Los Angeles- and Stockholm-headquartered fintech company founded in 2019 that provides payment management infrastructure for creative freelancers, influencers, and the agencies and brands that pay them. The core WillaPay platform is a mobile-first (iOS) product that enables freelancers to issue professional invoices, request payment from clients, receive funds via multiple methods (ACH, PayPal, wire, card, check), and access a dedicated human collections team for overdue accounts. The platform automates W-9 collection and tax documentation, and offers a Cash Out feature that advances funds on qualified invoices before client payment. Willa extends into B2B through Willa Enterprise, an API-driven solution used by over 200 agencies and brands to automate bulk creator payouts and commission management, and into consumer banking through the Willa Visa Debit Card (issued by Piermont Bank) with bundled CPA tax preparation for high-spending users. The company has verified 5.9 million+ companies on its platform and serves 10,000+ creators.
Willa generates revenue primarily through transaction-based fees: 1.75% on Express Withdrawals, variable fees on Early Cash Out (functionally a receivables-financing product whose pricing varies by relationship tenure), and 1% on international debit card transactions. Core services — account registration, customer support, unlimited payment requests, ACH withdrawal, and collections — are free, creating a freemium funnel that monetizes at the point of speed-of-payment and float-based services. The go-to-market combines product-led growth through the self-serve iOS app with enterprise field sales for Willa Enterprise, supported by community-led adoption among the creator/freelancer ecosystem and earned media coverage in TechCrunch, the Wall Street Journal, and Efma.
The company has raised $21 million across a $3M seed round (EQT Ventures, June 2020) and an $18M Series A (FinTech Collective lead, July 2021). Founders Kristofer Sommestad (CEO), Stefan Pettersson (CTO), Aron Levin (CMO), and Peter Blom (CPO) are alumni of the Spotify growth team and Relatable, an influencer marketing agency, lending domain credibility to the creator-economy vertical. Compliance posture includes PCI DSS Level 1 payment processing, CCPA compliance, and a banking partnership with Piermont Bank (Member FDIC). Geographic scope is currently restricted to U.S.-based users with U.S. bank accounts and phone numbers, despite the Stockholm co-headquarters and European investor base.
Willa firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Willa
- Legal name
- Willa Inc.
- Website
- https://willapay.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Willa is a fintech platform that enables creative freelancers and influencers to invoice brands and agencies, receive instant payments, automate tax paperwork, and access early cash-out funding. It also serves agencies and brands through its Enterprise API for bulk creator payouts.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Willa industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Freelancer & Creator Payment Platform
- NAICS
- Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services (54121)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Contractor / Freelancer Payments (FSAMAKAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Merchant-of-Record (MoR) & Payment Facilitation (PayFac) Infrastructure (FSAGABAE), Contractor Benefits & Perks Administration (BPACAGAJ)
Keywords
Where Willa is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Los Angeles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Willa business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Express Withdrawal Fee: 1.75% fee charged for instant/Express Withdrawal when freelancers transfer funds out of their Willa account.
- Early Cash Out: Variable fee for getting paid upfront for qualified invoices before client payment. Fee is based on relationship tenure and other factors.
- International Transaction Fee: 1% fee on ATM or POS transactions conducted outside the United States for debit card users.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free Core Services |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Express Withdrawal |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Early Cash Out |
| Hybrid | Pay-as-you-go | Willa Debit Card with Free Tax Help |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
Willa product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Willa operates WillaPay, a fintech payment platform that enables U.S.-based freelancers and creators to send payment requests to brands and agencies, receive instant payouts, and outsource invoicing, W-9 paperwork, and collections. Willa Enterprise sells API-driven automated creator payout workflows to brands, agencies, talent managers, and tech platforms, and the Willa Debit Card adds expense tracking plus complimentary CPA tax preparation for qualifying users.
Product overview
Willa is a fintech company offering WillaPay, a unified payment management platform for creators and freelancers. The core product enables instant payment requests with guaranteed payment, automated invoicing, and collections support. The platform is extended through Willa Enterprise for businesses (brands, agencies, talent managers) to automate creator payouts via API, and the Willa Debit Card for business expense management with complimentary CPA tax preparation. Key features include Willa Cash Out for early payouts, Express Withdrawal, and automated W-9/tax form collection. Willa is co-headquartered in Los Angeles and Stockholm.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Willa Enterprise: Enterprise platform for brands, agencies, and talent managers to automate creator payments and manage payouts
- Willa Debit Card
Products and services
- WillaPay (Core Platform) Mobile-first fintech payment platform for U.S.-based freelancers and creators to send payment requests to agencies and brands, receive guaranteed instant payouts (with Cash Out for qualified invoices), and outsource invoicing, W-9 collection, and late-payment collections.
- Willa Enterprise Enterprise solution for brands, agencies, talent managers, and tech platforms to automate creator payouts, manage commissions, eliminate vendor onboarding paperwork, and initiate instant payouts to creators without cash-flow impact, via direct platform access and API integration.
- Willa Debit Card Visa debit card for creators and freelancers (issued by Piermont Bank, Member FDIC, under a Visa U.S.A. Inc. license) with business expense tracking, no setup or monthly fees, and free CPA tax preparation when the user spends $10,000+ on the card annually.
Quantifiable outcome
- Freelancers get paid same day campaigns close, eliminating weeks or months of waiting
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Willa
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Willa technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration6 records
Feature7 records
Willa partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Piermont BankcorePartner bank providing FDIC-insured banking services for Willa. Issues the Willa Visa Debit Card pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. Willa is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided by Piermont Bank, Member FDIC.
- VisacoreLicenses Visa U.S.A. Inc. brand for the Willa Visa Debit Card which can be used everywhere Visa debit cards are accepted. Provides fraud alerts program via email, phone, and text messages.
- National Museum of World WritingminorWilla supports the audio docent service of the National Museum of World Writing's planning exhibition, related to an exhibit focusing on world writing systems.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Willa competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Lili Bank: Lili offers mobile-first banking, tax tools, and invoicing tailored to freelancers and solo entrepreneurs in the U.S. It is a direct competitor to Willa, addressing the same freelancer pain points of cash flow, taxes, and payment management.
- Found: Found provides banking, bookkeeping, and tax services built for self-employed individuals and freelancers, with a mobile-first experience similar to Willa. It directly competes for the same freelancer/creator segment with a comparable product surface.
- Novo: Novo is a digital banking platform targeting small businesses, freelancers, and entrepreneurs with invoicing, payments, and expense management. It competes with Willa in freelancer/small-business banking and payments.
- Bonsai: Bonsai is an all-in-one business management platform for freelancers covering contracts, proposals, time tracking, invoicing, and payments. It overlaps with Willa on freelancer invoicing and payment workflows.
Emerging players
- Karbon Card: Karbon provides corporate cards and expense management for freelancers, startups, and small businesses in India, with comparable freelancer-focused features. It is an emerging player with partial overlap in freelancer banking and payments.
Broad incumbents
- Mercury: Mercury is a digital banking platform for startups and businesses offering payments, treasury, and API-driven banking. It operates as a broader incumbent in the small-business/entrepreneur banking space that increasingly overlaps with Willa's enterprise segment.
- QuickBooks Self-Employed: QuickBooks Self-Employed offers tax tracking, invoicing, and expense management for freelancers and self-employed workers, backed by Intuit. It is a broad incumbent with overlapping freelancer tax and invoicing capabilities.
- Stripe: Stripe is a global payment infrastructure provider offering Stripe Connect for marketplaces and platforms, including creator/freelancer payouts. It is a broad incumbent whose Connect and Issuing products compete with Willa's enterprise payment and API offering.
- PayPal: PayPal is a global payments giant offering invoicing, payouts, and freelancer-friendly tools via PayPal Working Capital. As a broad incumbent, it competes with Willa on freelancer payment acceptance and disbursement.
Regional players
- Holvi: Holvi is a European digital banking service for freelancers and small businesses, originally founded by Johan Lorenzen (an angel investor in Willa). It is a regional player serving the same freelancer segment in Europe that Willa plans to expand into.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Willa social profiles
Digital presenceWilla compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Willa financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Willa leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Willa funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors4 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Willa 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 Willa
What does Willa do?
Willa operates WillaPay, a fintech payment platform that enables U.S.-based freelancers and creators to send payment requests to brands and agencies, receive instant payouts, and outsource invoicing, W-9 paperwork, and collections. Willa Enterprise sells API-driven automated creator payout workflows to brands, agencies, talent managers, and tech platforms, and the Willa Debit Card adds expense tracking plus complimentary CPA tax preparation for qualifying users.
Is Willa a public or private company?
Willa is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Willa founded?
Willa was founded in 2019. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Willa based?
Willa is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.
How does Willa make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Express Withdrawal Fee is the primary driver. The others are early Cash Out and international Transaction Fee.
Who are Willa's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Lili Bank, Found, Novo and Bonsai. Karbon Card is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Mercury, QuickBooks Self-Employed, Stripe and PayPal. Holvi is listed as a regional player.
Does Willa have an API?
Yes. The Willa Enterprise API allows businesses to smoothly manage creator payouts and keep track of all transactions. Enterprises can create custom integrations with their existing in-house software and develop the perfect automated payment workflow. The API is available to brands, influencer marketing agencies, tech platforms, and talent managers for automating creator payouts, initiating instant payouts, and managing commissions.
What industry is Willa in?
Willa's product category is Freelancer & Creator Payment Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAMAKAC, Contractor / Freelancer Payments, with a secondary code of FSAGABAE, Merchant-of-Record (MoR) & Payment Facilitation (PayFac) Infrastructure. Its NAICS code is 54121 and its SIC code is 7370.