Sebastian Siemiatkowski
Sebastian Siemiatkowski is the co-founder and CEO of Klarna, a leading fintech company he established in 2005. Under his leadership for over 19 years, Klarna has grown significantly, pioneering the "buy now, pay later" model and expanding into a fully licensed bank offering various financial services. Siemiatkowski has also overseen Klarna's embrace of AI, notably implementing an OpenAI-powered assistant that handles a large portion of customer service interactions, improving efficiency and customer satisfaction.
Career Milestones
- Sebastian Siemiatkowski co-founded Klarna in 2005, pioneering the "buy now, pay later" model in fintech.
- Under his leadership, Klarna achieved unicorn status and expanded globally, securing significant investments from firms like Sequoia Capital.
- He was recognized by Forbes' 30 Under 30 and Fortune's 40 Under 40, becoming a billionaire in the early 2020s as Klarna's valuation soared.
- Siemiatkowski has guided Klarna to serve over 150 million active consumers across 26 countries and is leading the company towards an IPO.
- His vision for Klarna emphasizes leveraging AI to redefine financial services and empower consumers.
About Klarna
Klarna, founded in 2005, is a Swedish fintech company in the financial services industry. They help consumers with flexible "buy now, pay later" (BNPL) options and merchants by increasing sales. Core features include interest-free payment plans (Pay in 4, Pay in 30 days), longer-term financing, and a shopping app. Benefits include flexible payments, increased purchasing power, and fraud protection.