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§ Private Profile · Charlotte, NC, USA
Payzer is a technology company.
Payzer develops a comprehensive financial technology platform designed to streamline operations for contractors. Its core offering, an all-in-one financial tool, provides mobile and online payment processing, facilitates automatic payment plans, and offers instant financing solutions directly to customers. The platform aims to consolidate critical business functions, enabling contractors to manage transactions and customer interactions more efficiently through integrated financial services.
The company was co-founded in 2012 by Joe Giardano, who serves as CEO, and Doug Little, President of Business Development. Giardano brought extensive experience in payments, notably as a chief architect of Speedpass, while Little contributed his background in credit solutions for the building materials industry. Their combined expertise identified a clear market need for an integrated system addressing the unique payment and financing challenges faced by contracting businesses.
Payzer primarily serves various contractors, including those in HVAC and plumbing, by equipping them with tools to enhance their financial management. The company's vision centers on empowering these businesses to grow by simplifying complex financial processes and providing accessible financing options for their clientele. It strives to be a pivotal solution for contractors seeking to optimize their business operations and drive sales.
Payzer has raised $41.5M across 5 funding rounds.
Payzer has raised $41.5M in total across 5 funding rounds.
Payzer is a financial technology company that provides an all-in-one platform, Payzerware, for HVAC, plumbing, and other field service contractors to manage payments, financing, customer relationships, and back-office operations.[1][2][3] It enables mobile and online payments, automatic payment plans, instant financing, and field service management tools to help contractors grow sales, streamline operations, and serve customers efficiently.[2][3][4] Founded in 2012 in Charlotte, North Carolina, Payzer raised $37.88M before being acquired by WEX in October 2023 for $250M-$261M, marking a major success for a homegrown Charlotte tech firm with reported revenue around $27.1M.[1][3][6]
Payzer was founded in 2012 by Joe Giordano, a former senior payments executive at ExxonMobil and Bank of America with over 25 years of experience, including architecting Speedpass—one of the earliest cloud-based wallets—and consulting for Fortune 500 clients like Verizon.[2][6] Giordano teamed up with Brad Pritchard, the CTO with a background in enterprise systems for startups and Fortune 500 companies like Bank of America and Verizon, after meeting through their daughters' basketball and lacrosse games in Union County.[2][6] Frustrated by outdated billing practices in the contractor industry—despite the internet era—they quit their jobs to build a modern payments solution for plumbers, HVAC techs, and similar field service pros.[6] Starting lean from a 4-person office above a garage, Payzer gained early traction by addressing real pain points in contractor payments and operations, evolving into a full field service management platform.[1][3][6]
Payzer rode the wave of fintech digitization in fragmented service industries like HVAC and plumbing, where legacy paper-based billing persisted despite broader tech adoption.[6] Its timing capitalized on rising demand for mobile payments and SaaS field service tools post-2010s mobile boom, enabling contractors to modernize amid labor shortages and customer expectations for instant financing.[1][2] Market forces like expanding home services (driven by aging infrastructure and remote work) favored Payzer, while its Charlotte base proved tech success beyond coastal hubs, inspiring local ecosystems.[6] The WEX acquisition expands scalable SaaS into corporate payments, influencing cross-sell in B2B commerce and validating contractor tech as a high-growth niche.[1][3]
Post-acquisition by WEX, Payzer's platform will likely integrate deeper into global commerce tools, accelerating growth via WEX's client base and enhancing cross-sell in field services.[1][3] Trends like AI-driven invoicing, embedded finance, and contractor labor tech will shape its path, potentially expanding beyond HVAC/plumbing. Its influence may evolve by powering more efficient service economies, turning a garage startup into a benchmark for regional tech triumphs—echoing how two local dads modernized an overlooked industry.[6]
Payzer has raised $41.5M in total across 5 funding rounds.
Payzer's investors include Wayne Hunter, Grotech Ventures, NRV, Point Judith Capital, Razor's Edge Ventures, Brian O'Kelley, Alerion Ventures, Ferguson Ventures, IDEA Fund Partners, Ben Britt, MetaBank, Route 66 Ventures.
Payzer has raised $41.5M across 5 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $23.0M Series D in June 2021.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 1, 2021 | $23M Series D | Wayne Hunter | Grotech Ventures, NRV, Point Judith Capital, Razor's Edge Ventures, Brian O'kelley, Alerion Ventures, Ferguson Ventures, IDEA Fund Partners, BEN Britt | Announced |
| Nov 1, 2018 | $9M Series C | — | Grotech Ventures, NRV, Point Judith Capital, Razor's Edge Ventures, Brian O'kelley, Ferguson Ventures, IDEA Fund Partners, Metabank, Route 66 Ventures | Announced |
| Sep 1, 2016 | $4M Series B | Grotech Ventures, John Cambier, BEN Britt | NRV, Point Judith Capital, Razor's Edge Ventures, Brian O'kelley | Announced |
| Jun 30, 2016 | $1.5M Debt Financing | Square 1 Bank | — | Announced |
| Apr 1, 2015 | $4M Series A | Grotech Ventures, BEN Britt | NRV, Point Judith Capital, Razor's Edge Ventures, Brian O'kelley | Announced |