Polar
Stripe alternative for indie developers — subscriptions, one-time payments, GitHub Sponsors-style funding. Built for OSS maintainers.
- Location
- Stockholm, Sweden
- Raised
- $10M+
- Stage
- Series A
- Founded
- 2022
- Category
- Open Source
- Funding
- VC-backed
- Team
- 1-10
Funding figures as of Jul 2025 · not independently verified
Founders of Polar
- Birk Jernström
Investors backing Polar
- Abstract Ventures
Frequently asked questions
What does Polar do?
Stripe alternative for indie developers — subscriptions, one-time payments, GitHub Sponsors-style funding. Built for OSS maintainers.
Where is Polar based?
Polar is based in Stockholm, Sweden.
When was Polar founded?
Polar was founded in 2022.
How much has Polar raised?
Polar has raised $10M+ in their Series A round as of Jul 2025.
Who founded Polar?
Polar was founded by Birk Jernström.
Who has invested in Polar?
Polar is backed by Abstract Ventures.
How Polar would pitch themselves
○ Auto-generated01Target customer
Developers + open-source communities + enterprises wanting an OSS-first tool in this category, with optional commercial support.
02Problem they solve
Stripe alternative for indie developers — subscriptions, one-time payments, GitHub Sponsors-style funding. Built for OSS maintainers. The category has historically been served by tools that miss the modern workflow this product is built around.
03Key differentiator
Polar differentiates on open-source funding & monetization. Backed by Abstract Ventures, $10M+ raised — the company has resources + validation to compound this thesis. Founded by Birk Jernström.
04Go-to-market strategy
Series-A scaling stage — building outbound sales motion, hiring first AEs, layering on customer success. Mix of PLG (where the product allows) + direct sales for higher-ACV deals.