SwipeGood

Founded in 2010 by Steli Efti, SwipeGood was a fintech platform that enabled users to donate to charities through a micro-donation model. The San Francisco-based company, a Y Combinator alumnus, aimed to make charitable giving a seamless part of everyday consumer behavior.

The core service revolved around a simple concept: users would register their credit or debit cards with the platform, and SwipeGood would automatically round up their daily purchase amounts to the nearest dollar. This accumulated 'spare change' was then channeled as a donation to a charity of the user's choice from a curated list. This model was designed to foster sustainable giving by integrating it into existing spending habits, thus removing the friction and active effort typically associated with making donations.

SwipeGood secured $500,000 in a single seed funding round on February 10, 2011. The investment was led by prominent names in the venture capital space, including Y Combinator, BoxGroup, and Start Network, alongside several angel investors. Despite its promising start and a model that capitalized on the growing trend of micro-transactions for social good, the company ultimately ceased operations and is now considered deadpooled. Keywords: micro-donations, charitable giving, fintech platform, roundup donations, Y Combinator alumnus, social impact, online fundraising, spare change donation, non-profit, philanthropy tech, Steli Efti, BoxGroup, Start Network, donation platform, automatic donations, recurring giving, cause marketing, deadpooled, acquired