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Klarna was founded in 2005 by Sebastian Semiatkowski, Niklas Adalbert, and Viktor Jakobsson in Stockholm, Sweden, with the aim of simplifying the online shopping experience. The company’s core proposition was to give shoppers the option to pay for their purchases once they received them.

Five years into its journey, in 2010, Klarna introduced its distinctive service: giving shoppers a 14-day window to complete payment once the item was delivered. The concept quickly caught on, attracting online retailers and shoppers alike to the brand.

By 2015, the company’s influence had spread across Europe, with payment services operating in 18 countries. In addition to its core services, Klarna expanded its operations by launching offerings such as installment payments, dubbed “slice-it.”

The following years saw a sharp increase in Klarna’s growth rate, in parallel with the development of the online shopping sector. Subsequently, the company expanded its suite of post-purchase financial solutions and ventured into financing.

Today, in the digital age, Klarna wears the crown of Europe’s leading buy-now-pay-later service and holds a leading position in the global payments sector with more than 250,000 merchants and a user base of more than 90 million people.