// startup autopsy

Paymo

Bet on mobile payments before the table was ready

timingAcqui-hire

Fatal mistake: Launched a mobile payments platform for gaming before mobile payment rails were mature enough to support scale.

Founded	2006
Closed	2009
Country	USA
Sector	Gaming

50%

Key Events Timeline

2006-01-01

FOUNDING

Paymo founded in the USA to enable mobile payments for casual and social gaming.

2008-06-01

FUNDING

Paymo closes its final funding round, raising a total of $5M to expand its mobile payment platform.

2008-10-01

PRODUCT LAUNCH

Paymo launches expanded gaming payment integrations, but adoption is hindered by fragmented mobile billing infrastructure.

2009-06-01

SHUTDOWN

Paymo is acquired, ending independent operations as app store payment models render its platform obsolete.

Full Analysis

Analyst plan

Documented cause

Paymo built a mobile payments platform for social and casual gaming at a time when mobile payment infrastructure was immature. After raising $5M with a last funding round in 2008, the company was acquired, like...

ly as the market pivoted toward app store billing models. The startup's core business model became obsolete when Apple's App Store and Google Play established dominant billing ecosystems that made thi

Verified lesson

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€9M

Peak valuation

HypeCycle · MoatType · ResearchTags

Paymo raised €5M before launched a mobile payments platform for gaming before mobile payment rails were mature enough to support scale. ended it. See the documented cause, verified lesson and all failure signals.

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