San Francisco-based Affirm just announced the opening of its office in Chicago. This is the fintech company’s fourth office in the U.S. since its founding in 2012.
Along with the new office, Affirm also announced its plans to hire 100 employees in Chicago by the end of the year. So far, the company already has 20 local workers.
Affirm partners with e-commerce brands to give online shoppers the option to make fixed monthly payments for their purchases, instead of paying the full total upfront. This gives shoppers an alternative to using a traditional credit card, which accrues interest or fees when purchases aren’t paid off in time.
Max Levchin, the founding CTO of Paypal, started Affirm. Although the company is based in San Francisco, Chicago is near and dear to his heart.
“Chicago was my first home after immigrating to the United States when I was a teenager and, in many ways, it still feels like home," Levchin said in a statement. “I’m excited for Affirm to join this great community, and look forward to welcoming new, exceptional talent that will help us grow Affirm’s network of merchants and consumers.”
Affirm is currently hiring for sales, customer success, engineering and product roles. The company says it chose to expand to Chicago for the city's diverse pool of talent, and because it would act as a central hub between its offices in San Francisco, New York and Pittsburgh.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker is also excited about Affirm’s arrival.
“Growing companies like Affirm know that Illinois’ top talent, world-class universities and expansive transit systems make our state a highly competitive place to do business,” Pritzker said in a statement. “Illinois is home to a thriving – and expanding – tech industry, with major companies like Uber and Facebook doubling down on their commitment to the state, and we are excited to welcome Affirm into the community.”
