Why Austin’s Fast 50 Matters to Us

By: Tom West, CEO AffiniPay

In a time when so much in the world seems to be upside down it is a good opportunity to reflect on the companies that make ABJ’s annual list of the fastest 50 growing companies. In many ways, it’s a reminder of all the great innovation and industry leadership we have coming out of Austin.

I have been in Austin since the late 90s and have seen firsthand how much the business ecosystem here has diversified and grown. This year’s Austin Fast 50 list is based on 2019 revenue (pre-pandemic) so it may be even more interesting to see the changes in the list next year. My hope and belief is that Austin companies are resilient and will find ways to make an impact in their markets despite the significant changes in business climate.

For AffiniPay’s part, we are proud to make this our 8th consecutive year on the list. Having grown up from the small company list to the large company list and continuing to grow against a much larger revenue base, we are continuing to strive to be a fintech leader that can make Austin proud.

FinTech is a growing space across the country and an increasing hot spot here in Austin for growth. I see our inclusion on the Austin Fast 50 list as a reflection on the value we are creating for the professional firms we serve and for the increasing importance of electronic payments in these industries.

From day one, AffiniPay focused on the customer experience, truly understanding the differences that professionals face when setting up electronic payments that is very different from a retail transaction. Our customers have to work through retainers, change orders, compliance on an average transaction order size that has nuances that we understand have built our company around to serve lawyers, accountants, architects, and association professionals.

Our growth is a complete reflection of our company culture and the determination of our team. I am energized every day by our team's relentless commitment to our customers and what we call our spirit of "Yes!". We don't stop until we find a way to yes for each other and our customers.

As many business leaders know, growth is not easy and delivering consistent results takes everyone rowing in the same direction. Our business was founded by a visionary entrepreneur, Amy Porter, who created the foundation that we would be a different kind of payments company—one that focused on delivering a great customer experience by focusing on solving the challenges of a very specific market vs trying to be all things to all people.

This decision seems simple, but it is very rare in the payments landscape where the playing field is littered with one-size-fits-all solutions. You combine purpose-built technology with great customer service and support and you have a winning formula.

I feel very fortunate to be leading AffiniPay and looking forward to continuing to contribute to Austin’s success.