Sezzle Inc

Unless otherwise noted, references in this Form 10-K to "we," "us," "our," "Company," or "Sezzle" refer collectively to Sezzle Inc. and our subsidiaries.

We are a purpose-driven payments company on a mission to financially empower the next generation. Launched in 2017, we have built a digital shopping and payments platform that provides consumers a flexible alternative to traditional credit. Through our products, we aim to give consumers control of their spending, ways to save money, and access to responsible credit. Our vision is to create a digital ecosystem benefiting all of our stakeholders—including merchants, consumers, employees, communities, and investors—while continuing to drive ethical and sustainable growth.

We launched Sezzle amid a backdrop during which digital shopping began to claim a larger share of the retail sector and younger generations (i.e., Gen Z and Millennials) started demonstrating a need for credit. Gen Z and Millennial consumers, who we define as individuals currently between ages 18–29 and 30–48, respectively, use credit cards less frequently than other generations and, in many cases, lack access to traditional credit. These same consumers are tech-savvy and gravitate towards modern, streamlined commerce solutions, whether online or in-person. Our platform addresses the shortcomings in legacy payment offerings consumers face by providing a flexible, secure, omnichannel alternative with the structural benefit of "creditizing" traditional debit products. The technology solutions we have designed align with our mission of financially empowering the next generation.

We believe our stakeholder approach gives us a competitive advantage and positions our company for success. Stakeholders want to be affiliated with a purpose-driven partner and, to that extent, we elected to become a Delaware public benefit corporation in June 2020. Public benefit corporations are for-profit corporations intended to produce a public benefit and operate in a responsible and sustainable manner. Under Delaware law, public benefit corporations must identify in their certificate of incorporation the public benefit or benefits they will promote, and their directors have a duty to manage the affairs of the corporation in a manner that balances the pecuniary interests of the stockholders, the best interests of those materially affected by the corporation’s conduct, and the specific public benefit or public benefits identified in the public benefit corporation’s certificate of incorporation. Being a public benefit corporation offers advantages, including: