Patreon, Inc. is an American membership platform that provides business tools for content creators to run a subscription service and sell digital products globally. It was co-founded in May 2013 by musician Jack Conte and developer Sam Yam in San Francisco, California. Conte sought a way to earn a living from his YouTube videos, leading to the platform where "patrons" can pay creators a recurring amount for their work.
Patreon allows creators such as video producers, podcasters, musicians, writers, and game developers to receive funding directly from their fans on a recurring basis or per work of art. The company's business model involves charging a commission of 5% to 12% of creators' monthly income, in addition to payment processing fees. Jack Conte is the CEO, and Sam Yam is the Co-Founder, President & CTO. In March 2023, Kathleen Pacini joined as Chief People Officer, and Rory Brown as Chief Brand Officer. As of 2025, Patreon is a privately held company with ownership distributed among its co-founders, early investors, and venture capital firms. In January 2026, Similarweb estimated Patreon's annual revenue to be between $100 million and $200 million.