Adyen was founded in 2006 by a group of entrepreneurs, including Pieter van der Does and Arnout Schuijff. The existing payments technology consisted of a patchwork of systems built on outdated infrastructure. With the aim of helping businesses grow, the co-founders set out to build a platform capable of meeting the rapidly evolving needs of today’s fast-growing global businesses.

Adyen’s founding team called the business Adyen – Surinamese for “Start over again” – and focused on building a modern infrastructure directly connected to card networks and local payment methods across the world, allowing for unified commerce and providing shopper data insights to merchants. The Adyen platform enables merchants to accept payments in a single system, enabling revenue growth online, on mobile devices and at the point of sale.

Adyen intends to retain any profits to expand the growth and development of Adyen's business and, therefore, does not anticipate paying dividends to its Shareholders in the foreseeable future.