About Dessa
Dessa is a Technology company based in Toronto (Canada) founded in 2015 by Stephen Piron, Ragavan Thurairatnam, Vincent F Wong, and Eric Kin-Ho Lee, and was acquired by Square in February 2020. Custom solutions based on deep learning are provided by Dessa. Dessa has raised $9 million across 2 funding rounds from investors including Square. The company has 18 employees. Its chief executive, as recorded, is Stephen Piron. The company was acqui-hired. Its focus areas include High Tech, AI Infrastructure, Machine Intelligence Systems and Custom Services.
Company details
Dessa was established in 2015 in Toronto, Canada, by co-founders Stephen Piron, Ragavan Thurairatnam, Vincent F Wong, and Eric Kin-Ho Lee. Deep learning-based custom solutions are offered within the artificial intelligence sector. Operations focus on tailored implementations for clients across industries. Services encompass development and deployment of AI technologies, with a base in North American geography. Leadership is shared between Piron and Lee as co-CEOs.
Funding Insights of Dessa
Dessa has successfully raised a total of $9M across 2 strategic funding rounds. The most recent funding activity was a Series A round of $9 million completed in September 2017. This substantial capital infusion reflects strong investor confidence in the company's business model, growth potential, and market opportunities. The funding enables strategic expansion, product development, market penetration, and operational scaling to drive long-term value creation and competitive advantage.
- Total Funding $9M
- Total Rounds 2
- Last Round Series A β $9M
All 2 funding rounds of Dessa with amounts and investors; the two latest post-money valuations are shown, the rest are part of the premium plan.
| Date | Amount | Transaction Name | Valuation | Lead Investors | Investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2017 | $9M | Series A | β | β | β |
| Sep 2017 | Series A | β | β | β |
1 investors in total: 1 institutional.
Investors in Dessa
Dessa has secured backing from 1 investor, including institutional investors. Prominent investors backing the company include Square.
| Investor | Description | Founded Year | Domain | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
POS solutions are provided for retail businesses. | 2009 | squareup.com | San Francisco, United States |
Investor details for Dessa
The complete investor list, round-by-round participation and investor portfolios require an active premium plan.
- Complete investor list
- Round participation
- Investor portfolios
- Co-investor network
Verified entity values are shown only after access is granted.
People of Dessa
4 people are tracked at Dessa (4 in leadership); the tracked headcount is 18.
| Name | Role | Group |
|---|---|---|
Stephen Piron | Co-Founder & Co-CEO | Leadership |
Ragavan Thurairatnam | Co-Founder | Leadership |
Vincent F Wong | Co-Founder | Leadership |
Eric Kin-Ho Lee | Co-Founder & Co-CEO | Leadership |
Complete people profiles for Dessa
Full employee and board profiles, team structure, tenure and professional contact details require an active premium plan.
- Full employee list
- Team structure
- Board tenure
- Professional contacts
Verified entity values are shown only after access is granted.
Timeline of Dessa
4 dated milestones of Dessa across 5 years, from founding to its latest funding, stage changes and deals.
- Founded Dessa is founded.
- Funding First funding round.
- Funding Latest funding round, Series A, of $9.0M.
- Exit Acquired by Square.
Web traffic of Dessa
Websites that share an audience with Dessa (dessa.com).
Websites whose visitors overlap most with Dessa. Affinity shows how closely the audiences match.
| Website | Domain | Audience affinity | Monthly visits | Global rank | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| facebook.com | 100% | 12.1B | #3 | View details |
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Related news about Dessa
Complete news archive for Dessa
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Frequently Asked Questions about Dessa
Dessa was founded in 2015 and raised its 1st funding round 2 years after it was founded.
Dessa is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. It is registered at Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Stephen Piron is the CEO of Dessa, as recorded in our data. They have also founded this company.
Dessa is a funded company, having raised a total of $9M across 2 funding rounds to date.
Dessa has 18 employees.
Dessa was established in 2015 in Toronto, Canada, by co-founders Stephen Piron, Ragavan Thurairatnam, Vincent F Wong, and Eric Kin-Ho Lee. Deep learning-based custom solutions are offered within the artificial intelligence sector. Operations focus on tailored implementations for clients across industries. Services encompass development and deployment of AI technologies, with a base in North American geography. Leadership is shared between Piron and Lee as co-CEOs.
Dessa has 1 investor. Key investors include Square.
Yes. Dessa was acquired by Square in February 2020.

