Bolt Launches Activate, a Founder-First Program to Accelerate Growth in Digital Commerce

Program combines enterprise-grade checkout, streamlined onboarding, and a founder community to help early-stage brands scale faster and smarter

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Bolt, the checkout, identity and payments leader powering faster, smarter commerce, today announced the launch of Bolt Activate, a new program designed to help the next generation of innovative digital commerce founders bring their ideas to market faster and scale with confidence.

"The future of commerce won't be written by the biggest companies with the deepest pockets. It will be built by independent founders who move fast, know their customers, and aren't afraid to challenge the old playbook," said Ryan Breslow, Founder and CEO of Bolt. "With Bolt Activate, we're giving those builders the foundation to scale, including enterprise-grade infrastructure, real community, and the freedom to focus on what matters most: creating. Our mission is simple: to make sure the next generation of iconic brands doesn't just survive, but thrives."

Bolt Activate is built for founders who are shaping the future of online commerce but need a trusted foundation to match their speed and ambition. The program targets early-stage DTC, gaming, fintech, consumer health, and creator-led brands, along with retail-first companies expanding into e-commerce. Participants get access to Bolt's one-click checkout and full product suite, while gaining access to a curated global founder network that shares real-world insights, support and connections.

Unlike traditional accelerators, Bolt Activate moves at the founder's pace. Most participants launch within two to six weeks and remain connected to Bolt's partner ecosystem and growth resources long after onboarding. Founders have continued full access to Bolt's platform, leadership and advanced optimization support as their companies scale.

The launch of Bolt Activate comes amid a historic surge in entrepreneurship. Between 2021 and 2023, U.S. founders filed more than 5.2 million likely employer business applications, a one-third increase from pre-pandemic levels. Startups have surpassed Great Recession highs, and business formation grew in over 80 percent of U.S. counties.

But many of these new ventures are being started by individuals, not large agencies or well-funded teams. These founders are building in public, iterating quickly, and looking for proven infrastructure they can trust. Many have strong products and early traction, but lack the technical resources or time to stitch together a fragmented stack of tools. Bolt Activate levels the playing field by giving them an all-in-one solution used by the biggest players, without the overhead.

Participants also gain access to the Bolt Activate Community, a curated network where founders connect directly, share learnings, and access group sessions with product experts, investors, and DTC partners. Bolt is also planning offline gatherings and co-marketing opportunities to help founders grow their visibility to the Bolt ecosystem of investors, consumers and engineers.

For more information on Bolt Activate and how to apply, visit bolt.com/activate.

About Bolt

Bolt is the checkout, identity and payments leader powering faster, smarter commerce. Its B2B and B2C offerings form a complementary ecosystem: merchants like Revolve, Kendra Scott and Lilly Pulitzer use Bolt to boost conversion and loyalty, while 80M+ shoppers benefit from one-click checkout and a secure, cross-site identity. Bolt's core product suite—CheckoutOS, Bolt Ignite and the SuperApp, a new all-in-one finance and crypto hub—helps merchants grow while giving consumers convenience and control. From high-risk processing to one-click subscriptions, Bolt replaces fragmented tools with future-ready infrastructure that scales. The result: a frictionless, trusted journey for shoppers—and powerful growth for businesses of all sizes.

SOURCE Bolt