Atlanta has a long history of fintech companies reaching billion-dollar status, with firms such as Equifax, First Data, Global Payments, InComm, and Corpay based in the city. One company that is on track to join this group is Priority, which expects to generate nearly $1 billion in revenue this year.
Founded in 2005 as Priority Payment Systems, the company started as a bootstrapped startup and has since grown into a publicly traded fintech firm (NASDAQ: PRTH). It provides payment infrastructure for merchants ranging from restaurants and retailers to large enterprises seeking ways to manage working capital and monetize payment flows.
Priority processes more than $130 billion in payments annually for over one million customers. The company has operated out of the same Alpharetta building since its inception and became public through a reverse merger in 2018. Its growth strategy has included both organic expansion and acquisitions such as Cynergy Data (2014), American Credit Card Processing (2015), Finxera (2021), and Plastiq (2023).
Since going public, Priority’s revenue has increased from $424 million to $880 million. Transaction volume also grew from 466 million to 756 million payments processed. The company currently holds $1.2 billion in customer deposits and forecasts revenues between $970 million and $990 million for 2025.
CEO Thomas (Tom) Priore began his career in investment banking before becoming an active investor at Priority’s launch. He later took on a larger operational role as the business expanded. Priore said about the company’s current position: “After two decades of its operation, Priority is in a ‘pretty enviable spot’ when it comes to hiring top talent.” He added that there is significant interest from professionals wanting to work at their offices in Alpharetta, New York, and Chandigarh, India.
Priority employs around 1,120 people worldwide, most of whom are based at its Metro Atlanta or Chandigarh locations. The company’s technology platform serves banks, financial institutions, finance professionals, Independent Sales Organization Agents, and merchants.
Although Priore is based in New York, he travels frequently to Metro Atlanta as he leads Priority toward achieving its projected revenue milestone.
