# Conor Lyden

> Conor Lyden is the founder and CEO of Trustap, a Cork-born fintech that embeds escrow-style payment protection into online marketplaces so strangers can buy and sell without getting scammed. He came up with the idea at 21 as an engineering student at University College Cork, frustrated by the risk of buying football tickets from strangers, and built the concept through UCC's Ignite incubator. Since founding the company in 2016/2017, he has grown it into a global operation with offices in Cork, Dublin, London, Barcelona, Zagreb and New York, serving over 250 marketplaces across more than 100 countries and raising a $5.5m Series A led by TX Ventures.

- **Role:** Founder and CEO at Trustap
- **Organizations:** Trustap, University College Cork (Ignite programme, alumnus)
- **From:** Carrigaline, County Cork, Ireland
- **Nationality:** Irish
- **Education:** Engineering, University College Cork (UCC), Startup incubation programme, UCC Ignite Graduate Business Incubator
- **Known for:** Founded and scaled Trustap from a student idea into a fintech operating across 100+ countries and currencies, Raised a $5.5m Series A led by TX Ventures with backers including SeedX, Aperture, MiddleGame Ventures, Act VC and Atlantic Bridge, Grew Trustap to six offices: Cork (HQ), Dublin, London, Barcelona, Zagreb and New York

## Career timeline

- **2016** — Developed the concept for Trustap while an engineering student at UCC and incorporated the company through the Ignite programme.
- **2017** — Officially founded Trustap as a standalone escrow app holding funds until goods were delivered.
- **2024** — Closed a $5.5m Series A led by TX Ventures, expanding partnerships across Europe, Asia and the US.
- **2025** — Trustap reported 370% year-over-year transaction growth in H1 and was shortlisted for the Payments Innovation Award at the FS Awards; Lyden based in New York.
- **2026** — Raised further venture funding as the team grew across Ireland, Croatia, Spain, the UK and the US serving 250+ marketplaces.

## Achievements

- Founded and scaled Trustap from a student idea into a fintech operating across 100+ countries and currencies
- Raised a $5.5m Series A led by TX Ventures with backers including SeedX, Aperture, MiddleGame Ventures, Act VC and Atlantic Bridge
- Grew Trustap to six offices: Cork (HQ), Dublin, London, Barcelona, Zagreb and New York
- Signed 250+ marketplaces and ecommerce partners including DoneDeal, Mudah (Malaysia), Preloved (UK) and Student Seats (US)
- Delivered 370% year-over-year transaction volume growth in H1 2025
- Shortlisted for the Payments Innovation Award at the FS Awards 2025

## Latest updates

- **2026-06** — Trustap raised further venture funding (reported around EUR 8.7m) as its team grew across Ireland, Croatia, Spain, the UK and the US serving 250+ marketplaces.
- **2025-10** — Profiled on his move from Cork to New York while committing to keep Trustap's HQ in Cork.
- **2024-07** — Announced a $5.5m Series A led by TX Ventures.

## Links

- Website: https://trustap.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/conor-lyden-442621b1/
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/trustappayments
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@trustap
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/trustappayments/
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/TrustapPayments/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/conor-lyden
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-07-22