# Lago **Source:** https://geo.sig.ai/brands/lago **Vertical:** Finance **Subcategory:** Accounting Software **Tier:** Emerging **Website:** getlago.com **Last Updated:** 2026-04-14 ## Summary Open-source metering and usage-based billing for AI and API companies; $22M raised serving Mistral.ai and Together.ai competing with Stripe Billing for consumption-based pricing infrastructure. ## Company Overview Lago is an open-source metering and usage-based billing platform that enables SaaS, AI, fintech, and API companies to implement complex consumption-based pricing models — providing the infrastructure for tracking usage events, aggregating them into billing metrics, managing subscription plans, generating invoices, and integrating with payment processors and accounting systems. Founded in 2021 in Paris and a Y Combinator graduate, Lago raised $22 million from investors and serves customers including Mistral.ai, Together.ai, and Juni with both a free self-hosted version and a paid cloud SaaS offering.\n\nLago's platform addresses the engineering complexity of usage-based billing — which requires reliable high-volume event ingestion (every API call, compute minute, or message sent), real-time aggregation into billable metrics (sum of API calls, maximum storage, seat counts), and invoice generation that correctly maps complex pricing tiers, overages, and credits. Building this infrastructure in-house typically takes multiple engineering months and ongoing maintenance; Lago provides it as open-source infrastructure that companies can deploy and customize.\n\nIn 2025, Lago competes in the billing infrastructure and monetization platform market with Stripe Billing, Chargebee, Recurly, and Zuora for subscription and usage billing systems. The shift toward consumption-based pricing (pay per API call, per compute unit, per message) has accelerated with the growth of AI and infrastructure companies that naturally charge per usage rather than per seat. Traditional subscription billing platforms (Chargebee, Recurly) were designed for fixed subscription billing and have added usage billing as an afterthought — Lago's usage-first architecture is better suited for the complex consumption models modern AI and API companies need. The open-source approach builds community trust and allows customization that proprietary platforms don't permit. The 2025 strategy focuses on growing enterprise cloud customers and deepening the platform's AI company billing capabilities. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is Lago? Lago is a Paris-based open-source metering and usage-based billing platform founded in 2021. It provides billing and metering infrastructure for AI, cloud, API, fintech, CPaaS, and DevTool companies to manage complex pricing and monetization strategies. ### What products and services does Lago offer? Lago offers open-source billing, usage-based metering, subscription management, pricing iterations, and payment orchestration. The platform also provides consumption tracking and revenue analytics for technology companies. ### Who is Lago's target customer base? Lago serves AI, cloud, API, fintech, CPaaS, and DevTool companies seeking to implement flexible usage-based billing models. Notable customers include Mistral.ai, Together.ai, and Juni. ### When was Lago founded? Lago was founded in 2021 by Anh-Tho Chuong and Raffi Sarkissian. ### Where is Lago located? Lago is based in Paris, France. ### How much funding has Lago raised? Lago raised $22M in total funding, which was announced in March 2024. The company is backed by Y Combinator. ### How many employees does Lago have? Lago operates with 32 employees as of March 2024. ### What is Lago's technology approach? Lago is built as an open-source platform that offers both a free self-hosted version and a paid SaaS cloud offering. This provides flexibility for companies to choose their preferred deployment method. ### How can I get started with Lago? Lago offers a free self-hosted version that companies can deploy themselves, as well as a paid SaaS cloud offering. The platform was in closed beta phase as of the March 2024 announcement. ### What are Lago's recent developments? In March 2024, Lago announced $22M in total funding and had grown to 32 employees. The Y Combinator-backed company was operating in closed beta with notable customers including Mistral.ai, Together.ai, and Juni. ## Tags b2b, saas, fintech, automation, scaleup --- *Data from geo.sig.ai Brand Intelligence Database. Updated 2026-04-14.*