Afterpay's future is a fusion of payments, commerce and finance to serve the next gen

Afterpay CEO Anthony Eisen makes no apologies for the company's full year result which saw losses grow and margins soften, even as revenue lifted. Afterpay's marketing costs doubled to help fund aggressive its expansion into the US, UK and Europe - but Anthony told ausbiz the rapid pace of growth is worth it. Afterpay (APT) has managed to secure a massive growth in customer numbers, particularly the next generation of spenders which Anthony says do not differentiate in the way they view payments, commerce and finance. He says key to Afterpay's success now and in the future is its ability to tap into 'the trust equation' with both customers and merchants. That was part of the appeal for Square, which is set to scoop up the company in a $29 billion buyout. Anthony told ausbiz the two companies have a shared mission and vision. Anthony isn't going anywhere though, he says he and Nick Molnar will continue to work with Square long after the deal is done. He tells ausbiz the co-founders did not set out to sell the company - rather the future as part of Square was too compelling to ignore.