Carta, Inc.
Company History
Carta History: Founding, Growth & Key Milestones
Founded 2012 in San Francisco, California
When was Carta founded?
Carta was founded in 2012 in San Francisco, California by Henry Ward and Manu Kumar, making it 14 years old.
- Founded
- 2012
- Founding place
- San Francisco, California
- Founders
- Henry Ward and Manu Kumar
- Headquarters today
- San Francisco, California, United States
- Milestones documented
- 9 (2012–2026)
- Current CEO
- Henry Ward
- Acquisitions
- 6
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 2012 | eShares founded |
| 2015 | $17M Series B led by Spark Capital |
| 2017 | Rebrand to Carta |
| 2019 | $300M Series E at $1.7B |
| 2021 | $500M Series G at $7.4B |
| 2022 | Vauban and Capdesk acquisitions |
| 2024 | Exit from secondary trading |
| 2025 | Private credit push and ~$500M ARR |
| 2026 | Carta Law launched via Avantia |
- Where was Carta founded?
- Carta was founded in San Francisco, California in 2012.
- Who founded Carta?
- Carta was founded by Henry Ward and Manu Kumar.
- When did Carta start?
- Carta was founded in 2012.
- How old is Carta?
- Carta is 14 years old as of 2026.
Founding Story
In 2011 Henry Ward was trying to raise a seed round for Secondsight, an algorithmic fixed-income trading startup, when he met investor Manu Kumar of K9 Ventures. Kumar, frustrated by the paper stock certificates his portfolio companies mailed him, suggested Ward build a way to manage them electronically. In 2012 the pair co-founded eShares. The product moved from digital certificates to cap tables, 409A valuations, and compliance, and in November 2017 the company rebranded as Carta, a word meaning a charter or founding document.
Founders
Henry Ward
Henry Ward is the co-founder and CEO of Carta. He has led the company since founding it as eShares in 2012, through its 2017 rebrand, a $7.4 billion Series G in 2021, and expansion into fund administration, private equity, private credit, and legal services. In January 2024 he shut down Carta's secondary trading business after a customer publicly accused a Carta broker of misusing cap table data. Ward said Carta was approaching $500 million in ARR in 2025. Henry Ward was born in 1975.
Manu Kumar
Manu Kumar co-founded eShares (now Carta) with Henry Ward in 2012 after suggesting Ward build software to replace the paper stock certificates Kumar received as an angel investor. K9 Ventures led Carta's earliest funding, and Kumar served as an early board member and advisor. (Exact birth year remains publicly undisclosed).
Key Milestones
eShares founded
Henry Ward and Manu Kumar founded eShares to digitize stock certificates and cap tables.
Source: en.wikipedia.org$17M Series B led by Spark Capital
Spark Capital led the round with Union Square Ventures participating.
Source: sacra.comRebrand to Carta
eShares became Carta in November 2017 as it expanded into valuations and compliance.
Source: research.contrary.com$300M Series E at $1.7B
Andreessen Horowitz led the round; Marc Andreessen joined the board.
Source: sacra.com$500M Series G at $7.4B
Silver Lake and Lightspeed led Carta's largest round in August 2021.
Source: techcrunch.comVauban and Capdesk acquisitions
Bought two London platforms to expand in the UK and Europe.
Source: sifted.euExit from secondary trading
Carta shut down its secondary trading business in January 2024 to protect customer trust.
Source: sacra.comPrivate credit push and ~$500M ARR
Acquired Sirvatus and Accelex; Ward said ARR was nearing $500 million.
Source: businesswire.comCarta Law launched via Avantia
Acquired UK legal provider Avantia in May 2026 to launch Carta Law.
Source: finance.yahoo.comMajor Acquisitions
Vauban
2022London platform for launching SPVs and venture funds.
Capdesk
2022London equity management platform.
Tactyc
Fund forecasting and portfolio planning software for venture fund CFOs.
Sirvatus
2025Loan administration platform for private credit funds.
Accelex
2025AI data extraction for alternative investment documents.
Avantia
2026UK AI-powered legal and compliance firm serving 200+ asset managers.
Keep researching Carta
Carta Company History FAQ
When was Carta founded and what was its original corporate name?
Carta was founded in 2012 in San Francisco, California, by Henry Ward and Manu Kumar under the original name eShares, Inc., with the mission to replace paper stock certificates with electronic shares.
When did eShares launch its disruptive 409A valuation product?
In 2015, eShares introduced software-driven 409A valuations, combining cap table data with algorithmic valuation models to slash appraisal turnaround times from months to days for private tech startups.
When did eShares rebrand to Carta?
In November 2017, eShares officially changed its corporate name to Carta, Inc., reflecting its broader mission to map and manage private asset ownership across companies, investors, and employees.
When did Carta launch its Venture Capital Fund Administration business?
In 2018, Carta launched Carta Fund Administration, expanding from company cap tables into managing back-office fund accounting, capital calls, and LP reporting for venture capital and private equity firms.
When did Carta acquire Capdesk and Vauban to expand across Europe?
In 2022, Carta completed the dual acquisitions of UK-based platforms Vauban (May 2022) and Capdesk (September 2022), establishing its European headquarters in London and onboarding thousands of international startups.
What historic decision did Carta make in January 2024?
In January 2024, CEO Henry Ward announced the immediate shutdown of Carta Liquidity (its secondary share trading marketplace) to safeguard customer cap table data privacy and refocus exclusively on core SaaS and fund administration products.
What has Carta done in 2025 and 2026?
Carta acquired Sirvatus and Accelex in October 2025 and Avantia in May 2026 to launch Carta Law, and in September 2026 rival Pulley announced it would shut down and migrate customers to Carta.
Was Carta originally called eShares?
Yes, the company was founded in 2012 as eShares with a simple premise: issuing electronic stock certificates instead of paper. They rebranded to Carta in 2017 as they expanded into massive broader financial services.
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