Adyen vs CRED: Founders, CEOs and History
Adyen was founded in 2006 by Pieter van der Does, Arnout Schuijff and is led by Pieter van der Does and Ingo Uytdehaage. CRED was founded in 2018 by Kunal Shah and is led by Miten Sampat (interim CEO).
Company facts
Founders
Adyen
Pieter van der Does
Pieter van der Does co-founded Adyen in 2006. Leveraging his massive experience from building his previous payments startup (Bibit), he served as Adyen's CEO, aggressively targeting highly complex, multinational tech companies (like Uber and Netflix) that desp…
Arnout Schuijff
Arnout Schuijff co-founded Adyen and served as its Chief Technology Officer. He personally architected the company's single-platform backend, completely avoiding the 'spaghetti code' of acquisitions that plagued legacy processors like Worldpay.
CRED
Kunal Shah
Kunal Shah founded CRED in 2018 with a highly contrarian premise: instead of building financial products for the unbanked masses, he focused exclusively on the top 1% of India's most creditworthy individuals.
CEOs and their tenures
Adyen
- Pieter van der Does2006–present
Co-CEO and Co-Founder
Co-founded Adyen, led it through its 2018 Euronext Amsterdam listing, and continues to oversee the company under the co-CEO structure.
Source - Ingo Uytdehaage2023–present
Co-CEO
Serving as CFO before becoming Co-CEO, he navigated the severe 2023 stock crash caused by massive hiring investments, successfully reassuring investors of the company's long-term profitability.
Source
CRED
- Kunal Shah2018–2026
Founder & CEO
Philosophy graduate of Wilson College and co-founder of FreeCharge; left CRED in June 2026 to become global head of WhatsApp at Meta.
Source - Miten Sampat2026–present
Interim Chief Executive Officer
As a key executive and former Times Internet executive, he drives the incredibly complex monetization strategy of the platform, attempting to justify its massive multi-billion dollar valuation.
Source
Timeline: Adyen and CRED side by side
2006Adyen
Adyen founded in Amsterdam
A group of payments entrepreneurs including Pieter van der Does and Arnout Schuijff founded Adyen.
2012Adyen
North American office opened
Adyen opened its San Francisco office as it expanded its international merchant business.
2014Adyen
Growth investment announced
General Atlantic and Temasek joined existing investors in a $250 million funding round.
2017Adyen
European banking license obtained
Adyen obtained a European banking license, expanding its ability to provide acquiring and settlement services.
2018Adyen
eBay payments partnership announced
eBay selected Adyen as a primary payments processing partner for its managed-payments transition.
2018Adyen
Euronext Amsterdam listing
Adyen began trading on Euronext Amsterdam on June 13, 2018 at an offer price of €240 per share.
2018CRED
Kunal Shah starts Dreamplug Technologies in Bengaluru and launches CRED, raising a reported $30 million seed round.
2019CRED
Raises a $120 million Series B led by Ribbit Capital.
2020CRED
Becomes an official IPL partner and launches CRED Cash personal credit lines.
2021Adyen
US banking branch launched
Adyen launched its US banking branch after receiving federal and state approvals.
2021CRED
Becomes a unicorn with a $215 million Series D at $2.2 billion, then a $251 million Series E at $4.01 billion; acquires HipBar and Happay.
2022Adyen
Embedded financial products expanded
Adyen introduced business accounts and capital products for platform customers in addition to issuing.
2022CRED
Raises $140 million Series F led by GIC at a $6.4 billion valuation; acquires CreditVidya and takes a minority stake in LiquiLoans.
2023Adyen
Co-CEO structure established
Ingo Uytdehaage became co-CEO alongside Pieter van der Does after shareholder approval.
2024Adyen
Annual processed volume exceeded ~$1.13 trillion (€1 trillion)
Adyen reported ~$1.45 trillion (€1.286 trillion) of processed volume and ~$2.28 billion (€2.015 billion) of net revenue for 2024.
2024CRED
Acquires wealth platform Kuvera in February; FY24 revenue rises 66% to ~$287 million (₹2,473 crore).
2025Adyen
Net revenue reached ~$2.67 billion (€2.3642 billion)
FY2025 net revenue rose 18% to ~$2.67 billion (€2.3642 billion); processed volume was separately reported at ~$1.58 trillion (€1.3943 trillion).
2025CRED
Raises $72 million led by GIC in May at about $3.5 billion, a down round from its 2022 peak.
2026Adyen
Talon.One and Orb acquisitions closed
Adyen completed both acquisitions on July 1, adding loyalty and incentives technology from Talon.One and enterprise billing from Orb.
2026CRED
Reports FY25 revenue of ~$317 million (₹2,735 crore); in June, Meta leads a $900 million Series H at about $4.5 billion, Kunal Shah joins Meta to lead WhatsApp and Miten Sampat becomes interim CEO.
Acquisitions
CRED
- Kuvera (BaralMusk Technology)2024Undisclosed
- CreditVidya2022Undisclosed
- Happay2021$180M
- HipBar2021Undisclosed
Questions about Adyen vs CRED
Who is the CEO of Adyen N.V. and CRED?
Adyen N.V. is led by Pieter van der Does and Ingo Uytdehaage and CRED is led by Miten Sampat (interim CEO). Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Adyen N.V. founded vs CRED?
Adyen N.V. was founded in 2006 — 12 years before CRED, which was founded in 2018. Adyen N.V.'s longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger CRED.
How many employees does Adyen N.V. have compared to CRED?
Adyen N.V. employs approximately 4,771 people, while CRED employs approximately 1,200. Adyen N.V. has the larger workforce at 4,771 employees, compared to CRED's 1,200. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are Adyen N.V. and CRED headquartered?
Adyen N.V. is headquartered in Netherlands and CRED is headquartered in India. Their different home markets mean they may face different regulatory frameworks, tax regimes, and currency exposure.
Who founded Adyen N.V. and CRED?
Adyen N.V. was founded by Pieter van der Does, Arnout Schuijff. CRED was founded by Kunal Shah.
Which company has a longer operating history — Adyen N.V. or CRED?
Adyen N.V. has been operating for approximately 20 years, making it the more established of the two companies. CRED has been in operation for around 8 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Adyen vs CRED overview