Afterpay vs Razorpay: Founders, CEOs and History
Afterpay was founded in 2014 by Nick Molnar, Anthony Eisen and is led by Jack Dorsey (Block parent). Razorpay was founded in 2014 by Harshil Mathur, Shashank Kumar and is led by Harshil Mathur.
Company facts
Founders
Afterpay
Nick Molnar
Nick Molnar co-founded Afterpay and served as co-CEO through the Block acquisition. Block's 2024 shareholder letter said he would lead a centralized sales function across Block, including Square, reporting to Jack Dorsey. Nick Molnar was born in 1990.
Anthony Eisen
Anthony Eisen co-founded Afterpay in 2014. As the older, highly experienced financial architect, he secured the massive initial debt facilities required to actually fund the consumer loans before merchants were paid.
Razorpay
Harshil Mathur
Harshil Mathur co-founded Razorpay in 2014 with Shashank Kumar after struggling to set up online payments for a crowdfunding project.
Shashank Kumar
Shashank Kumar co-founded Razorpay in 2014 alongside Harshil Mathur. Frustrated by the absolute nightmare of integrating archaic, highly bureaucratic bank payment gateways (which took weeks of paperwork) while trying to build a crowdfunding site, he built Razo…
CEOs and their tenures
Afterpay
- Nick Molnar2014–2022
Co-founder and Co-CEO
As Co-Founder and Co-CEO, he served as the public face of the company, rapidly scaling the 'Buy Now, Pay Later' (BNPL) model globally before orchestrating the massive sale to Block.
Source - Anthony Eisen2014–2022
Co-founder and Co-CEO
As Co-Founder and Co-CEO, he navigated intense regulatory scrutiny from the Australian government regarding predatory lending practices.
Source - Jack Dorsey2022–present
CEO of parent company Block
As CEO of Block (formerly Square), he bet the future of his company on the premise that Afterpay's massive merchant network could close the loop between Square's sellers and Cash App's consumers.
Source
Razorpay
- Harshil Mathur2014–present
Co-founder & CEO
Grew Razorpay into one of India's largest payment companies, with ~$439 million (₹3,783 crore) FY25 revenue.
Source - Shashank Kumar2014–present
Co-founder & Managing Director
As Co-Founder and Managing Director, he acts as the absolute driving force behind the company's incredibly rapid product innovation, fiercely defending its dominance against legacy banks.
Source
Timeline: Afterpay and Razorpay side by side
2014Afterpay
Afterpay founded
Nick Molnar and Anthony Eisen founded Afterpay in Sydney.
2014Razorpay
Harshil Mathur and Shashank Kumar found Razorpay to simplify online payments in India.
2015Razorpay
Joins Y Combinator's Winter 2015 batch.
2016Afterpay
ASX listing
Afterpay listed on the Australian Securities Exchange and reported ~$903,000 (A$1.4 million) of FY2016 revenue.
2017Afterpay
Touchcorp transaction
Afterpay acquired Touchcorp and the combined business became Afterpay Touch Group.
2018Afterpay
United States launch
Afterpay expanded its installment service into the United States.
2018Afterpay
ClearPay stake acquired
Afterpay acquired 90% of ClearPay Finance Limited for one million Afterpay shares.
2018Razorpay
Launches RazorpayX business banking and Razorpay Capital.
2019Afterpay
Clearpay launched in the United Kingdom
Afterpay launched in the United Kingdom under the Clearpay brand.
2019Razorpay
Acquires fraud-detection startup Thirdwatch and payroll software startup Opfin.
2020Afterpay
Canada expansion
Afterpay added Canada to its operating markets.
2020Afterpay
EmpatKali acquired
Afterpay acquired Singapore-based EmpatKali, which operated in Indonesia.
2020Afterpay
Pagantis agreement
Afterpay agreed to acquire Pagantis and PMT Technology to support expansion in southern Europe.
2020Razorpay
Becomes a unicorn after a $100 million Series D led by GIC and Sequoia Capital India.
2021Afterpay
Block acquisition announced
Square and Afterpay announced a recommended scheme under which Square would acquire all Afterpay shares.
2021Razorpay
Raises $375 million Series F at a $7.5 billion valuation; acquires TERA Finlabs.
2022Afterpay
Block acquisition completed
Block completed the scheme of arrangement on January 31, 2022.
2022Razorpay
Acquires Curlec (Malaysia), Ezetap (offline POS), IZealiant and PoshVine; RBI pauses new online merchant onboarding pending its payment aggregator licence.
2023Razorpay
Receives final RBI authorisation as an online payment aggregator.
2024Afterpay
Afterpay marks ten years
Afterpay reported more than 24 million active customers and more than 348,000 global merchants.
2025Afterpay
Australian BNPL credit rules commence
Australian BNPL contracts became regulated credit contracts from June 10, 2025.
2025Razorpay
Converts to Razorpay Software Limited and completes reverse flip of its parent from the US to India (May); FY25 revenue rises 65% to ~$439 million (₹3,783 crore).
2026Razorpay
Appoints IPO bankers (February) and confidentially files draft IPO papers with SEBI (June).
Acquisitions
Afterpay
- EmpatKali2020Undisclosed
- Pagantis SAU and PMT Technology SLU2020Undisclosed
- ClearPay Finance Limited (90% stake)2018Undisclosed
- Touchcorp Limited2017Undisclosed
Razorpay
- Ezetap2022$200M
- Curlec2022Undisclosed
- IZealiant Technologies2022Undisclosed
- PoshVine2022Undisclosed
- Thirdwatch2019Undisclosed
Questions about Afterpay vs Razorpay
Who is the CEO of Afterpay Limited and Razorpay?
Afterpay Limited is led by Jack Dorsey (Block parent) and Razorpay is led by Harshil Mathur. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Afterpay Limited founded vs Razorpay?
Both Afterpay Limited and Razorpay were founded in 2014, making them the same age.
How many employees does Afterpay Limited have compared to Razorpay?
Afterpay Limited employs approximately 1,300 people, while Razorpay employs approximately 3,500. Razorpay has the larger workforce at 3,500 employees, compared to Afterpay Limited's 1,300. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are Afterpay Limited and Razorpay headquartered?
Afterpay Limited is headquartered in Australia and Razorpay is headquartered in India. Their different home markets mean they may face different regulatory frameworks, tax regimes, and currency exposure.
Who founded Afterpay Limited and Razorpay?
Afterpay Limited was founded by Nick Molnar, Anthony Eisen. Razorpay was founded by Harshil Mathur, Shashank Kumar.
Which company has a longer operating history — Afterpay Limited or Razorpay?
Afterpay Limited has been operating for approximately 12 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Razorpay has been in operation for around 12 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 Afterpay vs Razorpay overview