Alibaba vs Etsy: Founders, CEOs and History
Alibaba was founded in 1999 by Jack Ma (Ma Yun), Joe Tsai (Tsai Chung-hsin) and is led by Eddie Wu. Etsy was founded in 2005 by Robert Kalin, Chris Maguire, Haim Schoppik and is led by Kruti Patel Goyal.
Company facts
Founders
Alibaba
Jack Ma (Ma Yun)
Jack Ma (born Ma Yun on September 10, 1964) founded Alibaba in 1999, embarking on a journey that would reshape the modern Chinese economy.
Joe Tsai (Tsai Chung-hsin)
Joe Tsai served as Alibaba's Executive Vice Chairman from 2013 until 2023 and became Non-Executive Chairman following the retirement of Jack Ma. In September 2023 he was elevated to Chairman of the Board.
Etsy
Robert Kalin
Etsy possesses a well-known, specific founding story, rooted not in global ambition, but in the niche, frustrated 'maker' community of Brooklyn, New York.
Chris Maguire
Chris Maguire earned a BA in Art, Computer Science & Animation from NYU. He was the primary developer who built Etsy's backend systems, database architecture, and original marketplace functionality.
Haim Schoppik
Haim Schoppik was a web developer who met Robert Kalin through GetCrafty.com. He left NYU before graduating to build Etsy full-time.
Jared Tarbell
Jared Tarbell co-founded Etsy in 2005. As a highly skilled programmer, he wrote the early core architecture of the site alongside Rob Kalin and Chris Maguire.
CEOs and their tenures
Alibaba
- Jack Ma1999–2013
Founder and Chief Executive Officer
He stepped down as chief executive in May 2013 and remained executive chairman until 2019.
Source - Jonathan Lu2013–2015
Chief Executive Officer
The $25 billion offering was the largest IPO to that date. Daniel Zhang succeeded him in May 2015.
Source - Daniel Zhang (Zhang Yong)2015–2023
Former CEO and Chairman, Alibaba Group
Daniel Zhang served as Alibaba's CEO from 2015 to 2023, overseeing the company's growth from a primarily domestic e-commerce platform into a diversified technology conglomerate with global ambitions.
Source - Eddie Wu (Wu Yongming)2023–present
Chief Executive Officer, Alibaba Group
Eddie Wu was appointed CEO of Alibaba Group in September 2023, succeeding Daniel Zhang who had led the company since 2015.
Source
Etsy
- Robert Kalin2005–2011
Founder and Former CEO
Kalin's steady dedication to the concept of 'handmade' created a profound, almost cult-like loyalty among early adopters, establishing a powerful brand identity that remains Etsy's most valuable asset.
Source - Chad Dickerson2011–2017
Former Chief Executive Officer
Dickerson's tenure established the vital corporate infrastructure and technical stability needed to support Etsy's rapid global expansion.
Source - Josh Silverman2017–2025
Former CEO and Executive Chair
Silverman is universally credited with executing one of the most successful corporate turnarounds in recent e-commerce history.
Source - Kruti Patel Goyal2026–present
Chief Executive Officer
Goyal's elevation to CEO represents a profound commitment to organic, sustainable growth driven by deep internal platform knowledge rather than drastic external pivots.
Source
Timeline: Alibaba and Etsy side by side
1999Alibaba
Alibaba.com Launched
Jack Ma and 17 co-founders launch Alibaba.com from a Hangzhou apartment with $60,000 in pooled savings, creating a B2B online marketplace connecting Chinese manufacturers with international buyers.
1999Alibaba
First Major Investment from SoftBank
Masayoshi Son invests $20 million in Alibaba in a meeting reportedly lasting five minutes, alongside $5 million from Goldman Sachs, providing survival capital through the imminent dot-com crash.
2001Alibaba
Gold Supplier Program Launch
Alibaba launches the Gold Supplier verified membership program at $3,000 per year, generating approximately $10 million in first-year revenue and proving the B2B marketplace model's commercial viability.
2003Alibaba
Taobao Launches to Challenge eBay
Alibaba secretly develops and launches Taobao, a consumer-to-consumer marketplace offered free to both buyers and sellers, directly targeting eBay's Chinese market position. Within three years, Taobao surpasses eBay's Chinese market share.
2004Alibaba
Alipay Escrow Service Created
Alibaba creates Alipay as a payment escrow solution for Taobao transactions, holding buyer funds until delivery confirmation before releasing payment to sellers solving the trust barrier that was limiting online commerce adoption.
2005Etsy
Etsy Launches from Brooklyn Apartment
Robert Kalin, Chris Maguire, and Haim Schoppik built and launched Etsy in June 2005 from a Brooklyn apartment. The first item sold on the fourth day. By mid-2006, the platform had 10,000 sellers and 40,000 buyers with zero advertising spend.
2007Etsy
Series A Funding from Union Square Ventures
Etsy raised approximately $615,000 in a funding round led by Union Square Ventures, with Fred Wilson joining the board. The valuation reached approximately $10.7 million by November 2006.
2008Alibaba
Tmall (Taobao Mall) Launch
Alibaba launches a premium B2C marketplace initially called Taobao Mall (later rebranded Tmall), allowing established brands to operate official storefronts with higher trust credentials and enabling Alibaba to serve the premium consumer segment.
2008Etsy
Accel Partners Investment and Founder Departures
In January 2008, Etsy raised $27 million from Accel Partners and Jim Breyer at a valuation just under $100 million. In August 2008, both technical co-founders Chris Maguire and Haim Schoppik departed, and then-CEO Robert Kalin stepped down for the first time.
2009Alibaba
Alibaba Cloud Founded
Alibaba launches Alibaba Cloud (Aliyun) as a cloud computing business, a decade ahead of many enterprise adoption cycles, positioning it to become Asia Pacific's dominant cloud provider.
2009Etsy
Kalin Returns as CEO; Chad Dickerson Joins as CTO
Robert Kalin returned as CEO in December 2009 after Maria Thomas's brief tenure. Chad Dickerson, recruited from Yahoo, joined as CTO in September 2008 to professionalize the company's technical infrastructure.
2011Alibaba
First Singles' Day Shopping Festival
Alibaba transforms the informal 'Singles' Day' celebration on November 11 into a promotional shopping event on Taobao and Tmall, generating ~$130 million (936 million yuan) in sales a figure that would grow more than 100-fold in subsequent years.
2012Etsy
B Corp Certification
Etsy became a certified B Corporation in 2012, recognizing its commitment to social and environmental responsibility alongside profits.
2014Alibaba
Record-Breaking NYSE IPO
Alibaba completes its initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange on September 19, 2014, raising $25 billion the largest IPO in US stock market history at that time at a valuation of approximately $168 billion.
2015Etsy
IPO on NASDAQ at $16 Per Share
Etsy went public on April 16, 2015, pricing shares at $16 each and raising $267 million. The stock surged 88% on the first day of trading to $30.01, giving the company a market capitalization of $3.4 billion.
2016Etsy
Acquisition of Blackbird Technologies for $32.5 Million
Etsy acquired Blackbird Technologies, an AI startup, for $32.5 million to enhance its search and recommendation capabilities. This technology now powers Etsy's machine learning engine for personalized product discovery across 100 million+ listings.
2017Etsy
Josh Silverman Becomes CEO; Revenue Turnaround Begins
In May 2017, board member Josh Silverman replaced Chad Dickerson as CEO after a first-quarter loss and a 8% workforce reduction.
2019Alibaba
Dual Listing on Hong Kong Stock Exchange
Alibaba completes a secondary listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, raising an additional $13 billion and broadening its investor base among Asian institutional and retail investors, reducing dependence on US capital markets.
2019Etsy
Acquisition of Reverb for $275 Million
In July 2019, Etsy acquired Reverb, a marketplace for new, used, and vintage musical instruments, for $275 million in cash. Reverb was founded in 2013 by David Kalt and had surpassed $1 billion in total sales by 2017.
2020Etsy
COVID-19 Pandemic Drives Explosive Growth
Etsy experienced growth during the COVID-19 pandemic as consumers turned to handmade goods, personalized items, and face masks. Gross merchandise sales more than doubled year-over-year to $10.3 billion. Face mask sales alone reached $346 million in Q2 2020.
2021Alibaba
Record Antitrust Fine
Chinese regulators impose a 18.23 billion yuan ($2.8 billion USD) antitrust fine on Alibaba following a months-long investigation into its 'choose one from two' exclusivity practices at the time, the largest antitrust fine in Chinese regulatory history.
2021Etsy
Acquisitions of Depop and Elo7 for $1.84 Billion Combined
In June 2021, Etsy acquired Depop, an U.K.-based fashion resale app targeting Gen Z, for $1.625 billion. In July 2021, it acquired Elo7, the 'Etsy of Brazil,' for $217 million. Both acquisitions were made at peak tech valuations and later proved problematic.
2022Etsy
$1 Billion Asset Impairment Charge
Etsy recorded $1.0 billion in asset impairment charges, including $897.9 million for Depop and $147.1 million for Elo7, reflecting the decline in valuations and performance of its 2021 acquisitions.
2023Alibaba
Six-Business-Unit Restructuring Announced
Alibaba announces its most significant organizational restructuring, dividing the company into six independent business units each with its own CEO and board: Taobao Tmall Group, Cloud Intelligence Group, Alibaba International Digital Commerce Group, Cainiao S…
2023Etsy
Sale of Elo7 and 11% Workforce Reduction
In July 2023, Etsy sold Elo7 to Brazilian marketplace Enjoei for an undisclosed amount, likely at a loss.
2024Etsy
Revenue Growth Slows to 2.2%; Seller Setup Fee Introduced
Etsy reported revenue of $2.81 billion in 2024, up just 2.2% from 2023, the slowest growth rate since the IPO.
2025Etsy
Sale of Reverb; Depop Sale Agreement; CEO Transition
On June 2, 2025, Etsy completed the sale of Reverb to Creator Partners and Servco Pacific. On February 18, 2026, the company announced an agreement to sell Depop to eBay for $1.2 billion in cash.
Acquisitions
Alibaba
- Sun Art Retail Group (Auchan Retail China)2020$3.6B
- Ele.me2018$9.5B
- Trendyol (stake investment)2018$750M
- Lazada2016$1B
- Youku Tudou2016$3.7B
- AutoNavi Holdings Limited2014Undisclosed
Etsy
- Depop Limited2021$1.6B
- Elo7 Serviços de Informática S.A.2021$217M
- Reverb Holdings, Inc.2019$275M
- Blackbird Technologies2016$32.5M
Questions about Alibaba vs Etsy
Who is the CEO of Alibaba Group Holding Limited and Etsy, Inc.?
Alibaba Group Holding Limited is led by Eddie Wu and Etsy, Inc. is led by Kruti Patel Goyal. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Alibaba Group Holding Limited founded vs Etsy, Inc.?
Alibaba Group Holding Limited was founded in 1999 — 6 years before Etsy, Inc., which was founded in 2005. Alibaba Group Holding Limited's longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Etsy, Inc..
How many employees does Alibaba Group Holding Limited have compared to Etsy, Inc.?
Alibaba Group Holding Limited employs approximately 131,462 people, while Etsy, Inc. employs approximately 2,400. Alibaba Group Holding Limited has the larger workforce at 131,462 employees, compared to Etsy, Inc.'s 2,400. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are Alibaba Group Holding Limited and Etsy, Inc. headquartered?
Alibaba Group Holding Limited is headquartered in China and Etsy, Inc. is headquartered in United States. Their different home markets mean they may face different regulatory frameworks, tax regimes, and currency exposure.
Who founded Alibaba Group Holding Limited and Etsy, Inc.?
Alibaba Group Holding Limited was founded by Jack Ma (Ma Yun), Joe Tsai (Tsai Chung-hsin). Etsy, Inc. was founded by Robert Kalin, Chris Maguire, Haim Schoppik, Jared Tarbell.
Which company has a longer operating history — Alibaba Group Holding Limited or Etsy, Inc.?
Alibaba Group Holding Limited has been operating for approximately 27 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Etsy, Inc. has been in operation for around 21 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 Alibaba vs Etsy overview