Brex vs Zerodha: Founders, CEOs and History
Brex was founded in 2017 by Pedro Franceschi, Henrique Dubugras and is led by Pedro Franceschi. Zerodha was founded in 2010 by Nithin Kamath, Nikhil Kamath and is led by Nithin Kamath.
Company facts
Founders
Brex
Pedro Franceschi
Franceschi enrolled at Stanford in 2016 and left with Dubugras for Y Combinator's Winter 2017 batch, where the pair dropped a virtual reality idea three weeks in and started Brex.
Henrique Dubugras
Dubugras enrolled at Stanford in 2016 and left for Y Combinator in early 2017, co-founding Brex that January.
Zerodha
Nithin Kamath
Nithin Kamath co-founded Zerodha in 2010. Having started day trading at age 17 and suffering massive losses during the 2001 dot-com crash and 2008 financial crisis, he was deeply furious at the astronomically high brokerage fees charged by legacy Indian banks.…
Nikhil Kamath
Nikhil Kamath co-founded Zerodha in 2010. A highly skilled, aggressive day trader who dropped out of school at age 14, he provided the absolute critical trading expertise to ensure the platform catered perfectly to high-volume derivative traders, who generate…
CEOs and their tenures
Brex
- Pedro Franceschi2017–present
Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Co-CEO from January 2017, running product, engineering and internal operations, and sole CEO since June 12, 2024.
Source - Henrique Dubugras2017–2024
Co-Founder; Co-CEO 2017 to 2024, then Chairman
External co-CEO responsible for fundraising, banking partners, regulators and selling to the largest customers. Raised the rounds that took Brex to a $12.3 billion valuation in 2021, and became chairman of the board when the co-CEO model ended in June 2024.
Source - Ben Gammell2018–present
Chief Financial Officer and President
Joined in early 2018 as VP of operations and served as chief of staff to the CEO before becoming CFO. Also oversees legal, business development, systems and data, and was named as part of the leadership team staying on under Capital One.
Source
Zerodha
- Nithin Kamath2010–present
Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Has led Zerodha since founding and publishes regular updates on its finances and risks.
Source - Nikhil Kamath2010–present
Co-Founder
As Co-Founder, he acts as the absolute financial mastermind, managing the incredibly profitable proprietary trading and investment arms of the massive, bootstrapped unicorn.
Source - Kailash Nadh2013–present
Chief Technology Officer
As the legendary CTO, he built an absolutely world-class, ultra-lean engineering team capable of processing millions of concurrent trades with virtually zero downtime, severely crippling legacy banking rivals.
Source
Timeline: Brex and Zerodha side by side
2010Zerodha
Zerodha founded in Bengaluru
Nithin and Nikhil Kamath started operations on 15 August 2010.
2015Zerodha
Free equity delivery and Kite
Zerodha dropped brokerage on delivery trades and moved clients to its own Kite platform.
2017Brex
Founded during Y Combinator
Henrique Dubugras and Pedro Franceschi founded Brex on January 3, 2017, after dropping a virtual reality idea three weeks into Y Combinator's Winter 2017 batch. Ribbit Capital led a $7 million first round.
2018Brex
Launch, $50M Series B and $1.1B valuation
Brex raised a $50 million Series B in June 2018 from Y Combinator Continuity, Ribbit Capital, Peter Thiel and Max Levchin, passed 1,000 customers by August and reached a $1.1 billion valuation with a $125 million Series C in October.
2019Brex
$2.6B valuation led by Kleiner Perkins
A $100 million Series C-2 led by Kleiner Perkins in June 2019 valued Brex at $2.6 billion. Brex also launched Brex Cash, now the Brex Business Account, that year.
2019Zerodha
Largest Broker by Active Clients
Zerodha became the largest retail stockbroker in India by active clients in 2019.
2020Brex
Three acqui-hires and a $150M extension
Brex bought Neji, Compose Labs and Landria in March 2020, adding 12 people, and raised a $150 million Series C extension in May as a cushion against a long recession.
2021Brex
Bank charter bid, Weav deal and $12.3B valuation
Brex applied for a Utah industrial bank charter in February and withdrew it in August, raised $425 million at $7.4 billion in April, bought Weav for $50 million in August, went headquarterless, and agreed a $300 million round at $12.3 billion in October.
2022Brex
Empower launch, Pry deal and small business exit
Brex launched Brex Empower in April with DoorDash as a customer, bought Pry Financials for $90 million, left the small business market in June and laid off 136 people in October.
2023Brex
Silicon Valley Bank deposits
Brex took in billions of dollars of deposits from Silicon Valley Bank customers on March 9, 2023, the day before the bank collapsed.
2023Zerodha
Zerodha Fund House launches its first funds
After announcing a mutual fund joint venture with smallcase in April 2023, Zerodha Fund House opened its first two passive index funds, with the offer period running to November 3, 2023.
2024Brex
20% layoff and end of the co-CEO model
Brex cut 282 jobs on January 23, 2024, ranked fourth on CNBC's Disruptor 50 list in May, and on June 12 made Franceschi sole CEO, with Dubugras becoming chairman.
2024Zerodha
Margin trading facility launched
Zerodha began offering margin trading funding in December 2024.
2025Brex
Enterprise growth, EU licence and return to San Francisco
Brex said enterprise revenue grew 80% in 2024, won an EU payment institution licence in August 2025, leased about 100,000 square feet in San Francisco, and turned operating-cash-flow positive in October, according to Sacra.
2026Brex
Acquired by Capital One for $5.15B
Capital One announced the cash-and-stock acquisition on January 22, 2026, and completed it on April 7. Pedro Franceschi stayed on as CEO.
2026Zerodha
FY26 profit of ~$497 million (₹4,283 crore)
Profit rose about 1.2% while revenue stayed roughly flat.
2026Zerodha
Merchant banking registration
Zerodha Corporate Advisors received a Category-I merchant banking registration from SEBI.
Acquisitions
Brex
- Pry Financials2022$90M
- Weav2021$50M
- Neji, Compose Labs and Landria2020Undisclosed
Questions about Brex vs Zerodha
Who is the CEO of Brex Inc. and Zerodha?
Brex Inc. is led by Pedro Franceschi and Zerodha is led by Nithin Kamath. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Brex Inc. founded vs Zerodha?
Zerodha was founded in 2010 — 7 years before Brex Inc., which was founded in 2017. Zerodha's longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Brex Inc..
How many employees does Brex Inc. have compared to Zerodha?
Brex Inc. employs approximately 1,100 people, while Zerodha employs approximately 1,100. Brex Inc. has the larger workforce at 1,100 employees, compared to Zerodha's 1,100. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are Brex Inc. and Zerodha headquartered?
Brex Inc. is headquartered in United States and Zerodha is headquartered in India. Their different home markets mean they may face different regulatory frameworks, tax regimes, and currency exposure.
Who founded Brex Inc. and Zerodha?
Brex Inc. was founded by Pedro Franceschi, Henrique Dubugras. Zerodha was founded by Nithin Kamath, Nikhil Kamath.
Which company has a longer operating history — Brex Inc. or Zerodha?
Zerodha has been operating for approximately 16 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Brex Inc. has been in operation for around 9 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 Brex vs Zerodha overview