Carta vs Paytm: Founders, CEOs and History
Carta was founded in 2012 by Henry Ward, Manu Kumar and is led by Henry Ward. Paytm was founded in 2010 by Vijay Shekhar Sharma and is led by Vijay Shekhar Sharma.
Company facts
Founders
Carta
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.
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.
Paytm
Vijay Shekhar Sharma
Vijay Shekhar Sharma is an Indian entrepreneur who founded One97 Communications in 2000 and launched Paytm in 2010.
CEOs and their tenures
Carta
- Henry Ward2012–present
Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder
Co-founded eShares in 2012 and has served as CEO since; led the 2017 rebrand, the 2021 Series G at $7.4B, the 2024 exit from secondary trading, and the 2025-2026 expansion into private credit and legal services.
Source - Manu Kumar2012–present
Co-Founder
As Co-Founder, he recognized that the entire Silicon Valley ecosystem was running on broken, manual Excel spreadsheets, heavily guiding Henry Ward's early product strategy before stepping back.
Source
Paytm
- Madhur Deora
President & Group CFO
Senior finance executive who led Paytm's investor communication through the 2024 RBI restructuring and the FY26 return to profit.
Source - Vijay Shekhar Sharma2010–present
Founder, MD & CEO
Born in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, Sharma graduated in engineering from Delhi College of Engineering. His tenacity established mobile QR code transactions across millions of Indian street vendors and small merchants.
Source
Timeline: Carta and Paytm side by side
2010Paytm
Paytm launched in Noida by Vijay Shekhar Sharma under One97 Communications as a mobile recharge portal.
2012Carta
eShares founded by Henry Ward and Manu Kumar
Started to replace paper stock certificates with electronic shares.
2013Carta
$1.8M seed round
K9 Ventures, Draper, and Scott Banister backed the company.
2014Paytm
Launches the Paytm Wallet, allowing consumers to store digital cash for bus tickets and mobile recharges.
2015Paytm
Alibaba Group and Ant Financial invest $680 million, validating Paytm as India's mobile payment leader.
2016Paytm
Indian demonetization triggers exponential merchant QR code adoption; Paytm becomes a national household brand.
2017Carta
Renamed Carta
eShares rebranded as Carta in November 2017.
2017Paytm
Launches Paytm Payments Bank; raises $1.4 billion from SoftBank Vision Fund.
2018Paytm
Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway invests $300 million in One97 Communications.
2019Carta
$300M Series E at $1.7B valuation
Led by Andreessen Horowitz.
2019Paytm
Invents and deploys the first Paytm Soundbox, pioneering audio payment confirmation for shopkeepers.
2021Carta
$500M Series G at $7.4B valuation
Led by Silver Lake and Lightspeed in August 2021.
2021Paytm
Lists on NSE and BSE following historic $2.5 billion initial public offering.
2022Carta
Acquires Vauban and Capdesk
Two London-based platforms expanded Carta in Europe.
2023Paytm
Deploys over 10 million subscription devices; Vijay Shekhar Sharma increases voting stake to 19.4%.
2024Carta
Exits secondary trading
Shut down its secondary trading business after a January 2024 customer controversy.
2024Paytm
Migrates UPI clearing to Yes Bank, Axis Bank, HDFC, and SBI; sells ticketing business to Zomato for 2,048 crore.
2025Carta
Acquires Sirvatus and Accelex
Added private credit loan operations and AI document extraction in October 2025.
2025Paytm
Antfin sells its remaining stake, leaving Paytm without Chinese shareholders; Paytm receives an online Payment Aggregator licence.
2026Carta
Launches Carta Law; Pulley winds down
Acquired Avantia in May; rival Pulley announced in September it will close on December 8 and migrate customers to Carta.
2026Paytm
Reports FY26 revenue of ~$979 million (₹8,437 crore) (+22%) and its first full-year profit; Q1 FY27 profit rises 79% to ~$25.5 million (₹220 crore).
Acquisitions
Carta
- Avantia2026Undisclosed
- Sirvatus2025Undisclosed
- Accelex2025Undisclosed
- Vauban2022Undisclosed
- Capdesk2022Undisclosed
Paytm
- Balance Technology2018Undisclosed
- Insider.in2017Undisclosed
- Nearbuy & Little2017Undisclosed
Questions about Carta vs Paytm
Who is the CEO of Carta, Inc. and Paytm?
Carta, Inc. is led by Henry Ward and Paytm is led by Vijay Shekhar Sharma. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Carta, Inc. founded vs Paytm?
Paytm was founded in 2010 — 2 years before Carta, Inc., which was founded in 2012. Paytm's longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Carta, Inc..
How many employees does Carta, Inc. have compared to Paytm?
Carta, Inc. employs approximately 1,900 people, while Paytm employs approximately 40,000. Paytm has the larger workforce at 40,000 employees, compared to Carta, Inc.'s 1,900. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are Carta, Inc. and Paytm headquartered?
Carta, Inc. is headquartered in United States and Paytm is headquartered in India. Their different home markets mean they may face different regulatory frameworks, tax regimes, and currency exposure.
Who founded Carta, Inc. and Paytm?
Carta, Inc. was founded by Henry Ward, Manu Kumar. Paytm was founded by Vijay Shekhar Sharma.
Which company has a longer operating history — Carta, Inc. or Paytm?
Paytm has been operating for approximately 16 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Carta, Inc. has been in operation for around 14 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 Carta vs Paytm overview