Carta vs Stripe: Founders, CEOs and History
Carta was founded in 2012 by Henry Ward, Manu Kumar and is led by Henry Ward. Stripe was founded in 2010 by Patrick Collison, John Collison and is led by Patrick Collison.
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.
Stripe
Patrick Collison
Patrick Collison is Stripe's co-founder and CEO. Before Stripe he co-founded Auctomatic, an eBay seller-tools startup that was acquired in 2008. In 2010 he and his brother John started Stripe to make online payments easy for developers to integrate.
John Collison
John Collison is Stripe's co-founder and President. He has focused on Stripe's commercial expansion, large-customer relationships and partnerships with banks and card networks.
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
Co-founded eShares, suggested the original idea of electronic stock certificates, and backed the company through K9 Ventures.
Source
Stripe
- Patrick Collison2010–present
Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer
He built Stripe from a developer payments API into a platform that handled $1.9 trillion of business volume in 2025.
Source - John Collison2010–present
Co-founder and President
John Collison co-founded Stripe and serves as President, focusing on commercial growth, large customers and partnerships with banks and card networks.
Source
Timeline: Carta and Stripe side by side
2010Stripe
Stripe is founded
Patrick and John Collison founded Stripe to simplify online payments for developers.
2011Stripe
Stripe launches publicly
Stripe became known for developer-friendly payment APIs and fast onboarding.
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.
2017Carta
Renamed Carta
eShares rebranded as Carta in November 2017.
2019Carta
$300M Series E at $1.7B valuation
Led by Andreessen Horowitz.
2020Stripe
Paystack acquisition
Stripe acquired Paystack to deepen payment infrastructure in African markets.
2021Carta
$500M Series G at $7.4B valuation
Led by Silver Lake and Lightspeed in August 2021.
2022Carta
Acquires Vauban and Capdesk
Two London-based platforms expanded Carta in Europe.
2024Carta
Exits secondary trading
Shut down its secondary trading business after a January 2024 customer controversy.
2025Carta
Acquires Sirvatus and Accelex
Added private credit loan operations and AI document extraction in October 2025.
2025Stripe
Bridge acquisition completed
Stripe completed the Bridge acquisition and expanded stablecoin infrastructure.
2025Stripe
$1.9T in total volume
Businesses on Stripe generated $1.9 trillion in total volume, up 34% from 2024.
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.
2026Stripe
$159B tender valuation
Stripe announced a tender offer for current and former employees at a $159 billion valuation in February 2026.
2026Stripe
$53B PayPal bid dropped
Stripe and Advent International made a joint offer of about $53.4 billion for PayPal in July 2026 and abandoned it in late August.
2026Stripe
OpenRouter acquisition agreed
Stripe agreed to acquire AI model gateway OpenRouter in August 2026, reportedly for about $7.5 billion.
Acquisitions
Carta
- Avantia2026Undisclosed
- Sirvatus2025Undisclosed
- Accelex2025Undisclosed
- Vauban2022Undisclosed
- Capdesk2022Undisclosed
Stripe
- OpenRouter2026$7.5B
- Bridge2025$1.1B
- Privy2025Undisclosed
- Metronome2025Undisclosed
- Lemon Squeezy2024Undisclosed
- Recko2021Undisclosed
Questions about Carta vs Stripe
Who is the CEO of Carta, Inc. and Stripe, Inc.?
Carta, Inc. is led by Henry Ward and Stripe, Inc. is led by Patrick Collison. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Carta, Inc. founded vs Stripe, Inc.?
Stripe, Inc. was founded in 2010 — 2 years before Carta, Inc., which was founded in 2012. Stripe, Inc.'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 Stripe, Inc.?
Carta, Inc. employs approximately 1,900 people, while Stripe, Inc. employs approximately 9,000. Stripe, Inc. has the larger workforce at 9,000 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 Stripe, Inc. headquartered?
Carta, Inc. is headquartered in United States and Stripe, Inc. is headquartered in United States / Ireland. Their different home markets mean they may face different regulatory frameworks, tax regimes, and currency exposure.
Who founded Carta, Inc. and Stripe, Inc.?
Carta, Inc. was founded by Henry Ward, Manu Kumar. Stripe, Inc. was founded by Patrick Collison, John Collison.
Which company has a longer operating history — Carta, Inc. or Stripe, Inc.?
Stripe, Inc. 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 Stripe overview