Deel vs Revolut: Founders, CEOs and History
Deel was founded in 2019 by Alex Bouaziz, Shuo Wang and is led by Alex Bouaziz. Revolut was founded in 2015 by Nikolay Storonsky, Vlad Yatsenko and is led by Nikolay Storonsky.
Company facts
Founders
Deel
Alex Bouaziz
Alex Bouaziz is Deel's co-founder and CEO. He started Deel in 2019 with Shuo Wang after experiencing first-hand how hard it was to hire and pay people across borders, took it through Y Combinator, and has led it from contractor payments to a full global HR and…
Shuo Wang
Shuo Wang is Deel's co-founder and Chief Revenue Officer. She leads Deel's go-to-market organization and has overseen its sales growth from early contractor-payment customers to more than 40,000 businesses worldwide.
Revolut
Nikolay Storonsky
Nikolay (Nik) Storonsky co-founded Revolut in 2015 and has been its CEO since. He led the company from a prepaid travel card to a multinational bank with ~$5.94 billion (£4.5 billion) of 2025 revenue and remains its largest individual shareholder.
Vlad Yatsenko
Vlad Yatsenko co-founded Revolut with Storonsky in 2015 and served as its long-time chief technology officer, leading the in-house engineering of its core banking, payments and card platforms.
CEOs and their tenures
Deel
- Alex Bouaziz2019–present
Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Co-founded Deel in 2019 and has led it from a YC contractor-payments startup to $1.5B+ ARR and a $17.3B valuation.
Source - Shuo Wang2019–present
Co-Founder & Chief Revenue Officer
Built and leads Deel's sales and revenue organization.
Source - Philippe Bouaziz2019–present
Executive Chairman & Chief Strategy Officer
Founding CFO who moved to executive chairman and chief strategy officer in November 2025; named as a defendant in Rippling's lawsuit.
Source - Joe Kauffman2025–present
Chief Financial Officer
Former Intuit executive appointed CFO in November 2025 as Deel prepares for a potential IPO.
Source
Revolut
- Nik Storonsky2015–present
Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Has led Revolut since 2015, taking it to ~$5.94B (£4.5B) revenue in 2025 and a full UK banking licence in 2026.
Source - Vlad Yatsenko2015–present
Co-Founder
Long-time CTO who led the in-house build of Revolut's core banking and payments technology.
Source - Martin Gilbert2020–present
Chair
Former Aberdeen Asset Management chief who chairs Revolut's board through its UK licensing.
Source
Timeline: Deel and Revolut side by side
2015Revolut
Revolut Founded at Level39 Canary Wharf
Nik Storonsky and Vlad Yatsenko founded Revolut in London, launching multi-currency cards with zero FX fees.
2017Revolut
Launches Revolut Business & Crypto Trading
Debuted corporate business accounts and cryptocurrency exchange, igniting rapid user growth past 1M users.
2018Revolut
$250M Series C at $1.7B Valuation & European Banking License
Achieved unicorn status led by DST Global and secured a European banking license from the Bank of Lithuania.
2019Deel
Deel founded; joins Y Combinator W19
Alex Bouaziz and Shuo Wang launch Deel for compliant international contractor payments.
2020Deel
Series A and B
$14M Series A led by Andreessen Horowitz (May) and $30M Series B led by Spark Capital (September) as remote hiring took off.
2020Revolut
$500M Series D at $5.5B Valuation Led by TCV
Raised $500M during the pandemic, expanding global operations into the United States, Japan, and Australia.
2021Deel
$1.25B Series C, then $5.5B Series D
$156M Series C in April; $425M Series D led by Coatue in October.
2021Revolut
$800M Series E at $33.0B Valuation Led by SoftBank & Tiger Global
Closed a large $800M financing round valuing Revolut at $33.0 billion, becoming the UK's most valuable tech firm.
2022Deel
$12B valuation; Legalpad acquired; $295M ARR
Series D extension in May; ARR reached $295M by year-end.
2023Deel
PayGroup completed; free Deel HR
Closed the PayGroup acquisition and launched a free global HRIS.
2023Revolut
Revolut posts ~$2.38B (£1.8B) revenue and ~$578M (£438M) pre-tax profit
2023 results showed revenue nearly doubling.
2024Deel
Hofy and Zavvy; $800M ARR
Launched Deel IT after buying Hofy; reached $800M run rate in December.
2024Revolut
Secures UK Banking License Authorization from PRA
Achieved landmark approval for a UK banking license with restrictions from the Bank of England.
2024Revolut
$45.0B Valuation Secondary Sale Led by Coatue and Greenoaks
Completed landmark secondary share sale valuing Revolut at $45.0 billion, solidifying Europe's top tech valuation.
2025Deel
Rippling lawsuit; $1B ARR; $17.3B Series E
Rippling sued in March; Safeguard Global payroll deal in March; $1B ARR in June; $300M Series E in October; Joe Kauffman named CFO in November.
2025Revolut
$75B valuation
November 2025 share sale led by Coatue, Greenoaks, Dragoneer and Fidelity.
2026Deel
DOJ probe reported; $1.5B ARR; Clarity acquired
WSJ reported a DOJ criminal probe in January; Deel passed $1.5B ARR in H1 and bought Clarity in August.
2026Revolut
Full UK banking licence
Revolut Bank UK exited mobilisation on 11 March 2026.
2026Revolut
$115B secondary share sale
July 2026 sale priced shares at $2,017.
Acquisitions
Deel
- Clarity2026Undisclosed
- Safeguard Global (enterprise payroll division)2025Undisclosed
- Hofy2024Undisclosed
- PayGroup2023Undisclosed
- Legalpad2022Undisclosed
- Zeitgold2021Undisclosed
Questions about Deel vs Revolut
Who is the CEO of Deel, Inc. and Revolut Ltd?
Deel, Inc. is led by Alex Bouaziz and Revolut Ltd is led by Nikolay Storonsky. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Deel, Inc. founded vs Revolut Ltd?
Revolut Ltd was founded in 2015 — 4 years before Deel, Inc., which was founded in 2019. Revolut Ltd's longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Deel, Inc..
How many employees does Deel, Inc. have compared to Revolut Ltd?
Deel, Inc. employs approximately 9,600 people, while Revolut Ltd employs approximately 12,000. Revolut Ltd has the larger workforce at 12,000 employees, compared to Deel, Inc.'s 9,600. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are Deel, Inc. and Revolut Ltd headquartered?
Deel, Inc. is headquartered in United States and Revolut Ltd is headquartered in United Kingdom. Their different home markets mean they may face different regulatory frameworks, tax regimes, and currency exposure.
Who founded Deel, Inc. and Revolut Ltd?
Deel, Inc. was founded by Alex Bouaziz, Shuo Wang. Revolut Ltd was founded by Nikolay Storonsky, Vlad Yatsenko.
Which company has a longer operating history — Deel, Inc. or Revolut Ltd?
Revolut Ltd has been operating for approximately 11 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Deel, Inc. has been in operation for around 7 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 Deel vs Revolut overview