Deel vs Rippling: Founders, CEOs and History
Deel was founded in 2019 by Alex Bouaziz, Shuo Wang and is led by Alex Bouaziz. Rippling was founded in 2016 by Parker Conrad, Prasanna Sankar and is led by Parker Conrad.
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.
Rippling
Parker Conrad
Parker Conrad co-founded Rippling in 2016 and has been its CEO since. He has grown it into a company with roughly $1 billion in annual recurring revenue and a $16.8 billion valuation (May 2025).
Prasanna Sankar
Prasanna Sankar co-founded Rippling in 2016 and served as its CTO, building early versions of the platform. He left the company in 2020, and in 2025 he told Forbes he had sold his shares over the years.
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
Rippling
- Parker Conrad2016–present
Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Has led Rippling since founding. He set the multi-product 'compound startup' strategy and guided the company to about $1 billion in ARR and a $16.8 billion valuation.
Source - Prasanna Sankar2016–2020
Co-Founder & Chief Technology Officer
Built Rippling's early engineering platform as CTO before leaving in 2020.
Source
Timeline: Deel and Rippling side by side
2016Rippling
Rippling founded
Parker Conrad and Prasanna Sankar started the company in San Francisco.
2019Deel
Deel founded; joins Y Combinator W19
Alex Bouaziz and Shuo Wang launch Deel for compliant international contractor payments.
2019Rippling
$45M Series A led by Kleiner Perkins
Funded expansion of payroll and IT products.
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.
2020Rippling
$145M Series B at $1.35B valuation
Founders Fund led the round. CTO Prasanna Sankar left the company the same year.
2021Deel
$1.25B Series C, then $5.5B Series D
$156M Series C in April; $425M Series D led by Coatue in October.
2022Deel
$12B valuation; Legalpad acquired; $295M ARR
Series D extension in May; ARR reached $295M by year-end.
2022Rippling
Valuation reaches $11.25B
Raised $250 million Series D; expanded into finance products.
2023Deel
PayGroup completed; free Deel HR
Closed the PayGroup acquisition and launched a free global HRIS.
2023Rippling
$500M Series E during SVB failure
Raised emergency capital to keep client payrolls running after Silicon Valley Bank collapsed.
2024Deel
Hofy and Zavvy; $800M ARR
Launched Deel IT after buying Hofy; reached $800M run rate in December.
2024Rippling
$200M Series F at $16.8B
Coatue led, alongside a tender offer of up to $590 million.
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.
2025Rippling
Deel lawsuit and $16.8B Series G
Sued Deel in March, then raised $450 million at a $16.8 billion valuation in May.
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.
2026Rippling
Rippling AI launch; ~$1B ARR
Conrad reported revenue growing 78% year over year; CNBC Disruptor 50 rank No. 11.
Acquisitions
Deel
- Clarity2026Undisclosed
- Safeguard Global (enterprise payroll division)2025Undisclosed
- Hofy2024Undisclosed
- PayGroup2023Undisclosed
- Legalpad2022Undisclosed
- Zeitgold2021Undisclosed
Rippling
No verified acquisitions are listed.
Questions about Deel vs Rippling
Who is the CEO of Deel, Inc. and Rippling (People Center, Inc.)?
Deel, Inc. is led by Alex Bouaziz and Rippling (People Center, Inc.) is led by Parker Conrad. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Deel, Inc. founded vs Rippling (People Center, Inc.)?
Rippling (People Center, Inc.) was founded in 2016 — 3 years before Deel, Inc., which was founded in 2019. Rippling (People Center, Inc.)'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 Rippling (People Center, Inc.)?
Deel, Inc. employs approximately 9,600 people. A verified employee count for Rippling (People Center, Inc.) is not currently available.
Where are Deel, Inc. and Rippling (People Center, Inc.) headquartered?
Both Deel, Inc. and Rippling (People Center, Inc.) are headquartered in United States, meaning they operate under the same primary regulatory and tax environment.
Who founded Deel, Inc. and Rippling (People Center, Inc.)?
Deel, Inc. was founded by Alex Bouaziz, Shuo Wang. Rippling (People Center, Inc.) was founded by Parker Conrad, Prasanna Sankar.
Which company has a longer operating history — Deel, Inc. or Rippling (People Center, Inc.)?
Rippling (People Center, Inc.) has been operating for approximately 10 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 Rippling overview