JD.com vs Printify: Founders, CEOs and History
JD.com was founded in 1998 by Richard Liu Qiangdong and is led by Sandy Xu Ran. Printify was founded in 2015 by James Berdigans, Artis Kehris, Gatis Dukurs and is led by Alex Saltonstall.
Company facts
Founders
JD.com
Richard Liu Qiangdong
Richard Liu Qiangdong founded JD.com in Beijing in June 1998 as Jingdong, a small counter in the Zhongguancun electronics market selling magneto-optical drives. He built a reputation for genuine products in a market known for fakes.
Printify
James Berdigans
James (Jānis) Berdigans co-founded Printify in 2015 and served as founder and CEO through the 2021 Series A, when he described the goal as moving e-commerce from mass manufacturing to on-demand production.
Artis Kehris
Artis Kehris co-founded Printify in 2015 alongside James Berdigans. Recognizing the massive logistical nightmare that e-commerce creators faced with holding inventory, he helped architect Printify's highly unique, decentralized platform model, connecting massi…
Gatis Dukurs
Gatis Dukurs co-founded Printify in 2015. As the Chief Technology Officer during the absolutely critical early years, he built the incredibly robust API infrastructure required to seamlessly route millions of custom orders from Shopify storefronts directly to…
CEOs and their tenures
JD.com
- Richard Liu1998–2022
Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
He built JD.com around its own logistics network and listed it on Nasdaq in 2014. He handed the chief executive role to Xu Lei in April 2022 and remained chairman.
Source - Xu Lei2022–2023
CEO
Xu played a critical role in establishing the '618' mid-year shopping festival into China's second-largest nationwide retail event.
Source - Sandy Xu Ran2023–present
CEO
A former PwC audit partner who joined JD as CFO in 2018, Xu has run JD with a focus on cost discipline and shareholder returns, while backing big new bets in food delivery and Europe.
Source
Printify
- James Berdigans2015–present
Co-Founder; former CEO and Executive Chairman
As Co-Founder and former CEO, he transformed Printify into a massive, highly aggressive 'marketplace' platform, directly attacking Printful's premium model by relentlessly competing on price and volume.
Source - Alex Saltonstall2024–present
CEO, FYUL (Printful and Printify)
Former Printful CEO named CEO of the merged company in November 2024; led the FYUL rebrand in 2025.
Source - Anastasija Oleinika2024–present
President and Head of Platform
Printify CEO before the merger; took on the President and Head of Platform role in the combined company.
Source
Timeline: JD.com and Printify side by side
1998JD.com
Richard Liu Qiangdong founds Jingdong Century in a 4-square-meter stall in Beijing's Zhongguancun.
2003JD.com
SARS epidemic closes physical shops; Liu begins selling electronic components online.
2004JD.com
Permanently shuts physical retail stalls to launch e-commerce website jdlaser.com.
2007JD.com
Raises $10 million from Capital Today; takes radical strategic decision to build in-house JD Logistics.
2010JD.com
Launches the 618 Mid-Year Shopping Festival, transforming it into a nationwide commercial event.
2014JD.com
Lists on NASDAQ (JD), raising about $1.78 billion, after Tencent takes a strategic stake and links JD to WeChat.
2015Printify
Printify founded in Riga
Artis Kehris, Gatis Dukurs and James Berdigans launch a print-on-demand marketplace.
2016JD.com
Forms strategic alliance with Walmart, taking over Yihaodian in exchange for JD shares.
2018Printify
$1M raised for US expansion
Funding used to grow in the United States.
2019Printify
$3M funding round
Additional capital to expand the custom printing marketplace.
2020JD.com
Completes secondary listing on Hong Kong Stock Exchange (9618); spins off JD Health in $3.5B IPO.
2020Printify
HQ moves to Spīķeri, Riga; FT ranking
Named among Europe's fastest-growing companies by the Financial Times.
2021JD.com
JD Logistics completes separate $3.2 billion IPO on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (2618).
2021Printify
$45M Series A led by Index Ventures
H&M Group, Virgin Group and Dreamers VC join; headcount nears 500.
2022JD.com
JD Logistics acquires a controlling stake in Deppon Logistics; Xu Lei becomes CEO as Richard Liu stays Chairman.
2023JD.com
CFO Sandy Xu Ran becomes CEO in May 2023.
2024JD.com
Walmart sells its entire JD.com stake in August 2024.
2024Printify
Merger with Printful announced
Equal-partner merger announced November 5; Alex Saltonstall named CEO of the combined company.
2025JD.com
Launches JD Food Delivery; makes a tender offer for Ceconomy (MediaMarkt, Saturn); revenue reaches ~$182 billion (RMB1,309.1 billion).
2025Printify
Rebrand under FYUL umbrella
Printify, Printful and Snow Commerce grouped as FYUL; move to FYUL House in Riga begins.
2026JD.com
Q2 revenue falls 2.9% while non-GAAP profit rises 20.8%; Ceconomy deal wins conditional German approval.
Acquisitions
JD.com
- Ceconomy AG2025Undisclosed
- Deppon Logistics2022$1.4B
- China Logistics Property Holdings (CNLP)2022Undisclosed
- Yihaodian2016Undisclosed
Questions about JD.com vs Printify
Who is the CEO of JD.com and Printify?
JD.com is led by Sandy Xu Ran and Printify is led by Alex Saltonstall. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was JD.com founded vs Printify?
JD.com was founded in 1998 — 17 years before Printify, which was founded in 2015. JD.com's longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Printify.
How many employees does JD.com have compared to Printify?
JD.com employs approximately 776,682 people, while Printify employs approximately 500. JD.com has the larger workforce at 776,682 employees, compared to Printify's 500. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are JD.com and Printify headquartered?
JD.com is headquartered in China and Printify is headquartered in Latvia. Their different home markets mean they may face different regulatory frameworks, tax regimes, and currency exposure.
Who founded JD.com and Printify?
JD.com was founded by Richard Liu Qiangdong. Printify was founded by James Berdigans, Artis Kehris, Gatis Dukurs.
Which company has a longer operating history — JD.com or Printify?
JD.com has been operating for approximately 28 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Printify has been in operation for around 11 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 JD.com vs Printify overview