Klarna vs Razorpay: Founders, CEOs and History
Klarna was founded in 2005 by Sebastian Siemiatkowski, Niklas Adalberth, Victor Jacobsson and is led by Sebastian Siemiatkowski. Razorpay was founded in 2014 by Harshil Mathur, Shashank Kumar and is led by Harshil Mathur.
Company facts
Founders
Klarna
Sebastian Siemiatkowski
Sebastian Siemiatkowski, born in 1981 in Sweden to Polish immigrant parents, co-founded Klarna (originally Kreditor) with Niklas Adalberth and Victor Jacobsson in 2005.
Niklas Adalberth
Niklas Adalberth co-founded Klarna in 2005 with Sebastian Siemiatkowski and Victor Jacobsson and helped run the business during its expansion as Deputy CEO.
Victor Jacobsson
Victor Jacobsson co-founded Klarna in 2005 with Sebastian Siemiatkowski and Niklas Adalberth.
Razorpay
Harshil Mathur
Harshil Mathur co-founded Razorpay in 2014 with Shashank Kumar after struggling to set up online payments for a crowdfunding project.
Shashank Kumar
Shashank Kumar co-founded Razorpay in 2014 alongside Harshil Mathur. Frustrated by the absolute nightmare of integrating archaic, highly bureaucratic bank payment gateways (which took weeks of paperwork) while trying to build a crowdfunding site, he built Razo…
CEOs and their tenures
Klarna
- Sebastian Siemiatkowski2005–present
Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer
Has led Klarna since its founding, growing it from a Stockholm invoice startup into a $3.5 billion-revenue public company.
Source - Niklas Adalberth2005–2015
Co-founder, former Deputy CEO
As Co-Founder, he served as Deputy CEO, scaling the company across Europe before resigning in 2015 to found the Norrsken Foundation, a tech-focused philanthropic fund.
Source - Niclas Neglén2021–present
Chief Financial Officer
As CFO, he engineered the severe cost-cutting measures required to drive the company back toward profitability ahead of its highly anticipated US IPO.
Source
Razorpay
- Harshil Mathur2014–present
Co-founder & CEO
Grew Razorpay into one of India's largest payment companies, with ~$439 million (₹3,783 crore) FY25 revenue.
Source - Shashank Kumar2014–present
Co-founder & Managing Director
As Co-Founder and Managing Director, he acts as the absolute driving force behind the company's incredibly rapid product innovation, fiercely defending its dominance against legacy banks.
Source
Timeline: Klarna and Razorpay side by side
2005Klarna
Founded as Kreditor
Sebastian Siemiatkowski, Niklas Adalberth and Victor Jacobsson launch an invoice-after-delivery service for Swedish online shops.
2009Klarna
Renamed Klarna
Kreditor is rebranded as Klarna and expands across the Nordics and into Germany and the Netherlands.
2010Klarna
Sequoia Capital Invests
Sequoia Capital invested in Klarna in 2010.
2014Klarna
Acquires SOFORT
Klarna completes its purchase of German bank-transfer payment provider SOFORT, giving it scale in the DACH region.
2014Razorpay
Harshil Mathur and Shashank Kumar found Razorpay to simplify online payments in India.
2015Klarna
US Launch
Klarna launched in the United States in 2015.
2015Razorpay
Joins Y Combinator's Winter 2015 batch.
2017Klarna
Swedish banking licence
Klarna receives a full banking licence from the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority, operating as Klarna Bank AB.
2018Razorpay
Launches RazorpayX business banking and Razorpay Capital.
2019Razorpay
Acquires fraud-detection startup Thirdwatch and payroll software startup Opfin.
2020Razorpay
Becomes a unicorn after a $100 million Series D led by GIC and Sequoia Capital India.
2021Klarna
$45.6 billion valuation
A SoftBank-led funding round values Klarna at $45.6 billion during the pandemic e-commerce boom.
2021Razorpay
Raises $375 million Series F at a $7.5 billion valuation; acquires TERA Finlabs.
2022Klarna
Valuation reset and layoffs
Klarna cuts about 10% of staff in May and raises money in July at a $6.7 billion valuation.
2022Razorpay
Acquires Curlec (Malaysia), Ezetap (offline POS), IZealiant and PoshVine; RBI pauses new online merchant onboarding pending its payment aggregator licence.
2023Razorpay
Receives final RBI authorisation as an online payment aggregator.
2024Klarna
Return to net profit
Klarna reports a $21 million net profit for 2024 on $2.81 billion of revenue.
2025Klarna
NYSE IPO
Klarna lists on the New York Stock Exchange as KLAR in September 2025, pricing at $40 per share.
2025Razorpay
Converts to Razorpay Software Limited and completes reverse flip of its parent from the US to India (May); FY25 revenue rises 65% to ~$439 million (₹3,783 crore).
2026Klarna
FY2025 results
Klarna reports $3.51 billion of FY2025 revenue, $127.9 billion of GMV, $65 million of adjusted operating profit and a $273 million net loss.
2026Klarna
Q2 profit and guidance cut
Klarna posts a $9 million Q2 2026 net profit on $1.042 billion of revenue but lowers 2026 GMV guidance to $149-151 billion.
2026Razorpay
Appoints IPO bankers (February) and confidentially files draft IPO papers with SEBI (June).
Acquisitions
Klarna
- PriceRunner2022Undisclosed
- APPRL2021Undisclosed
- HERO2021Undisclosed
- Stocard2021Undisclosed
- Moneymour2020Undisclosed
- BillPay2017Undisclosed
Razorpay
- Ezetap2022$200M
- Curlec2022Undisclosed
- IZealiant Technologies2022Undisclosed
- PoshVine2022Undisclosed
- Thirdwatch2019Undisclosed
Questions about Klarna vs Razorpay
Who is the CEO of Klarna Group plc and Razorpay?
Klarna Group plc is led by Sebastian Siemiatkowski and Razorpay is led by Harshil Mathur. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Klarna Group plc founded vs Razorpay?
Klarna Group plc was founded in 2005 — 9 years before Razorpay, which was founded in 2014. Klarna Group plc's longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Razorpay.
How many employees does Klarna Group plc have compared to Razorpay?
Klarna Group plc employs approximately 2,831 people, while Razorpay employs approximately 3,500. Razorpay has the larger workforce at 3,500 employees, compared to Klarna Group plc's 2,831. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are Klarna Group plc and Razorpay headquartered?
Klarna Group plc is headquartered in United Kingdom and Razorpay is headquartered in India. Their different home markets mean they may face different regulatory frameworks, tax regimes, and currency exposure.
Who founded Klarna Group plc and Razorpay?
Klarna Group plc was founded by Sebastian Siemiatkowski, Niklas Adalberth, Victor Jacobsson. Razorpay was founded by Harshil Mathur, Shashank Kumar.
Which company has a longer operating history — Klarna Group plc or Razorpay?
Klarna Group plc has been operating for approximately 21 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Razorpay has been in operation for around 12 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 Klarna vs Razorpay overview