Klaviyo vs Salesforce: Founders, CEOs and History
Klaviyo was founded in 2012 by Andrew Bialecki, Ed Hallen and is led by Andrew Bialecki & Chano Fernández (co-CEOs). Salesforce was founded in 1999 by Marc Benioff, Parker Harris, Dave Moellenhoff and is led by Marc Benioff.
Company facts
Klaviyo
- Founded
- 2012
- Headquarters
- Boston, Massachusetts, United States
- Current CEO
- Andrew Bialecki & Chano Fernández (co-CEOs)
- Employees
- 2,368
Salesforce
- Founded
- 1999
- Headquarters
- San Francisco, California
- Current CEO
- Marc Benioff
- Employees
- 83,334
Founders
Klaviyo
Andrew Bialecki
Andrew Bialecki co-founded Klaviyo in 2012 and has led it since, taking it through its 2023 NYSE IPO and past $1 billion in annual revenue in 2025.
Ed Hallen
Ed Hallen co-founded Klaviyo in 2012 and led product for much of its early history, shaping the flow builder and segmentation tools merchants use. He remains on Klaviyo's board of directors.
Salesforce
Marc Benioff
Marc Benioff is a fiercely visionary American technology entrepreneur, highly aggressive corporate architect, and the profoundly influential CEO and founding patriarch fundamentally responsible for creating the massively dominant Salesforce cloud software empi…
Parker Harris
Parker Harris is an absolutely brilliant software engineer, fiercely skilled digital architect, and the profoundly influential technical co-founder fundamentally responsible for programming the incredibly complex infrastructural bedrock of the massive Salesfor…
Dave Moellenhoff
Dave Moellenhoff is a highly astute software engineer, fiercely visionary digital operator, and the profoundly influential technical co-founder fundamentally responsible for architecting the highly critical security and multi-tenant frameworks of the massive S…
Frank Dominguez
Frank Dominguez is a fiercely brilliant software engineer, highly strategic digital architect, and the profoundly influential technical co-founder fundamentally responsible for the incredibly robust frontend engineering and early product development of the mas…
CEOs and their tenures
Klaviyo
- Andrew Bialecki2012–present
Co-Founder & Co-Chief Executive Officer
Co-founded Klaviyo, led it to its 2023 NYSE IPO and $1.234 billion in 2025 revenue; now oversees product, engineering and vision.
Source - Ed Hallen2012–present
Co-Founder & Director
Co-founded Klaviyo and led early product development.
Source - Amanda Whalen2022–present
Chief Financial Officer
Led finance through the 2023 IPO and reports quarterly results and guidance.
Source - Chano Fernández2026–present
Co-Chief Executive Officer
Former Workday co-CEO and Klaviyo board member since 2023; appointed co-CEO effective January 1, 2026 to lead go-to-market, operations and G&A.
Source
Salesforce
- Marc Benioff1999–present
Chair and Chief Executive Officer
Benioff has led Salesforce for its entire history, apart from co-CEO periods with Keith Block (2018-2020) and Bret Taylor (2021-2023).
Source - Parker Harris1999–present
Co-founder, Director and Chief Technology Officer, Slack
Harris is the remaining co-founder in an executive role and a member of the board.
Source
Timeline: Klaviyo and Salesforce side by side
1999Salesforce
Salesforce is founded
Marc Benioff, Parker Harris, Dave Moellenhoff, and Frank Dominguez founded Salesforce to deliver CRM through a browser.
2004Salesforce
NYSE IPO
Salesforce completed its initial public offering and gave the SaaS model public-market proof.
2005Salesforce
AppExchange launches
Salesforce opened the platform to third-party applications, strengthening its ecosystem moat.
2012Klaviyo
Klaviyo founded in Boston
Andrew Bialecki and Ed Hallen started Klaviyo.
2019Salesforce
Tableau acquisition closes
Salesforce added analytics and visualization through the Tableau acquisition.
2021Klaviyo
$320 million Series D at a $9.15 billion valuation
Klaviyo raised $320 million in May 2021 in a round led by Sands Capital, with Accel and Summit Partners participating, valuing the company at $9.15 billion.
2021Salesforce
Slack acquisition closes
Salesforce acquired Slack to add workplace collaboration as a workflow surface for CRM data.
2022Klaviyo
Shopify partnership
Shopify became a strategic partner and investor.
2023Klaviyo
NYSE IPO
Klaviyo began trading on the NYSE as KVYO in September 2023.
2025Klaviyo
$1.234 billion revenue; co-CEO named
Revenue grew 32%; in December Klaviyo named Chano Fernández co-CEO effective January 1, 2026.
2026Klaviyo
Q2 revenue $370.6 million; guidance raised
Revenue grew 26%, customers passed 205,000 and FY26 guidance rose to $1.526-$1.534 billion.
2026Salesforce
FY2026 revenue reaches $41.525B
Salesforce reported $41.525 billion in FY2026 revenue, with subscription and support revenue of $39.388 billion.
2026Salesforce
Q2 fiscal 2027 and raised guidance
Salesforce reported Q2 fiscal 2027 revenue of $11.345 billion, up 11%, Agentforce and Data 360 ARR of nearly $3.9 billion, and raised fiscal 2027 guidance to $46.1-46.4 billion.
Acquisitions
Salesforce
- Informatica2025$8B
- Own2024$1.9B
- PredictSpring and Tenyx2024Undisclosed
- Airkit.ai2023Undisclosed
- Spiff2023Undisclosed
- Troops.ai2022Undisclosed
Questions about Klaviyo vs Salesforce
Who is the CEO of Klaviyo, Inc. and Salesforce, Inc.?
Klaviyo, Inc. is led by Andrew Bialecki & Chano Fernández (co-CEOs) and Salesforce, Inc. is led by Marc Benioff. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Klaviyo, Inc. founded vs Salesforce, Inc.?
Salesforce, Inc. was founded in 1999 — 13 years before Klaviyo, Inc., which was founded in 2012. Salesforce, Inc.'s longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Klaviyo, Inc..
How many employees does Klaviyo, Inc. have compared to Salesforce, Inc.?
Klaviyo, Inc. employs approximately 2,368 people, while Salesforce, Inc. employs approximately 83,334. Salesforce, Inc. has the larger workforce at 83,334 employees, compared to Klaviyo, Inc.'s 2,368. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are Klaviyo, Inc. and Salesforce, Inc. headquartered?
Both Klaviyo, Inc. and Salesforce, Inc. are headquartered in United States, meaning they operate under the same primary regulatory and tax environment.
Who founded Klaviyo, Inc. and Salesforce, Inc.?
Klaviyo, Inc. was founded by Andrew Bialecki, Ed Hallen. Salesforce, Inc. was founded by Marc Benioff, Parker Harris, Dave Moellenhoff, Frank Dominguez.
Which company has a longer operating history — Klaviyo, Inc. or Salesforce, Inc.?
Salesforce, Inc. has been operating for approximately 27 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Klaviyo, 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 Klaviyo vs Salesforce overview