Razorpay vs Robinhood Markets: Founders, CEOs and History
Razorpay was founded in 2014 by Harshil Mathur, Shashank Kumar and is led by Harshil Mathur. Robinhood Markets was founded in 2013 by Vlad Tenev, Baiju Bhatt and is led by Vlad Tenev.
Company facts
Razorpay
- Founded
- 2014
- Headquarters
- Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
- Current CEO
- Harshil Mathur
- Employees
- 3,500
Robinhood Markets
- Founded
- 2013
- Headquarters
- Menlo Park, California
- Current CEO
- Vlad Tenev
- Employees
- 2,900
Founders
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…
Robinhood Markets
Vlad Tenev
Vlad Tenev co-founded Robinhood in 2013 and has been sole CEO since November 2020; he is also chairman.
Baiju Bhatt
Baiju Bhatt co-founded Robinhood in 2013 and was co-CEO with Vlad Tenev until November 2020, when he became Chief Creative Officer and focused on product and design.
CEOs and their tenures
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
Robinhood Markets
- Vlad Tenev2013–present
Co-founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Under Tenev, Robinhood moved from a $541 million net loss in 2023 to $1.883 billion of net income on $4.473 billion of revenue in 2025.
Source - Baiju Bhatt2013–2020
Co-founder and former co-CEO
As Co-Founder and former Co-CEO, he was the absolute driving force behind the platform's incredibly intuitive, gamified user interface that completely revolutionized retail investing before stepping down to focus on product innovation.
Source - Shiv Verma2025–present
Chief Financial Officer
As a senior leader, he heavily supported the rapid scaling of Robinhood's incredibly robust trading infrastructure during massive retail spikes.
Source
Timeline: Razorpay and Robinhood Markets side by side
2013Robinhood Markets
Robinhood is founded
Vlad Tenev and Baiju Bhatt found Robinhood with a mission to democratize access to investing.
2014Razorpay
Harshil Mathur and Shashank Kumar found Razorpay to simplify online payments in India.
2015Razorpay
Joins Y Combinator's Winter 2015 batch.
2015Robinhood Markets
Mobile app launches
Robinhood launches commission-free stock trading through a simple mobile brokerage app.
2018Razorpay
Launches RazorpayX business banking and Razorpay Capital.
2018Robinhood Markets
Robinhood Crypto launches
Robinhood expands into crypto trading, adding a major cyclical revenue driver.
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.
2021Razorpay
Raises $375 million Series F at a $7.5 billion valuation; acquires TERA Finlabs.
2021Robinhood Markets
GameStop restrictions and IPO
Robinhood faces scrutiny during the meme-stock trading episode and later goes public on Nasdaq.
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.
2023Robinhood Markets
X1 acquisition adds card capability
Robinhood acquires X1, helping build the Robinhood Gold Card strategy.
2024Robinhood Markets
Robinhood Gold Card launches
Robinhood launches the Gold Card, built on technology from its 2023 X1 acquisition.
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).
2025Robinhood Markets
TradePMR and Bitstamp expand product reach
Robinhood uses acquisitions to expand advisory infrastructure and crypto exchange capability.
2025Robinhood Markets
Revenue reaches $4.473B
Robinhood reports FY2025 total net revenues of $4.473B and net income of $1.883B.
2025Robinhood Markets
Joins the S&P 500
Robinhood is added to the S&P 500 index in September 2025.
2026Razorpay
Appoints IPO bankers (February) and confidentially files draft IPO papers with SEBI (June).
2026Robinhood Markets
Q1 revenue of $1.07 billion
Robinhood reports Q1 2026 total net revenues of $1.07 billion, up 15%, as crypto revenue falls.
2026Robinhood Markets
10% workforce reduction
In June 2026 Robinhood cuts about 290 roles to flatten management layers.
2026Robinhood Markets
Record Q2 revenue of $1.31 billion
Q2 2026 revenue rises 32% to $1.31 billion, net income reaches $573 million, and funded customers hit 28.4 million.
Acquisitions
Razorpay
- Ezetap2022$200M
- Curlec2022Undisclosed
- IZealiant Technologies2022Undisclosed
- PoshVine2022Undisclosed
- Thirdwatch2019Undisclosed
Robinhood Markets
- TradePMR2025$300M
- Bitstamp2025$200M
- X12023$95M
- Say Technologies2021$140M
- MarketSnacks2019Undisclosed
Questions about Razorpay vs Robinhood Markets
Who is the CEO of Razorpay and Robinhood Markets, Inc.?
Razorpay is led by Harshil Mathur and Robinhood Markets, Inc. is led by Vlad Tenev. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Razorpay founded vs Robinhood Markets, Inc.?
Robinhood Markets, Inc. was founded in 2013 — 1 year before Razorpay, which was founded in 2014. Robinhood Markets, Inc.'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 Razorpay have compared to Robinhood Markets, Inc.?
Razorpay employs approximately 3,500 people, while Robinhood Markets, Inc. employs approximately 2,900. Razorpay has the larger workforce at 3,500 employees, compared to Robinhood Markets, Inc.'s 2,900. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are Razorpay and Robinhood Markets, Inc. headquartered?
Razorpay is headquartered in India and Robinhood Markets, Inc. is headquartered in United States. Their different home markets mean they may face different regulatory frameworks, tax regimes, and currency exposure.
Who founded Razorpay and Robinhood Markets, Inc.?
Razorpay was founded by Harshil Mathur, Shashank Kumar. Robinhood Markets, Inc. was founded by Vlad Tenev, Baiju Bhatt.
Which company has a longer operating history — Razorpay or Robinhood Markets, Inc.?
Robinhood Markets, Inc. has been operating for approximately 13 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 Razorpay vs Robinhood Markets overview