Razorpay vs Stripe: Founders, CEOs and History
Razorpay was founded in 2014 by Harshil Mathur, Shashank Kumar and is led by Harshil Mathur. Stripe was founded in 2010 by Patrick Collison, John Collison and is led by Patrick Collison.
Company facts
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 and is its Managing Director. He built much of the early product and leads technology and product direction.
Stripe
Patrick Collison
Patrick Collison is Stripe's co-founder and CEO. Before Stripe he co-founded Auctomatic, an eBay seller-tools startup that was acquired in 2008. In 2010 he and his brother John started Stripe to make online payments easy for developers to integrate.
John Collison
John Collison is Stripe's co-founder and President. He has focused on Stripe's commercial expansion, large-customer relationships and partnerships with banks and card networks.
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
Built much of Razorpay's early product and leads technology and product as Managing Director.
Source
Stripe
- Patrick Collison2010–present
Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer
He built Stripe from a developer payments API into a platform that handled $1.9 trillion of business volume in 2025.
Source - John Collison2010–present
Co-founder and President
John Collison co-founded Stripe and serves as President, focusing on commercial growth, large customers and partnerships with banks and card networks.
Source
Timeline: Razorpay and Stripe side by side
2010Stripe
Stripe is founded
Patrick and John Collison founded Stripe to simplify online payments for developers.
2011Stripe
Stripe launches publicly
Stripe became known for developer-friendly payment APIs and fast onboarding.
2014Razorpay
Harshil Mathur and Shashank Kumar found Razorpay to simplify online payments in India.
2015Razorpay
Joins Y Combinator's Winter 2015 batch.
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.
2020Stripe
Paystack acquisition
Stripe acquired Paystack to deepen payment infrastructure in African markets.
2021Razorpay
Raises $375 million Series F at a $7.5 billion valuation; acquires TERA Finlabs.
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.
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).
2025Stripe
Bridge acquisition completed
Stripe completed the Bridge acquisition and expanded stablecoin infrastructure.
2025Stripe
$1.9T in total volume
Businesses on Stripe generated $1.9 trillion in total volume, up 34% from 2024.
2026Razorpay
Appoints IPO bankers (February) and confidentially files draft IPO papers with SEBI (June).
2026Stripe
$159B tender valuation
Stripe announced a tender offer for current and former employees at a $159 billion valuation in February 2026.
2026Stripe
$53B PayPal bid dropped
Stripe and Advent International made a joint offer of about $53.4 billion for PayPal in July 2026 and abandoned it in late August.
2026Stripe
OpenRouter acquisition agreed
Stripe agreed to acquire AI model gateway OpenRouter in August 2026, reportedly for about $7.5 billion.
Acquisitions
Razorpay
- Ezetap2022$200M
- Curlec2022Undisclosed
- IZealiant Technologies2022Undisclosed
- PoshVine2022Undisclosed
- Thirdwatch2019Undisclosed
Stripe
- OpenRouter2026$7.5B
- Bridge2025$1.1B
- Privy2025Undisclosed
- Metronome2025Undisclosed
- Lemon Squeezy2024Undisclosed
- Recko2021Undisclosed
Questions about Razorpay vs Stripe
Who is the CEO of Razorpay and Stripe, Inc.?
Razorpay is led by Harshil Mathur and Stripe, Inc. is led by Patrick Collison. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Razorpay founded vs Stripe, Inc.?
Stripe, Inc. was founded in 2010 — 4 years before Razorpay, which was founded in 2014. Stripe, 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 Stripe, Inc.?
Razorpay employs approximately 3,500 people, while Stripe, Inc. employs approximately 9,000. Stripe, Inc. has the larger workforce at 9,000 employees, compared to Razorpay's 3,500. 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 Stripe, Inc. headquartered?
Razorpay is headquartered in India and Stripe, Inc. is headquartered in United States / Ireland. Their different home markets mean they may face different regulatory frameworks, tax regimes, and currency exposure.
Who founded Razorpay and Stripe, Inc.?
Razorpay was founded by Harshil Mathur, Shashank Kumar. Stripe, Inc. was founded by Patrick Collison, John Collison.
Which company has a longer operating history — Razorpay or Stripe, Inc.?
Stripe, Inc. has been operating for approximately 16 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 Stripe overview