Founder Profile
Henry Ward
Last reviewed: October 2026 · By Swet Parvadiya
Who is Henry Ward?
Henry Ward is a founder of Carta, Inc., which was founded in 2012 with Manu Kumar.
- Company founded
- Carta, Inc.
- Founded
- 2012
- Co-founders
- Manu Kumar
Background
Henry Ward studied at the University of Michigan and worked in software and finance before attempting to launch Secondsight, an algorithmic fixed-income trading startup, in 2011. While raising for Secondsight he met Manu Kumar, which led to the founding of eShares in 2012.
Founding Story
Henry Ward is the co-founder and CEO of Carta. He has led the company since founding it as eShares in 2012, through its 2017 rebrand, a $7.4 billion Series G in 2021, and expansion into fund administration, private equity, private credit, and legal services. In January 2024 he shut down Carta's secondary trading business after a customer publicly accused a Carta broker of misusing cap table data. Ward said Carta was approaching $500 million in ARR in 2025. Henry Ward was born in 1975.
Sources
This profile does not yet cite a source specific to Henry Ward. The sources below document the company company rather than the person, so check them against the claims above.
- About Carta - Our Story (Carta, Inc.)
- Carta Launches Carta Law with Acquisition of Avantia (Business Wire, May 13, 2026) (Carta, Inc.)