Company Overview
About
(HKSE:1688), a member of the Alibaba Group of companies, is one of the world's premier e-commerce brands and the number one online marketplace for global and domestic China trade. We provide an efficient, trusted platform connecting small and medium-sized buyers and suppliers from around the world. Our international marketplace () focuses on global importers and exporters and our China marketplace () focuses on suppliers and buyers trading domestically in China. Together our marketplaces form a community of more than 24 million registered users from over 200 countries and regions.
Our operational headquarters is based in Hangzhou in eastern China. We have field sales and marketing offices in more than 30 cities in China, Hong Kong, Switzerland and the United States. The company had more than 4,400 full-time employees as of June 30, 2007.
History & Milestones
Jack Ma, our lead founder and chairman, and 18 other founders launched in his Hangzhou apartment in 1999. Originally, operated as a bulletin board service for businesses to post buy and sell trade leads, and later became a vibrant marketplace for small and medium enterprises around the world to identify potential trading partners and interact with each other to conduct business online. listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on November 6, 2007 and is the flagship business of the Alibaba Group.
October 2000 Gold Supplier membership launched to serve China exporters.
August 2001 International TrustPass membership launched to serve exporters outside of China.
March 2002 China TrustPass membership launched to serve SMEs engaging in domestic China trade.
July 2002 Keyword services launched on our international marketplace.
November 2003 TradeManager instant messaging software launched to enable users to communicate in real time on our marketplaces.
March 2005 Keyword bidding launched on our China marketplace.
April 2007 Gold Supplier membership launched to serve Hong Kong exporters.
November 2007 listed on the Main Board of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited, under stock code 1688.
Awards & Honors