Etsy has become the go-to marketplace for handcrafted and vintage goods worldwide.
What started as a small Brooklyn startup now connects 7.4 million sellers with 95 million buyers across the globe. The platform generates $2.81 billion in annual revenue and holds a market capitalization of $5.77 billion as of May 2025.
But who actually owns this creative marketplace today?
The answer is more complex than you might expect. Etsy operates as a publicly traded company, which means its ownership is divided among thousands of shareholders. Institutional investors control the vast majority—about 89% of all shares—while retail investors hold the remaining 11%. The Vanguard Group stands as Etsy’s largest shareholder with 11.34% ownership, followed by BlackRock at 7.84% and Capital International at 6.9%.
This ownership structure is far from what founders Robert Kalin, Haim Schoppik, and Chris Maguire envisioned when they launched the platform in 2005. The company trades on the Nasdaq stock exchange under the ticker ETSY, and its journey from startup to public company reshaped how the business operates.
The story behind Etsy’s ownership reveals how a simple idea—connecting independent artisans with buyers who value handmade goods—grew into a marketplace empire. The company went public in 2015, releasing 16.7 million shares priced at $16 each. This move fundamentally changed who controls the company and how it makes decisions.
Throughout this article, you’ll learn who controls Etsy today, discover the founding story behind this creative marketplace, and see how the company expanded beyond its original vision through strategic acquisitions like Depop and Reverb. We’ll also trace its path from startup to public company and examine what this means for sellers and buyers on the platform.
Who owns Etsy today?
Understanding Etsy’s current ownership requires looking at how public companies actually work.
When you buy shares of Etsy stock, you become a part-owner of the company. But the reality is that most individual investors hold tiny fractions compared to massive institutional investors who control the majority of shares.
As of 2025, institutional investors hold 94.7% of Etsy shares, while individual insiders own only 1.01%. The remaining percentages go to private companies, government entities, and hedge funds. This concentration means that major investment firms essentially control how Etsy operates.
Etsy Inc. as the parent company
Etsy Inc. functions as more than just the marketplace you might know from buying handmade jewelry or vintage furniture.
The parent company oversees multiple platforms: Etsy.com for handmade and vintage goods, Reverb Holdings for musical instruments, and Depop Limited for fashion resale. Each marketplace operates independently, but they share resources in product development, technology, marketing, and customer support.
Etsy’s main platform focuses on handmade products, vintage items, and craft supplies across categories like homeware, jewelry, apparel, and toys. This diversification helps the company reduce risk while expanding into new markets.
Public company status and stock ticker
You can buy Etsy shares on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the ticker symbol “ETSY”. The company also holds a spot in the S&P 600 index.
As of June 2025, Etsy’s market capitalization stands at $5.77 billion with approximately 104.28 million shares outstanding. The company maintains a beta of 1.78, which means its stock price moves more dramatically than the overall market. Etsy’s price-to-earnings ratio hovers around 39.38, suggesting investors expect continued growth.
These numbers matter because they show how the market values Etsy compared to other companies. A higher P/E ratio typically indicates investors are willing to pay more for each dollar of earnings because they believe the company will grow faster.
Top institutional shareholders
Five major institutional investors control nearly half of Etsy’s shares:
- BlackRock, Inc.: 16.2% ownership with 16.85 million shares valued at $932.7 million
- The Vanguard Group: 11.4% ownership with 11.83 million shares valued at $655.1 million[83]
- Renaissance Technologies LLC: 5.08% ownership with 5.29 million shares[83]
- Elliott Management Corporation: 4.79% with 5 million shares
- Impactive Capital LP: 4.78% with 4.98 million shares
BlackRock and Vanguard alone control more than a quarter of the company. When these firms vote on corporate decisions, their choices carry significant weight in determining Etsy’s direction.
Insider ownership and executive stakes
Company insiders—executives, board members, and employees—own just 1.79% of all outstanding shares as of June 2025. This low percentage is common for mature public companies but creates an interesting dynamic.
Recent insider activity shows executives selling rather than buying shares. In May 2025, insider Rafe Colburn sold 2,350 shares at $47.01 per share. Earlier, in August 2024, board member C. Andrew Ballard sold 1,860 shares at $53.84 each.
This selling pattern suggests insiders might be taking profits rather than betting on future growth. While insider selling doesn’t always signal problems, it’s worth monitoring alongside other performance indicators.
The founding story of Etsy
Robert Kalin didn’t follow a typical path to becoming a tech entrepreneur.
Born in Boston in 1980, he bounced between five different colleges before finally graduating from NYU’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study in 2003. Before starting Etsy, Kalin worked as a carpenter and bookseller—experiences that gave him firsthand knowledge of how challenging it was for independent artisans to reach customers.
The idea for Etsy came while Kalin was working on a web design project for getcrafty.com, an online bulletin board for crafters. He saw a clear gap in the market and knew he could build something better.
Who founded Etsy and when
Kalin teamed up with Chris Maguire and Haim Schoppik to launch Etsy in June 2005. The three founders built the initial version of the site in just two and a half months, working out of a Brooklyn apartment. Jared Tarbell joined the team about a month after launch, completing the original quartet behind the platform.
The timing was perfect. eBay dominated online selling, but it wasn’t designed for handmade goods. Amazon focused on mass-produced items. Independent creators needed a space that understood their unique needs and celebrated their work.
The original vision behind the platform
Etsy emerged as a direct response to a real problem facing independent artisans. “The industrial revolution and consolidation of corporations are making it hard for independent artisans to distribute their goods. We want to change this,” 25-year-old Kalin stated shortly after launch.
Even the name “Etsy” reflected this unique vision. Kalin chose it after watching Fellini’s film 8½, noting that “etsi” in Italian means “oh, yes,” while in Latin and French, it translates to “what if.” The name captured both excitement and possibility—exactly what the founders wanted to offer creators.
The platform focused on three main categories: handmade products, vintage items (at least 20 years old), and craft supplies. This wasn’t about competing with Amazon or eBay. This was about creating a home for items you couldn’t find anywhere else.
Early funding and startup phase
The first funding came from an unexpected source. Three angel investors from Brooklyn—a restorer and two real estate developers for whom Kalin had previously done carpentry work—believed in the vision enough to back it financially.
Their investment paid off quickly. Etsy achieved $1.7 million in sales by May 2007, just two years after launch. The platform gained traction by continuously adding new tools and functionality to help sellers gain exposure and connect with buyers.
Success attracted bigger investors. Etsy received $27 million in funding from Union Square Ventures, Hubert Burda Media, and Jim Breyer in January 2008. This investment round established Etsy as a serious player in the e-commerce space and provided the resources needed for rapid growth.
From startup to stock market: Etsy’s IPO journey
Going public changes everything for a company. Etsy learned this firsthand when it made the jump from private startup to publicly traded marketplace in 2015.
The path to that moment required years of preparation and multiple funding rounds that helped the company grow from a Brooklyn apartment project into a billion-dollar business.
Timeline of Etsy’s funding rounds
Etsy’s first serious money came in November 2006 when Accel Partners and Union Square Ventures invested $1 million. This early institutional backing validated the handmade marketplace concept and opened doors to larger investors.
The company hit its stride in January 2008 with a $27 million Series C round led by Union Square Ventures. Hubert Burda Media and Jim Breyer joined the funding round, bringing both capital and expertise to help scale the platform. This injection of cash allowed Etsy to expand its team and improve the site’s functionality for sellers.
Two years later, in August 2010, Etsy raised another $20 million in Series D funding. The round valued the company at nearly $300 million—a significant jump that reflected its growing market position.
The final pre-IPO round came in 2012 when Index Ventures, Accel Partners, and other investors contributed $40 million in Series E funding. At this point, Etsy had raised approximately $91.7 million across all funding rounds, setting the stage for its public debut.
Going public in 2015
April 16, 2015 marked a turning point for Etsy. The company priced its IPO at $16 per share, raising $267 million and achieving a $1.8 billion valuation.
The market response was immediate and enthusiastic. Etsy’s stock surged 88% on its first trading day, closing at $30 per share. This jump signaled strong investor confidence in the handmade marketplace model.
What made Etsy’s IPO unique was its commitment to social responsibility. The company maintained its B Corporation status even after going public—a rare move that emphasized values alongside profits. Etsy also reserved 5% of IPO shares specifically for its sellers and small investors, staying true to its community-focused roots.
How ownership changed post-IPO
The public offering fundamentally shifted who controlled Etsy. Before the IPO, venture capital firms held the majority stake and had significant influence over company decisions.
After going public, institutional investors gradually increased their holdings. These large investment firms—pension funds, mutual funds, and other institutional players—became the dominant shareholders. The founders and early employees saw their ownership percentages diluted, though many benefited financially from the stock’s strong performance.
The new ownership structure brought different pressures. In 2017, activist investors including Black-and-White Capital and TPG Group acquired significant positions and pushed for strategic changes. Their influence led to management restructuring and a renewed focus on profitability over the social initiatives that had defined Etsy’s early years.
This shift illustrates how going public can change a company’s priorities and decision-making process, often moving away from founder vision toward shareholder returns.
What Etsy owns: Subsidiaries and business expansion
Etsy’s growth story didn’t stop with going public.
The company has built what CEO Josh Silverman calls a “House of Brands” through strategic acquisitions that expand its reach while maintaining each platform’s unique character. This approach has allowed Etsy to tap into specialized markets with passionate communities—from fashion resale to musical instruments.
Depop and Reverb acquisitions
Etsy’s acquisition strategy focuses on platforms that share similar values but serve different audiences.
The biggest move came in 2021 when Etsy acquired Depop, a fashion resale marketplace popular with Gen Z consumers, for $1.62 billion. This purchase gave the company access to Depop’s community of approximately 30 million registered users across nearly 150 countries. The acquisition made sense because both platforms connect people who value unique, pre-loved items.
Earlier, in 2019, Etsy acquired Reverb, a marketplace for new, used, and vintage musical instruments, for $275 million. Musicians use Reverb the same way crafters use Etsy—to find items with character and history that you can’t get anywhere else.
The company also acquired Elo7, often described as the “Etsy of Brazil,” creating a four-platform portfolio that spans diverse product categories and geographies. Each acquisition targets a specific community while operating under the same basic marketplace principles.
How Etsy Inc. manages its portfolio
Etsy employs what Silverman describes as a “Picky & Patient” approach to acquisitions.
Each marketplace operates as a standalone business with its own leadership team while benefiting from being part of the larger organization. Depop continued to be headquartered in London after its acquisition, maintaining its distinct identity. This management philosophy preserves the unique characteristics that made each platform successful in the first place.
The approach works because it respects what made each community special. Depop’s fashion-forward aesthetic appeals to a different audience than Reverb’s musician-focused community. Rather than forcing these platforms to become more like Etsy, the company lets them stay true to their original vision.
Shared resources across platforms
Despite operating independently, Etsy’s marketplaces benefit from shared expertise in critical areas such as product development, marketing, technology, and customer support.
This setup allows for knowledge transfer and implementation of best practices across platforms without compromising each brand’s unique appeal. All four marketplaces share similar business levers, including improving search and discovery, building human connections, and making selling and buying easier.
The strategy creates value for both buyers and sellers. Sellers get access to better tools and technology infrastructure. Buyers benefit from improved search functionality and customer support. Everyone wins when the platforms can share resources while maintaining their individual character.
Through this approach, Etsy has created a diversified portfolio of complementary marketplaces, each targeting different audiences while operating under consistent management principles.
Conclusion
Etsy’s ownership story shows how quickly things can change when a company goes public.
What started with three founders in a Brooklyn apartment is now controlled by institutional investors holding 94.7% of shares. BlackRock and Vanguard have replaced Robert Kalin, Haim Schoppik, and Chris Maguire as the primary decision-makers. This shift reflects a broader trend in how successful startups evolve.
The company’s growth from a simple artisan marketplace to a “House of Brands” worth $5.77 billion demonstrates the power of strategic expansion. Etsy’s acquisitions of Depop, Reverb, and Elo7 created a diversified portfolio while preserving each platform’s unique identity.
For sellers and buyers on Etsy, this ownership structure means the platform operates with the efficiency and resources of a major corporation while maintaining its focus on creative communities. The company still supports independent creators, but decisions now flow through a public company framework designed to maximize shareholder value.
Understanding Etsy’s ownership evolution offers valuable insights for anyone interested in how creative platforms scale. The marketplace proves that supporting independent artisans and delivering strong financial returns aren’t mutually exclusive—they just require different approaches as companies grow.
If you’re an Etsy seller or buyer, knowing who controls the platform helps you understand the forces shaping its future direction and policies.
FAQs
Q1. Is Etsy a publicly traded company?
Yes, Etsy is a publicly traded company. It went public in 2015 and is listed on the Nasdaq stock exchange under the ticker symbol “ETSY”.
Q2. Who are the largest shareholders of Etsy?
The largest shareholders of Etsy are institutional investors. As of recent data, BlackRock, Inc. owns about 16.2% of shares, followed by The Vanguard Group with 11.4% ownership.
Q3. When and by whom was Etsy founded?
Etsy was founded in June 2005 by Robert Kalin, Chris Maguire, and Haim Schoppik. Jared Tarbell joined the founding team shortly after the initial launch.
Q4. What other companies does Etsy own?
Etsy has acquired several companies to expand its portfolio. Notable acquisitions include Depop (a fashion resale marketplace), Reverb (a marketplace for musical instruments), and Elo7 (often called the “Etsy of Brazil”).
Q5. How does Etsy manage its acquired companies?
Etsy employs a “Picky & Patient” approach to acquisitions. Each acquired marketplace operates as a standalone business with its own leadership team, while benefiting from shared resources and expertise across the Etsy Inc. portfolio.