Shopee
Southeast Asian e-commerce platform owned by Sea Limited, providing online shopping, payment services, and logistics across multiple countries.
Company Type
public
Founded
2015
Headquarters
Singapore
Revenue
part of Sea Limited (approximately $16 billion group FY2024)
Primary Market
Asia Pacific
About Shopee
Who owns Shopee?
Shopee is owned by Sea Limited, a publicly traded Southeast Asian technology company listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: SE).
When was Shopee founded?
Shopee was founded in 2015 by Sea Limited as an e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia.
Is Shopee publicly traded?
Shopee itself is not separately traded, but its parent company Sea Limited is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: SE).
What countries does Shopee operate in?
Shopee operates in multiple Southeast Asian countries including Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia, and Taiwan.
What services does Shopee offer?
Shopee offers e-commerce marketplace services, digital payments (ShopeePay), logistics (ShopeeExpress), and food delivery (ShopeeFood) across Southeast Asia.
History of Shopee
Shopee was launched in 2015 by Sea Limited (then known as Garena) as a mobile-first e-commerce platform targeting Southeast Asian consumers. The platform was designed specifically for mobile commerce, recognizing that many Southeast Asian consumers access the internet primarily through smartphones.
Shopee launched simultaneously in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines. The platform's mobile-first approach, combined with aggressive marketing and seller incentives, helped it gain market share rapidly against established competitors including Lazada (owned by Alibaba) and Tokopedia.
Shopee introduced ShopeePay, its digital wallet and payment service, to reduce friction in the purchasing process and capture payment revenue. The company also launched ShopeeExpress, its logistics arm, to improve delivery reliability and reduce costs.
Sea Limited rebranded from Garena to Sea Limited in 2017 and went public on the New York Stock Exchange in October 2017, raising approximately $884 million in its IPO.
Shopee grew explosively during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, as lockdowns drove consumers to online shopping. Sea Limited's revenue grew from approximately $2.2 billion in 2019 to approximately $10 billion in 2021.
Following the pandemic-driven growth surge, Sea Limited faced a significant slowdown in 2022. The company undertook cost-cutting measures, including workforce reductions and the withdrawal from several markets including India, France, Spain, Mexico, Chile, Colombia, and Argentina.
Shopee refocused on its core Southeast Asian and Taiwanese markets. For fiscal year 2024, Sea Limited reported revenue of approximately $16 billion.
Controversy, Regulation & Public Scrutiny
Shopee has faced regulatory scrutiny in various markets regarding seller practices, counterfeit goods, and data privacy. Sea Limited's dual-class share structure, which gives founder Forrest Li disproportionate voting control, has been criticized by some corporate governance advocates. Tencent's significant shareholding has raised questions in some markets about potential Chinese government influence over Shopee's operations and data.
Brands Owned by Shopee
Shopee owns 0 brands in our database.
Shopee Ownership: Pros & Cons
Advantages
- +Backed by Sea Limited's significant financial resources and technology expertise
- +Access to Sea Limited's technology infrastructure and operational capabilities
- +Market leadership in Southeast Asian e-commerce
- +Integration with payment services (ShopeePay) and logistics
- +Professional management and corporate governance standards
- +Diversified revenue streams from marketplace, payments, and logistics
Considerations
- -Intense competition from other e-commerce platforms
- -Regulatory oversight from e-commerce and financial authorities in multiple countries
- -Dependency on seller and buyer networks
- -Exposure to economic conditions and consumer spending
- -Potential regulatory changes affecting operations in different markets
- -Profitability challenges in competitive e-commerce markets
Frequently Asked Questions About Shopee
Who owns Shopee?
Shopee is owned by Sea Limited, a publicly traded Southeast Asian technology company listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: SE).
When was Shopee founded?
Shopee was founded in 2015 by Sea Limited as an e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia.
Is Shopee publicly traded?
Shopee itself is not separately traded, but its parent company Sea Limited is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: SE).
What countries does Shopee operate in?
Shopee operates in multiple Southeast Asian countries including Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia, and Taiwan.
What services does Shopee offer?
Shopee offers e-commerce marketplace services, digital payments (ShopeePay), logistics (ShopeeExpress), and food delivery (ShopeeFood) across Southeast Asia.
Jobs at Shopee
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