Which company founded the Southeast Asian e-commerce platform Lazada in 2012?

Rocket Internet founded Lazada in 2012.

Lazada was established by the German internet company Rocket Internet as an online shopping platform aimed at Southeast Asian markets. It launched operations in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

The platform later became closely associated with Alibaba Group. Alibaba invested in Lazada beginning in 2016 and increased its ownership over subsequent years, eventually taking control of the company. This later ownership can cause confusion about who founded the platform.

Lazada developed marketplace operations, logistics services and payment capabilities for a region with multiple languages, currencies, regulations and delivery environments. Its history illustrates how an e-commerce business can have one founding company and a different controlling owner later in its development.