Global Sources - About the company
Global Sources is an acquired company based in Hong Kong (China), founded in 1970 by Chuck Elliot, Merle A Hinrich and Harry Tan. It operates as a B2B marketplace platform offering multi-category products. The company has 605 active competitors, including 37 funded and 15 that have exited. Its top competitors include companies like Alibaba, JollyChic and DHgate.
Company Details
B2B marketplace platform offering multi-category products. The product catalog includes consumer electronics, fashion products, beauty, pets, hardware, gifts, home furnishing, healthcare products, and more.
- Website
- globalsources.com
- Social
- Email ID
- *****@globalsources.com
- Phone Number
- +86 **********
Key Metrics
Founded Year
1970
Location
Hong Kong, China
Stage
Acquired
Investors
Ranked
4th among 605 active competitors
Employee Count
2,026 as on Aug 31, 2026
Exit Details
Acquired by Blackstone (May 25, 2017)
Global Sources's acquisition details
Global Sources got acquired by Blackstone on May 25, 2017 at an acquisition amount of $*****.
Click here to take a look at Global Sources's acquisition in detail
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Global Sources's funding and investors
Global Sources is a funded company. Global Sources has 2 institutional investors.
View details of Global Sources's funding rounds and investors
Global Sources' founders and board of directors
Founder? Claim ProfileThe founders of Global Sources are Chuck Elliot, Merle A Hinrich and Harry Tan. James Liu and Hu Wei are the CEOs of Global Sources.
Here are the details of Global Sources' key team members:
- Chuck Elliot: Owner of Global Sources. Contact Info: 1 email address
- Merle A Hinrich: Founder of Global Sources.
- Harry Tan: Co-Founder Business Development of Global Sources.
- James Liu: CEO of Global Sources. Contact Info: 1 email address
- Hu Wei: CEO of Global Sources. Contact Info: 1 email address
View details of Global Sources's Founder profiles and Board Members
Global Sources' employee count trend
Global Sources has 2,026 employees as of Aug 26. Here is Global Sources's employee count trend over the years:
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Global Sources's Competitors and alternates
Top competitors of Global Sources include Alibaba, JollyChic and DHgate. Here is the list of Top 10 competitors of Global Sources, ranked by Tracxn score:
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Rank | Company Details | Short Description | Total Funding | Investors | Tracxn Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1st |  Alibaba 1999, United States, Public | Online marketplace connecting global buyers with manufacturers, suppliers, and exporters | - | 80/100 | |
2nd | Online retailer of multi-category consumer products | $111M | 71/100 | ||
3rd | B2B cross-border wholesale marketplace platform | $45.5M | 69/100 | ||
4th |  Global Sources 1970, Hong Kong (China), Acquired | B2B marketplace platform offering multi-category products | - | 66/100 | |
5th |  Aliexpress 2010, Hangzhou (China), Unfunded | Online cross-border marketplace platform offering multi-category products | - | - | 57/100 |
6th | Sourcing and supply chain platform for retailers and suppliers | $87.7M | 57/100 | ||
7th | Online retailer offering multi-category products | - | - | 56/100 | |
8th | SAZO 2024, Seoul (South Korea), Series A | Provider of Korean product direct import and fulfillment services | $15.2M | 54/100 | |
9th |  Distacart 2020, Mountain View (United States), Unfunded | Online retailer of multi-category products | - | - | 52/100 |
10th | TradeIndia 1996, Noida (India), Funding Raised | Online marketplace connecting businesses with suppliers, exporters, and manufacturers | - | 52/100 |
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Global Sources's Investments and acquisitions
Global Sources has made 3 investments including Angitia, Ava and Ava. Global Sources has not made any acquisitions as of now.Here is the list of its investments:
Date of Investment/Acquisition | Type | Company Name | Founded Year | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Aug 18, 2020 | Investments | 2018 | Woodland Hills (United States) | |
May 30, 2018 | Investments | 2014 | Zurich (Switzerland) | |
Nov 15, 2016 | Investments | 2014 | Zurich (Switzerland) |
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Here is the latest report on Global Sources's sector:
News related to Global Sources
Filter this listMedia has covered Global Sources for a total of 3 events in the last 1 year, 3 of them have been about company updates.
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Global Sources Hong Kong Shows Phase II Opens, AI Products Go Mainstream, Humanoid Robot Zone DebutsPR Newswire•Apr 18, 2026•Global Sources
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Global Sourcing Fair Vietnam 2026: Factory-Direct Hub in Ho Chi Minh CityPR Newswire•Feb 13, 2026•Global Sources
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Global Sources Hong Kong Shows 2023 Phase 2: Smart Energy, Intelligent Security Products on the SpotlightPR Newswire•Oct 18, 2023•Global Sources
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Global Sources and MU Group Enter RMB 100 million Strategic Cooperation AgreementPR Newswire•Apr 19, 2023•Global Sources, MU Group
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Global Sources strengthens online B2B platform to prepare global O2O buyers for the future of sourcingEl Confidencial Digital•Jun 29, 2022•Global Sources
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Bone and joint innovative drug research and development company "Anjisheng Bio" completes tens of millions of dollars in Series A financing36Kr•Aug 18, 2020•Angitia, Hillhouse Capital Group, Global Sources, TF Capital and 1 other
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Global Sources Buyer and Supplier App version 3.0 is officially launched36Kr•Apr 14, 2020•Global Sources
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Global Citronellol Market 2018 – BASF, Privi Organics, CRESCENT FRAGRANCES, Guangzhou Baihua Flavours and Fragrancestruthweek.com•Jul 03, 2018•BASF, Privi, Global Sources, Crescent Fragrancesgoa
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Fertility tracking start-up Ava raised $30M in fresh fundingtechygoogle.com•May 30, 2018•Ava, SVC, BtoV, Polytech Ecosystem Ventures and 7 others
Get curated news about company updates, funding rounds, M&A deals and others. Sign up today!Are you a Founder ?
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