Alibaba.com

Alibaba.com is the business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce platform owned by Alibaba Group Holding Limited, a Chinese multinational technology company founded in 1999 by Jack Ma and 17 co-founders in Hangzhou, China. The platform was created to help small and medium-sized Chinese exporters connect with global buyers. 


Alibaba.com serves buyers and sellers in over 190 countries, offering millions of products from tens of thousands of verified suppliers across multiple categories such as manufacturing, machinery, consumer goods, and raw materials.
 

Alibaba.com provides a complete online trade service that includes product and supplier search, secure payments, logistics, and order fulfilment. It offers Trade Assurance for payment protection and Verified Supplier badges to build trust between businesses. 

The platform supports bulk purchases, product customisation, and trade financing options, making it suitable for business buyers rather than individual consumers. It also provides marketing and data tools that help suppliers reach international markets efficiently.

The company offers membership programmes for businesses, providing benefits such as discounts, enhanced support, and trade protection. Its services aim to simplify international sourcing and supply chain processes for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Alibaba.com integrates technologies such as artificial intelligence and big data analytics to improve supplier recommendations, search accuracy, and logistics efficiency.

Alibaba.com operates as part of Alibaba Group’s core commerce segment, alongside other platforms such as Taobao, Tmall, and AliExpress. The wider group also manages Alibaba Cloud, Cainiao Logistics, and digital media businesses. Alibaba Group is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, with a market capitalisation of around USD 393 billion (as of November 2025).

Alibaba.com began in 1999 when Jack Ma and 17 colleagues in Hangzhou formed Alibaba Group to help Chinese exporters connect with overseas buyers. The founders created a set of internet services that would let manufacturers and traders list products, find buyers and manage enquiries over the web. The B2B website Alibaba.com was built as the group’s first online marketplace aimed at business buyers, and it opened to users the same year the group was founded. 
 

In the early 2000s Alibaba expanded its services inside China and overseas. The company launched new consumer and retail services that were separate from the B2B website, including Taobao in 2003 and Alipay in 2004, the latter to address payments and trust problems for online transactions. 

Alibaba.com continued to operate as the group’s wholesale and sourcing platform while the group built services for retail, payments and logistics that would support cross-border trade. In 2005 Yahoo invested in Alibaba through a transaction that transferred a substantial position in the company to outside investors, giving Alibaba extra capital for expansion. 

From the late 2000s Alibaba Group created infrastructure that served Alibaba.com users. Alibaba Cloud was launched to provide computing and data services that could support search, recommendations and merchant tools. In 2013 the group and partners launched Cainiao, a logistics and parcel network intended to coordinate deliveries for China and cross-border trade; Cainiao later became the group’s logistics arm and was reorganised several times. 

Alibaba.com altered its transaction model as it developed trust and payment products for buyers and suppliers. The platform introduced Trade Assurance, an order protection and escrow-style service that holds payment and covers delivery or quality disputes; Trade Assurance moved Alibaba.com from a pure enquiry marketplace to a platform that supports completed transactions. Public material from the company and related press mark the Trade Assurance service as introduced in the mid-2010s and expanded in later years to more markets. 

Alibaba Group’s public listing came in 2014 when the group pursued an initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange. The IPO raised billions of US dollars and set a new record at the time for proceeds from a public offering. After the IPO the group continued to add international services, invest in regional marketplaces such as Lazada in Southeast Asia and expand AliExpress for global retail purchases. Over the following years the group added verification programs for suppliers on Alibaba.com that use third-party inspections to show that a supplier’s business and production facilities match published claims. 
 

From 2020 onward the group and its units faced regulatory changes and market shifts. The wider Alibaba ecosystem, including payment and financial affiliates, came under new rules in China that affected product strategy and corporate structure.

In 2023 Alibaba announced a change to a holding structure and said it would divide operations into six business groups, each with its own leadership and possibility to raise capital independently. Leadership changes followed, with new appointments for group chief executive and for the group chairman roles. These moves aimed to allow each unit to operate with separate boards and to prepare some units for possible fund-raising or listings. 
 

After the 2023 reorganisation the group reviewed plans for specific listings and for investment in logistics and cloud units. In 2024 Alibaba revised plans for Cainiao, choosing to buy out minority interests rather than press ahead with a planned public offering, and adjusted other listing plans as market conditions and policy considerations evolved. At the same time the group increased investment in cloud computing and artificial intelligence, expanding models and tools that are available to merchants and to Alibaba.com suppliers and buyers. 
 

Today Alibaba.com operates as the group’s global B2B sourcing marketplace. The site lists millions of product SKUs, supports bulk orders and product customisation, offers supplier verification and Trade Assurance, and integrates with the group’s logistics and cloud services. 

Alibaba.com serves buyers and suppliers in more than 190 countries while the parent group remains listed on global exchanges; market capitalisation for the group has varied over time and sat in the hundreds of billions of US dollars through 2025 according to market data. The platform continues to add services for trade financing, marketing and technology that connect suppliers and buyers and that use the group’s data and cloud capabilities to manage orders and logistics.

The mission of Alibaba.com is to make it easy for businesses around the world to trade with each other. It aims to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) grow by giving them access to global markets, digital tools, and secure online trade services. Through its platform, Alibaba.com connects buyers and suppliers, supports safe transactions, and provides logistics, financing, and marketing solutions. The company focuses on removing barriers in international trade by using technology, data, and efficient systems. Its goal is to support global commerce in a fair, open, and transparent way, enabling businesses everywhere to succeed.

The vision of Alibaba.com is to build the world’s most trusted and inclusive global business marketplace. It aims to create a digital ecosystem where every business, regardless of size or location, can access the resources, technology, and opportunities needed for international growth. Alibaba.com seeks to use technology to simplify global sourcing and make cross-border trade more efficient and affordable. By supporting entrepreneurs and promoting digital trade, it envisions a connected world where businesses can expand beyond local boundaries. The platform’s long-term vision is to enable global economic participation and empower businesses to trade easily and confidently online.

Alibaba.com and its parent, Alibaba Group, have received multiple global awards for innovation, technology, and digital trade. Alibaba Group has been included in the Fortune Global 500 and Forbes Global 2000 rankings for many years. It has also been recognised by BrandZ and Interbrand as one of the world’s most valuable technology brands. Alibaba.com has earned awards for supporting small and medium enterprises and promoting digital global trade. The company’s cloud, logistics, and e-commerce services have received international recognition for scale and impact. 

Alibaba.com is the global business-to-business (B2B) marketplace owned by Alibaba Group Holding Limited. It connects millions of buyers and suppliers across more than 190 countries. The platform provides a wide range of digital trade services that allow businesses to source products, manage orders, and complete international transactions securely. Its products and services cover every part of the trade process — from supplier discovery to payment, logistics, financing, and after-sales support.
 

The core service of Alibaba.com is its online marketplace, where suppliers list products in multiple categories including manufacturing, machinery, consumer electronics, apparel, beauty, home goods, agriculture, and industrial equipment. Buyers can search and filter suppliers by location, production capability, minimum order quantity, and certifications. The marketplace also includes Verified Supplier badges, which are given to suppliers that have passed independent checks by third-party inspection companies. This system helps buyers confirm that a supplier’s company and products are legitimate before placing large or long-term orders.

Alibaba.com offers the Trade Assurance service, which protects buyers by ensuring that payments are held securely until goods are received as agreed. It reduces risks such as quality disputes, shipping delays, or incomplete deliveries. This service is backed by Alibaba.com’s payment infrastructure and supports multiple international payment methods, including credit cards, bank transfers, and online payment solutions.

Another major offering is product customisation and OEM (original equipment manufacturing) services, which allow buyers to request products made to specific designs, packaging, or branding. This is particularly useful for businesses that want to create private label products or require specialised industrial goods.

Alibaba.com provides logistics and fulfilment services through partnerships with global freight and courier companies and through the Alibaba Group’s logistics arm, Cainiao Network. Users can arrange for sea, air, or express shipping directly from the platform. Tracking, customs support, and cost estimation tools are also available, helping buyers plan shipments and delivery timelines more efficiently.

The platform also includes trade financing solutions that support small and medium-sized businesses in managing cash flow and expanding trade capacity. These services, often delivered through financial partners, offer options such as instalment payments or supplier financing. This helps businesses complete orders even when upfront capital is limited.

Alibaba.com’s data and marketing tools support suppliers in reaching global buyers. Through its dashboard, suppliers can analyse visitor data, manage enquiries, optimise listings, and run promotional campaigns. Alibaba.com also runs programmes like “CoCreate Pitch” and “Key E-Commerce Leader (KEL)” to recognise and promote top-performing SMEs and encourage innovation in global trade.

The company has integrated digital and AI-based tools to improve the sourcing experience. Its systems use data analytics and artificial intelligence to recommend suppliers, predict demand, and improve product search accuracy. Alibaba Cloud supports the platform with secure data handling, scalable infrastructure, and AI technology.

In addition, Alibaba.com offers membership plans such as “Basic,” “Premium,” and “Verified Supplier” packages. These provide access to additional features like higher visibility in search results, priority support, trade protection, and exclusive marketing tools.