Daraz Group, a leading e-commerce company in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Nepal today announced that the company was fully acquired by Alibaba to become a member of Alibaba Group.

With the acquisition, Daraz will be able to leverage Alibaba’s leadership and experience in technology, online commerce, mobile payment and logistics to drive further growth in the five South Asian markets that have a combined population of over 460 million, 60% of which are under the age of 35.

Daraz was founded in Pakistan in 2012 and has since grown into the most popular online shopping destination in the country. Today, the company operates online marketplaces in Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Nepal. Daraz will continue to operate under the same brand following the transaction.

Bjarke Mikkelsen, Co-CEO, Daraz said:

With this transaction Daraz has found its natural home in the Alibaba family, and we are proud to carry our part of the mission to ‘make it easy to do business anywhere’. With hard work and dedication we have started the e-commerce journey in our markets, but we have still only scratched the surface of the potential.

Dr. Jonathan Doerr, Co-CEO, Daraz added:

Together with Alibaba, we are ready to empower entrepreneurs in the region and to fulfill our promise to offer our customers the best selection of products with a high level of convenience. All of this would be supported by a best-in-class technology platform, a strong logistics network, and a vibrant community of ecosystem participants.

Daniel Zhang, CEO of Alibaba Group, said: