About Global Sources
Global Sources is a Retail company based in Hong Kong (China) founded in 1970 by Merle A Hinrich, and was acquired by Blackstone in May 2017. Multi-category products are facilitated via a B2B marketplace platform. The company has 12 employees. Its chief executive, as recorded, is Hu Wei. Its website globalsources.com draws about 1.7 million monthly visits. Its Indian entity Global Sources Exhibitions & Events (India) Private Limited reported revenue of ₹2.19 Cr. Its focus areas include B2B E-Commerce, Horizontal, Marketplace and Cross Border. Its competitors include Alibaba, JollyChic and Aliexpress; 1 of its 3 listed competitors has raised funding.
Company details
Global Sources was established in 1970 in Hong Kong, China, as a B2B marketplace platform. Operations focus on connecting buyers and suppliers across sectors including consumer electronics, fashion, beauty, pets, hardware, gifts, home furnishings, and healthcare. The platform supports product sourcing and trade services globally, with leadership provided by founder Merle A. Hinrich and CEO Hu Wei.
- Headquarters Hong Kong, China
- Employees 12
- Founders Merle A Hinrich
- Stage Acquired
- SectorsRetail
- Email••••••••
- Phone•••• ••••
- Website globalsources.com
- Social LinkedIn X Facebook
- Acquired by Blackstone (May 2017)
- Legal Name Global Sources Exhibitions & Events (India) Private Limited
- Date of Incorporation 28 Apr, 2011
- Jurisdiction Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
- Indian entity revenue₹2.19 Cr
FY 2025 · +9% YoY
- Indian entity net profit₹16 Lakh
FY 2025 · 7% margin
- Indian entity EBITDA₹25.7 Lakh
FY 2025 · 12% margin
- Investors
- Employee Count12
- Acquired byBlackstone
(May 2017)
Associated legal entities of Global Sources
Global Sources operates through Global Sources Exhibitions & Events (India) Private Limited (active). Its filings, financials, charges and directors are on the company page.
| Legal entity | Status | Incorporated | Registered in | Revenue (FY 2025) | Employees | Directors | Company page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Global Sources Exhibitions & Events (India) Private Limited CIN U74900MH2011FTC216818 | Active | 28 Apr 2011 | Mumbai, Maharashtra | ₹2.2 Cr | 12 | 3 | View details |
Apps and channels of Global Sources
Global Sources publishes 1 mobile app with over 1M+ downloads.
Investors in Global Sources
Global Sources has secured backing from 1 investor, including venture fund investors. Prominent investors backing the company include Blackstone.
| Investor | Description | Founded Year | Domain | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Diversified investment management is provided across multiple asset classes. | 1985 | blackstone.com | New York, United States |
Investor details for Global Sources
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Board of directors of Global Sources Exhibitions & Events (India) Private Limited (Global Sources)
Global Sources Exhibitions & Events (India) Private Limited is the primary company behind Global Sources. The board of Global Sources Exhibitions & Events (India) Private Limited currently have 3 directors; the longest-serving is Shih Lieh Adrian Sim, appointed in 2012. 6 earlier directors have ceased.
| Director | Designation | Appointed | Tenure | Entity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shih Lieh Adrian Sim DIN 05218204 | Director | 21 Feb 2012 | 14 yrs 8 mo | Global Sources Exhibitions & Events (India) Private Limited |
| Keung Nai Hui DIN 09040384 | Director | 01 Feb 2021 | 5 yrs 8 mo | Global Sources Exhibitions & Events (India) Private Limited |
| Love Zain DIN 10820587 | Additional Director | 05 Nov 2024 | 1 yr 11 mo | Global Sources Exhibitions & Events (India) Private Limited |
People of Global Sources
20 people are tracked at Global Sources (11 in leadership, 9 in team); the tracked headcount is 12.
| Name | Role | Group |
|---|---|---|
Merle A Hinrich | Founder | Leadership |
Hu Wei | CEO | Leadership |
Alfred Cheng | General Manager, International Business Development | Leadership |
Roberto J Salcedo Ruiz | President | Leadership |
Khushroo Bhadha | General Manager | Leadership |
Yunxia Yang | Head Of Show Marketing | Leadership |
Lester Leung | Director, Sales System & Process Development | Leadership |
Wendy Lai | Vice President, Global Sources Exhibitions | Leadership |
Wei Hu | Chief Executive Officer | Leadership |
Prajyot Doshi | Head, Data & Enterprise Application Management (information Services) | Leadership |
Elaine Law | Head, HK Events Operations | Leadership |
Tiffany Tsui | Foreign Trade Sales Manager | Team |
Khiem Vu | Country Manager | Team |
Peter Zapf | CIO | Team |
Chia-Ching (Allison Yang | Account Manager Key Account | Team |
Doris Lee | Senior Human Resources Manager | Team |
Bharathi Somasundaram | Senior Software Developer | Team |
Qing Liao | Senior Creative & Research Executive | Team |
Alex Qiu | Lead Analyst | Team |
Tân Nguyễn | Senior Account Executive | Team |
Complete people profiles for Global Sources
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Financials of Global Sources
Figures of Global Sources Exhibitions & Events (India) Private Limited, the primary company behind Global Sources, for FY 2025. Revenue was ₹2.19 Cr (+9% year on year). Net profit was ₹16 Lakh (7% margin). EBITDA was ₹25.7 Lakh (12% margin). Revenue has grown at a compounded annual rate of +27% over three years and +8% over five years.
- ₹2.19 CrRevenue · FY 2025 · +9% YoY
- ₹16 LakhNet profit · 7% margin
- ₹25.7 LakhEBITDA · 12% margin
- ₹1.04 CrPaid-up capital
- 12Employees (provident fund records)
- +27%Revenue CAGR, 3 years
- +8%Revenue CAGR, 5 years
Balance sheet, profit and loss, cash flow and ratios of Global Sources Exhibitions & Events (India) Private Limited are on its company page.
Detailed financial statements for Global Sources
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Timeline of Global Sources
3 dated milestones of Global Sources across 47 years, from founding to its latest funding, stage changes and deals.
- Founded Global Sources is founded.
- IPO Lists on the stock exchange (IPO).
- Exit Acquired by Blackstone.
Competitors of Global Sources
Global Sources has 3 listed competitors in our database, 1 of them funded. They include Alibaba, JollyChic and Aliexpress.
| Company Name | Domain | Founded | HQ Location | Total funding | Employees | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| alibaba.com.cn | 1999 | China | E-commerce platforms for retail and wholesale are operated internationally. | |||
| jollychic.com | 2012 | Hangzhou, China | $110.72M | Multi-category consumer products are retailed online by JollyChic. | ||
| aliexpress.com | 2010 | Hangzhou, China | Operates an online cross-border marketplace for a wide range of multi-category products. |
Detailed competitors of Global Sources
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Web traffic of Global Sources
The website of Global Sources (globalsources.com) receives about 1.7M visits a month.
- Monthly visits1.7M
▲ 5.5% vs previous month
Websites whose visitors overlap most with Global Sources. Affinity shows how closely the audiences match.
| Website | Domain | Audience affinity | Monthly visits | Global rank | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| made-in-china.com | 100% | 17.8M | #2,791 | View details | |
| alibaba.com | 91% | 171.9M | #199 | View details | |
| ec21.com | 68% | 285.9K | #150,719 | View details | |
| dhgate.com | 57% | 22.9M | #1,789 | View details | |
| aliexpress.com | 55% | #52 | View details | ||
| •••••••••• | ••••••.com | ••% | •.•M | #••••• | – |
| •••••••••• | ••••••.com | ••% | •.•M | #••••• | – |
| •••••••••• | ••••••.com | ••% | •.•M | #••••• | – |
All 40 similar websites and full traffic analytics for Global Sources
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Top companies in Cross-Border E-Commerce & Marketplaces
2 companies that operate in the same segment as Global Sources (Cross-Border E-Commerce & Marketplaces) in China, ranked by their profile score on The Company Check.
| Company | Description | Founded | Location | Total funding | Revenue | Employees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Multi-category consumer products are retailed online by JollyChic. | 2012 | Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China | USD 110.72 M | 300 | ||
Operation management software solutions are provided for e-commerce businesses. | 2020 | Tianhe, Guangdong, China | USD 21.06 M |
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Related news about Global Sources
Complete news archive for Global Sources
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Frequently Asked Questions about Global Sources
Global Sources was founded in 1970.
Global Sources is headquartered in Hong Kong, China.
Hu Wei is the CEO of Global Sources, as recorded in our data.
Global Sources has 12 employees.
The primary company behind Global Sources, Global Sources Exhibitions & Events (India) Private Limited, reported revenue of ₹2.19 Cr for FY 2025, up 9% year on year.
Global Sources was established in 1970 in Hong Kong, China, as a B2B marketplace platform. Operations focus on connecting buyers and suppliers across sectors including consumer electronics, fashion, beauty, pets, hardware, gifts, home furnishings, and healthcare. The platform supports product sourcing and trade services globally, with leadership provided by founder Merle A. Hinrich and CEO Hu Wei.
Global Sources's top competitors include JollyChic, Alibaba and Aliexpress.
Global Sources has 1 investor. Key investors include Blackstone.
Global Sources operates through Global Sources Exhibitions & Events (India) Private Limited.
Yes. Global Sources was acquired by Blackstone in May 2017.
The legal entities of Global Sources currently have 3 directors, including Keung Nai Hui, Shih Lieh Adrian Sim, Love Zain.
Yes. Global Sources publishes Global Sources B2B Marketplace, with over 1 million downloads.