About Half
Half is a company based in San Jose (United States) founded in 1999 by Sunny B Rao was acquired by eBay in June 2000. It operates as a B2C. Half has raised $17 million across 1 funding round from investors including eBay, Ventures and Comcast Ventures. Half operates in a competitive market with competitors including Alibris, HipComic, Comics Price Guide, BooktoCash and Leafless, among others.
Funding Insights of Half
Half has successfully raised a total of $17M through 1 strategic funding round. The most recent funding activity was a Series B round of $17 million completed in January 2000. This substantial capital infusion reflects strong investor confidence in the company's business model, growth potential, and market opportunities. The funding enables strategic expansion, product development, market penetration, and operational scaling to drive long-term value creation and competitive advantage.
- Total Funding $17M
- Total Rounds 1
- Last Round Series B β $17M
- First Round $17M
(Jan 2000)
- Investors Count 4
All 1 funding rounds of Half with amounts and investors; the two latest post-money valuations are shown, the rest are part of the premium plan.
| Date | Amount | Transaction Name | Valuation | Lead Investors | Investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2000 | $17M | Series B | β | β |
5 investors in total: 5 institutional.
Investors in Half
Half has secured backing from 5 investors, including venture fund and institutional investors. Prominent investors backing the company include eBay, Ventures and Comcast Ventures.
| Investor | Description | Founded Year | Domain | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
- | – | ventures.com | - | |
Comcast Ventures is focused on investing in technology startups. | – | comcastventures.com | San Francisco, United States | |
- | – | vimac.com | - | |
- | – | novitascapital.com | - | |
Multi-category consumer products are sold via an online marketplace platform. | 1995 | ebay.com | San Jose, United States |
Investor details for Half
The complete investor list, round-by-round participation and investor portfolios require an active premium plan.
- Complete investor list
- Round participation
- Investor portfolios
- Co-investor network
Verified entity values are shown only after access is granted.
People of Half
806 people are tracked at Half (288 in leadership, 13 in board & advisors, 505 in team).
| Name | Role | Group |
|---|---|---|
Sunny B Rao | ex-Co-Founder | Leadership |
Cathy Foster | VP, Global Government Relations | Leadership |
Weiyu Zhou | Senior Director | Leadership |
Mazen Rawashdeh | Chief Technology Officer | Leadership |
Niaz Ahamed | Director Of Engineering | Leadership |
Prashanth P. | Director Of Engineering | Leadership |
Mikhail Shulgin | Director Of Engineering, 3pm Shield At Ebay | Leadership |
Mary Gitahi | Cfo, Global Advertising | Leadership |
Abhishek Kochhar | Principal Talent Acquisition And Assessment Partner | Leadership |
Mark Trotter-Vigouroux | Head Of UK Fp&a | Leadership |
Sachi Dawkins | Director, Executive Recruiting | Leadership |
Tom Colwell | Senior Director, America HR Shared Services | Leadership |
Yael Avital | Senior Director, People Business Partner, Core Product & Technology | Leadership |
Adrienne Peseller | Director, Leadership Development & Engagement | Leadership |
Michal Ulicny | Chief Of Staff & Strategy | Leadership |
Gautam Kumar | Director, Data Engineering + Behaviour Analytics Platform | Leadership |
Daniel Prodan | VP Of Finance (fp&a, Finance Systems, Real Estate & Operations) | Leadership |
Bharat Padebettu | Head Of Analytics, North America Markets (india Center) | Leadership |
Amy Decicco | Director, Business Operations & Strategy | Leadership |
Dan Archer | Chief Of Staff To The CEO | Leadership |
786 more people are available in the full profile.
Complete people profiles for Half
Full employee and board profiles, team structure, tenure and professional contact details require an active premium plan.
- Full employee list
- Team structure
- Board tenure
- Professional contacts
Verified entity values are shown only after access is granted.
Timeline of Half
3 dated milestones of Half across 1 years, from founding to its latest funding, stage changes and deals.
- Founded Half is founded.
- Funding First funding round of $17.0M.
- Exit Acquired by eBay.
Competitors of Half
Half operates in a dynamic and competitive business environment, facing competition from various established players and emerging companies in the market. The competitive landscape includes prominent companies such as Alibris, HipComic, Comics Price Guide, BooktoCash and Leafless, among others.
| Company Name | Domain | Founded | HQ Location | Total funding | Employees | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| alibris.com | 1997 | Emeryville, United States | $56.27M | 22 | Books, music, and movies are offered via an online marketplace. | |
| hipcomic.com | 2016 | Raleigh, United States | – | – | Online platform for buying, selling, and auctioning comic books and collectibles. | |
| comicspriceguide.com | 1995 | Indianapolis, United States | – | – | Serves as an online marketplace for buying and selling comics. | |
| booktocash.com | 2019 | Baton Rouge, United States | – | – | Provides an online platform for selling used books. | |
| leafless.co | 2013 | Memphis, United States | $660,000 | – | An online bookshop dedicated to self-publishing and book sales. | |
| textbookx.com | 1999 | Norwalk, United States | – | 40 | Online marketplace for purchasing and reselling new and used textbooks. | |
| bookthatbook.com | 2017 | Palo Alto, United States | $4.25M | – | Online marketplace for book discovery |
Detailed competitors of Half
The full competitor set, operating metrics and side-by-side benchmarks require an active premium plan.
- Full competitor set
- Operating metrics
- Benchmarks
- Competitive positioning
Verified entity values are shown only after access is granted.
Web traffic of Half
The website of Half (half.com) receives about 2.3K visits a month.
- Monthly visits2.3K
▲ 1136.4% vs previous month
Websites whose visitors overlap most with Half. Affinity shows how closely the audiences match.
| Website | Domain | Audience affinity | Monthly visits | Global rank | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| alibris.com | 44% | 1.1M | #39,706 | View details |
Latest news on Half
Complete news archive for Half
Full article history, source details, and older brand coverage require an active premium plan.
- Full article archive
- Source and publication date
- Older coverage
- Brand-specific news history
Verified entity values are shown only after access is granted.
Similar companies to Half
10 companies that operate in the same segment as Half (Consumer Electronics E-Commerce), ranked by their profile score on The Company Check.
| Company | Description | Founded | Location | Total funding | Revenue | Employees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Digital entertainment, e-commerce, and financial services are provided globally. | 2006 | Singapore | USD 721.47 M | USD 22.94 B | 80,700 | |
VR-based head-mounted displays for gaming are provided by Oculus. | 2012 | Menlo Park, California, United States | USD 107.05 M | – | – | |
Refurbished and new gadgets are offered through an online marketplace. | 2009 | Gurugram, Haryana, India | USD 130.05 M | USD 99.25 M | 1,264 | |
Internet first brand offering wearable breast pumps | 2013 | London, England, United Kingdom | USD 157.63 M | – | – | |
Metabolic health is tracked via devices and fitness platforms. | 2019 | Bengaluru, Karnataka, India | USD 163.28 M | USD 65.48 M | 274 | |
Multi-category consumer electronics are offered through an internet-first model. | 2010 | Beijing, China | USD 1.45 B | USD 63.71 B | 43,690 | |
Health-tracking smart rings and biosensors are developed for biometric monitoring. | 2013 | Oulu, North Ostrobothnia, Finland | USD 1.32 B | – | – | |
Personal audio products, wearables, and mobile accessories are retailed. | 2016 | Gurugram, Haryana, India | USD 171.3 M | USD 366.28 M | 471 | |
Smartwatches and fitness trackers are provided for activity monitoring. | 2007 | San Francisco, California, United States | USD 65.05 M | USD 3.88 | – | |
Energy-efficient ceiling fans and smart home appliances are provided. | 2012 | Mumbai, Maharashtra, India | USD 119.2 M | USD 101.01 M | 770 |
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Frequently Asked Questions about Half
Half was founded in 1999 and raised its 1st funding round 1 year after it was founded.
Half is headquartered in San Jose, United States. It is registered at San Jose, California, United States.
Half is a funded company, having raised a total of $17M across 1 funding round to date. The company's 1st funding round was a Series B of $17M, raised on Jan 2000.
Half hosts a digital marketplace for buying and selling used books and media through operating online marketplaces, engaging in retail operations, books and media, and used goods. Prioritizing client-centric approaches, it ensures high-quality outcomes, innovation, and sustainable practices in its field.
Half's top competitors include Alibris, BookThatBook and HipComic.
Half has 5 investors. Key investors include eBay, Ventures, Comcast Ventures, VIMAC Ventures, and Novitas Capital.
Yes. Half was acquired by eBay in June 2000.

