Trade Me
Trade Me is New Zealand's largest online marketplace, built by Sam Morgan from a flat in Wellington in 1999 and now used by most of the country.
- Founded:
- 1999
- Location:
- Wellington, New Zealand
- Website:
- trademe.co.nz
- Sold for:
- NZ$750 million (2006)
- What it does:
- Online marketplace and classifieds
- Current owner:
- Apax Partners (private)
Trade Me
Trade Me is New Zealand's largest online marketplace, built by Sam Morgan from a flat in Wellington in 1999 and now used by most of the country.
Trade Me is New Zealand's largest online auction and classifieds platform, covering everything from secondhand goods and property to jobs and cars. Sam Morgan built it from his Wellington flat in 1999 and it quickly became part of daily life for most New Zealanders.
Fairfax Media acquired Trade Me in 2006 for NZ$750 million. It later listed on the NZX before being taken private by Apax Partners in 2019. The platform remains the default place New Zealanders go to buy, sell and browse.
Why Noteworthy
Trade Me was New Zealand's first internet-era success story at genuine scale. Morgan's exit remains one of the largest in NZ tech history, and what he did with the proceeds (Jasmine Social Investments) is as notable as the company itself.
About this profile
This profile was researched and written by Noteworthy using publicly available sources. If something here is out of date or incorrect, let us know and we’ll review it.
