The first widely recognized publicly traded company was the Dutch East India Company, also called the VOC, founded in 1602 in the Dutch Republic. It is generally credited with launching the first initial public offering and becoming the first company whose shares were actively traded by the public.

Quick Scoop

  • Company: Dutch East India Company (VOC).
  • Founded: 1602.
  • Why it matters: It introduced public share ownership at scale, which is why it is often called the first publicly traded company.

Small nuance

Some historical sources phrase this carefully: there were earlier companies and partnerships, but the VOC is the first commonly cited case of a company issuing shares to the public and having them actively traded.