Alibaba Group was founded in 1999 by Ma Yun, a former English teacher from Hangzhou, China, and 18 his colleagues.They believed that small and medium-sized enterprises would make the Internet a platform that they can grow and compete more effectively by utilizing innovative technologies in domestic and foreign economies. Alibaba Group, which opened its first web site to help small and medium-sized Chinese exporters, manufacturers and entrepreneurs in entering foreign markets, has grown into a global leader in online and mobile commerce. Today, Alibaba operates leading wholesale and retail online markets through its subsidiaries, including cloud computing, digital media and entertainment, and innovation initiatives.