Alibaba Group was founded in Hangzhou, China in 1999 by Jack Ma, a former English teacher, and 18 other partners from different backgrounds. From the beginning, all the founders believed that the Internet could create a fair environment for small businesses to expand their businesses through innovation and technology and to compete more effectively in the Chinese and international markets. Since the launch of the first website that allowed Chinese SMEs to reach global buyers, Alibaba Group has continued to grow and become an ecosystem covering Chinese business, international business, local life services, Cainiao, cloud, digital media and entertainment, innovative businesses and others.