The Verenigde Oost Indische Compagnie (VOC) or the Dutch East India Company was founded in 1602 CE, and by the early eighteenth century, it had grown to become one of the most prominent organizations in world history. Credited as the first company to be listed on an official stock exchange, the VOC actively expanded its global footprint through the 1600s and 1700s, establishing a foothold across South East Asia, even as it operated from its Asian hub at Jayakarta (Jakarta).
