Markus Villig (born 1993) is an Estonian billionaire entrepreneur and founder and CEO of global mobility company Bolt Technology OÜ.
Markus Villig | |
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| Born | December 17, 1993 |
| Title | Founder and CEO of Bolt |
Biography
editAfter finishing high school in Tallinn in the spring 2013, Markus began working on the initial development of Bolt. With a €5,000 loan from his family, he was able to create the first prototype of the app while personally recruiting drivers on the streets of Tallinn.[1]
In September 2013 he enrolled at the University of Tartu to study Computer Science, however left at the end of his first semester to work on the company full-time.[2]
Markus has received numerous accolades in recognition of his achievements as an entrepreneur. In 2016 he was featured as the youngest CEO in the Forbes 30 under 30 list in the Baltics and also received the presidential award for the Best Young Entrepreneur in Estonia.[3] Additionally, in 2018, he was honored as EY's Estonian Entrepreneur of the Year at the World Entrepreneur of the Year Business Forum.[4] Furthermore, he was named Entrepreneur of the Year by the Estonian national newspaper Äripaev in 2022.[5]
To date, he is Europe's youngest founder of a billion dollar company[6] (unicorn).
In November 2022, Markus was made a Partner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Estonia, which recognises individuals who support the country’s foreign policy interests, for his contribution in supporting Ukraine following its invasion by Russia.[7]
In November 2024, Markus appeared as a guest on the "The Twenty Minute VC" (20VC) podcast., discussing the founding of Bolt, the company's growth and the future of mobility.
References
edit- ^ McKeever, Vicky (21 October 2019). "How a college dropout became Europe's youngest founder of a billion-dollar company". CNBC. Retrieved 2023-03-14.
- ^ ERR, Marian Männi | (2022-04-26). "University of Tartu study explains success of Estonian entrepreneurs". ERR. Retrieved 2024-10-29.
- ^ "Markus Villig (CEO & Founder at Taxify) on growth, raising capital and sharing economy". Startup Grind. Retrieved 2023-03-14.
- ^ "Taxify asutajad püüavad Monacos Maailma Aasta Ettevõtja tiitlit". Digigeenius. 13 June 2018. Retrieved 2023-03-14.
- ^ "Äripäev valis aasta ettevõtjaks Markus Villigu". Äripäev (in Estonian). Retrieved 2023-03-14.
- ^ McKeever, Vicky (2019-10-21). "How a college dropout became Europe's youngest founder of a billion-dollar company". CNBC. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
- ^ "Foreign Minister awards Crosses of Merit for contributions to Estonian statehood and foreign policy | Välisministeerium". www.vm.ee. Retrieved 2023-03-14.
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