Mark Essien
 |
Mark Anthony Essien | |
|---|---|
| Born | 18 December 1980 (age 43) |
| Nationality | Nigerian |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, software developer |
| Known for | Founding Hotels.ng |
| Title | CEO of Hotels.ng |
| Website | www.markessien.com |
Mark Anthony Essien ⓘ (born 18 December 1980 in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State) is a Nigerian entrepreneur, software developer and startup investor. He is the founder and CEO of Hotels.ng, one of the first online hotel booking websites in Nigeria.[1][2][3] Before he founded Hotels.ng in 2013, Essien had previously built a file sharing software called Gnumm (acquired by Snoopstar.com), followed by a language learning startup called Ingolingo.[4]
Career[edit]
Hotels.ng[edit]
In 2013, Essien founded Hotels.ng. Spark.ng made an initial investment of $75,000 and another investment of $150,000.[5]
In 2015, the company secured additional investment funding of $1.2 million from international investors EchoVC Pan-Africa Fund,[6] a seed-stage technology fund, and Omidyar Network, the investment vehicle of eBay founder Pierre Omidyar.[7][8][9][10]
Essien stepped down as the CEO of HNG Internships, a programme he founded to solve the Nigerian software engineering talent problem. He handed over to Seyi Onifade[11]
Awards and recognition[edit]
In 2015, Essien made the Forbes list of the 30 youngest entrepreneurs in Africa. He has also been nominated for the Nigeria Future awards amongst others.[12]
Family[edit]
On 8 April 2018 Essien married Jenni Naiaretti, who is also a developer.[13]
Investments[edit]
In 2016, Hotels.ng co-invested with Jason Njoku and Spark in OgaVenue,[14] an events booking platform. Essien serves as a director on the board of OgaVenue.
Public talks[edit]
Essien is a frequent TEDx speaker. He has delivered talks on leveraging networks to build a business and how Africa can lead in the global technology space, speaking at TEDxEuston and TEDxGbagada respectively.[15][16][17]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ Staff Writer. "Facebook CPO confirms Nigeria's strategic importance - ITWeb Africa". www.itwebafrica.com. Retrieved 2017-03-03.
- ^ "INTERVIEW: How Nigerian firm I started with $300 grew to sell hotel rooms worth billions of naira – Founder - Premium Times Nigeria". Premium Times Nigeria. 2016-05-31. Retrieved 2017-03-03.
- ^ Said-Moorhouse, Lauren. "Is this the weirdest job interview ever?". CNN. Retrieved 2017-03-03.
- ^ "Hotels.ng: solving the small problems before building Robocop – Ventureburn". Ventureburn. 2014-01-31. Retrieved 2017-03-03.
- ^ Okunola, Folarin. "Mobile West Africa 2016: Event kicks off today with Mark Essien, Ebi Atawodi, Simon Ononobi, others". Retrieved 2017-03-03.
- ^ "Hotels.ng Raises $1.2 Million in Funding". techpoint.ng. Retrieved 2017-03-13.
- ^ "Exclusive: Hotels.ng Raises $1.2 Million Series A From Omidyar, EchoVC | TechCabal". 25 May 2015. Retrieved 2017-03-03.
- ^ Shu, Catherine (26 May 2015). "Nigeria's Hotels.ng Grabs $1.2M To Expand Listings Across Africa". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2017-03-03.
- ^ Mohammed, Omar. "Nigeria's tourism opportunity can be unlocked by local online booking platforms". Quartz. Retrieved 2017-03-03.
- ^ "Hotels.ng raises $1.2m from Omidyar Network, EchoVC". Disrupt Africa. 2015-05-26. Retrieved 2017-03-03.
- ^ "Mark Essien Steps Down as HNG Internship CEO, Seyi Fade Appointed". Technext. 2019-08-12. Retrieved 2020-05-13.
- ^ "Davido, Yaya Toure, Mark Essien are The Future Africa Awards 2014 Nominees | See Full List". BellaNaija. Retrieved 2017-03-03.
- ^ Adetayo, Ayoola. "Mark Essien: Hotels NG boss ties the knot in Akwa Ibom!". Retrieved 2018-11-29.
- ^ "SPARK and Hotels.ng invest $45,000 in ogaVenue". techpoint.ng. 18 August 2016. Retrieved 2017-03-13.
- ^ "This is How Mark Essien Thinks Africa Can Lead the World's Tech Space | TechCabal". 14 January 2016. Retrieved 2017-03-03.
- ^ Katie Pisa, for (15 June 2016). "Is now the time to invest in Nigeria?". CNN. Retrieved 2017-03-03.
- ^ "Mark Essien : Solving Problems Creatively - The Guardian Life Magazine". The Guardian Life Magazine. 2016-08-07. Retrieved 2017-03-03.