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Vishu Bheda
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Medial • 3m
This is Europe's youngest founder of a billion-dollar company. At 19, he dropped out of college. Today, he created Uber's biggest rival with +150M users. Here's how a kid built an $8 billion company from his parent's bedroom: At just 19, Markus Villig founded Bolt with a $5,000 loan from his parents. Inspired by his brother’s work at Skype, Markus dreamed of building a company that could impact millions. Despite 100s of VCs rejecting him, Markus focused on smaller investors and localized growth. He launched Bolt in Estonia in 2013, doing just 20 rides a day. To take on Uber, Markus prioritized extreme localization: targeting untapped markets like Latvia, Lithuania, and even Africa. In Africa, Bolt thrived by accepting cash, hiring locals, and adapting to local needs. Today, Bolt has 150M+ users in 52 countries. Markus isn’t stopping there—he’s aiming to halve private car ownership in Europe and drive Bolt into the future. Follow for more valuable content like this.
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