IESE Business School has announced that Peach Payments’ co-founder and CEO Rahul Jain has been named as one of the IESE 40under40 2022 award winners. These prestigious awards recognise the leading entrepreneurs and innovators under the age of 40 from within IESE´s global network of more than 55,000 alumni.
Jain was selected thanks to his work on Peach Payments, which makes online commerce and digital payments accessible to small and large merchants across the African continent. It works with businesses in Kenya, Mauritius and South Africa, providing a toolkit that enables them to accept, manage and make payments via mobile and the web.
The IESE 40under40 awards are given to outstanding individuals who are making their mark and changing the world through impactful entrepreneurial projects. Collectively, the 40 winners for 2022 have created over 4,000 new jobs, generated €519 million (roughly R9 323 million) in revenue, and raised nearly €1 billion (roughly R19.96 billion) in capital. The winners hail from four different continents, and all are alumni or current students at IESE.
Prof. Mª Julia Prats, Academic Director of IESE’s Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center, says, “The stories and collective numbers of the IESE 40under40 reflect some of the deep positive impact the school can have in society via entrepreneurship”.
All 40 winning entrepreneurs were chosen based on a rigorous analysis of the viability of the projects, and especially their impact on society in terms of social contribution and employment generation.
A celebration of entrepreneurship
In recognition of this achievement, Jain, alongside the other 39 entrepreneurs, will be honoured in a special awards ceremony from IESE´s campus in Madrid, Spain, on November 29, 2022. The IESE 40under40 Awards 2022 expect to gather around 500 participants to hear from and network with IESE´s 40under40 winners, as well as leading entrepreneurs, innovators, and investors from across the globe. There will also be a series of roundtables and panels to discuss the latest trends in the sector.
During the ceremony, an international jury will also select the recipients of four additional awards: the project with the greatest social impact, the outstanding woman entrepreneur, the most innovative company, and the project with the best growth trajectory. More details can be found here. The jury is comprised of experts such as IESE alumni Enrique Linares (Letgo cofounder) and Gerald Glauerdt (Lazada Group cofounder) as well as Drew Propson (Head of Technology and Innovation - World Economic Forum).
The full list of IESE 40under40 2022 winners:
IESE´s 40under40 awards form part of IESE Business School´s wider entrepreneurial ecosystem, which provides research, mentoring, networks, funding, and programs for entrepreneurs, innovators and investors. Approximately 30% of IESE students start a business within 5 years of graduation and, in total, IESE alumni entrepreneurs have raised $3.6 billion in funds and created more than 70,000 jobs worldwide.
For more details on the IESE 40under40 awards, or IESE Business School in general, please contact Mallory Dees on mdees@iese.edu.