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| Niklas Zennström | |
|---|---|
 Zennström with Loic Le Meur in the background | |
| Born | (1966-02-16) 16 February 1966 (age 58) Järfälla, Sweden |
| Education | Uppsala University (BSc, MSc) |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur and investor |
| Spouse | Catherine Zennström |
Niklas Zennström (Template:IPA-sv; born 16 February 1966) is a Swedish entrepreneur and technology investor. Zennström is also the co-founder of the charity organization Zennström Philanthropies.
Education
Zennström has dual degrees in Business Administration (BSc) and Engineering Physics (MSc) from Uppsala University. He spent his final year of schooling at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, US.
Career
Niklas Zennström, a prominent figure in the tech industry, began his professional journey in 1991 at Tele2, a European telecom operator. He held several business development positions, including overseeing the launch and management of get2net, a European Internet Service Provider, and serving as the CEO of the everyday.com portal.
Zennström co-founded KaZaA, a peer-to-peer file sharing along with Janus Friis in 2000. KaZaA quickly gained popularity as a peer-to-peer file-sharing application and became the most downloaded Internet software by 2003, with Zennström at the helm as CEO. However, KaZaA faced legal challenges from the music and motion picture industry and was eventually sold to Sharman Networks.
Following the KaZaA venture, Zennström established Joltid, a software company focused on developing and marketing peer-to-peer solutions and traffic optimization technologies. Additionally, he co-founded Altnet, another peer-to-peer network.
Zennström's most notable achievement is the founding of Skype Technologies, a telecommunications company that revolutionized communication. Under his leadership as CEO, Skype experienced tremendous growth and success. In 2005, eBay acquired Skype for €2.1 billion ($2.6 billion), with the potential for additional bonuses amounting to €1.2 billion. Zennström continued to lead Skype until September 2007.
Zennström launched Joost, an online video distribution service in 2007. However, Joost did not achieve the same level of success as Skype.
Zennström was part of the consortium that repurchased Skype Technologies from eBay 2009, and he rejoined the Skype board. In 2011, Microsoft acquired Skype for $8.5 billion, a deal that proved highly lucrative for Zennström and Friis, who reportedly made approximately $1 billion from the sale.
Zennström's contributions to the tech industry extend beyond his entrepreneurial ventures. He was inducted into SUP46's Swedish Startup Hall of Fame in November 2014, recognizing his significant impact on the startup ecosystem. Additionally, Zennström founded and served as the former president of the European Tech Alliance (EUTA), an organization dedicated to promoting Europe's tech industry.
Currently, Zennström leads Atomico, a venture capital firm based in London. Atomico focuses on investing in tech companies worldwide, and Zennström has played a pivotal role in funding over 200 companies across four continents. Some notable investments include Supercell, Rovio, Last.fm, Klarna, and Skype.
Philanthropy
With his wife Catherine, Zennström founded Zennström Philanthropies which funds and donates to causes like tackling climate change and social entrepreneurship.
Honors and awards
Zennström was recognized by Time Magazine as one of its 100 Most Influential People in 2006, and has received numerous other awards for innovation and entrepreneurship.
In 2006, he was voted Entrepreneur of the Year in the European Business Leaders Awards (EBLA).
In October 2009, the KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden, awarded Zennström the KTH Great Prize "for his outstanding entrepreneurial and technological skills".
In September 2011, Zennström received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Oxford University's Oxford Internet Institute.
In February 2013, Zennström was awarded H. M. The King's Medal of 12th size with a bright blue ribbon for significant contributions to Swedish industry and society.
In October 2013, the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences, IVA, awarded Zennström the gold medal for his "highly successful entrepreneurial achievements, creative innovation, high technical competence and outstanding leadership".
Personal life
Zennström is married to Catherine Zennström. He is a keen yachtsman and has built and raced yachts in the TP 52 .
References
- "On donations: Niklas Zennström". Uppsala University. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
- "Kazaa".
- Friis, Janus. "Janus Friis".
- "Skype Technologies".
- "eBay".
- "Joost".
- "Atomico".
- "Supercell, video game company".
- "Rovio Entertainment".
- "Last.fm".
- "Klarna".
- O'Hear, Steve (28 September 2018). "The Zennström manifesto". TechCrunch. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
- Gosling, James (8 May 2006). "The Skype Guys". Time. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
- Europe, CNBC (10 April 2007). "CNBC Europe Names the Top European Business Leaders for 2006". CNBC.
- "KTH | the KTH Great Prize 2009 awarded to Niklas Zennström". Archived from the original on 11 October 2012. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
- "Internet Entrepreneur Niklas Zennström Receives Lifetime Achievement Award from the Oxford Internet Institute – Oxford Internet Institute". Archived from the original on 11 July 2016. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
- "Kungen delade ut medaljer – se film här – Sveriges Kungahus". Kungahuset.se. Archived from the original on 19 July 2013. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
- "Sidan kunde inte hittas". Archived from the original on 22 January 2018. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
- Fretter, Helen (17 September 2019). "Ràn VII: On board the Stealth Bomber of the Fast 40+ class". Yachting World. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
- Korotaeva, Maria (9 May 2018). "Ran VII, the electric racing yacht from Skype billionaire Niklas Zennstrom". Charter World. Retrieved 20 July 2020.