Nicolas Szekasy and Hernan Kazah Win Argentina EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award

Endeavor Entrepreneurs Nicolas Szekasy and Hernan Kazah, founders of Kaszek Ventures, won the 2018 Argentina EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

Established more than 30 years ago, the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award is given to the individual or company that most demonstrates entrepreneurial achievement, vision, and leadership. The purpose of this award is to recognize and acknowledge excellence in entrepreneurship and to encourage high-impact projects among other entrepreneurs around the world.

Candidates are assessed by a panel of independent judges from around the world, most of whom have also participated in the program. The judges are looking for specific instances of entrepreneurial spirit, value creation, strategic direction, national and global impact, innovation, and personal integrity and purpose-driving leadership. Each national winner is then considered for the EY World Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

Based in Buenos Aires, Kaszek Ventures is a venture capital firm that partners with exceptional entrepreneurs to build high-impact technology companies in Latin America. Co-founded by Nicolas Szekasy and Hernan Kazah in 2011, Kaszek Ventures has worked with 96 entrepreneurs in 48 companies, providing not only funds, but also expertise, mentorship, and insights into growth, team-building, and strategy.mercado libre

What truly sets Kaszek Ventures apart is their hands-on approach. Nicolas and Hernan love to “roll up their sleeves” and working right alongside the entrepreneurs they’ve partnered with. By investing in their own community, the venture capital firm serves as a key agent of change in Latin America and creates unmatched relationships to create the next batch of transformative, innovative technology companies in the region.

Nicolas Szekasy and Hernan Kazah were chosen as some of the first Endeavor Entrepreneurs in 1999 when they co-founded MercadoLibre along with Marcos Galperin. MercadoLibre, known as the eBay of Latin America, went on to become one of the greatest success stories in the Endeavor network. In 2017, with an over $10 billion market cap, MercadoLibre replaced Yahoo! on the Nasdaq 100. 

In the early stages, Nicolas and Hernan benefited from Endeavor’s eMBA Program, financial consulting, and connections to eBay, which acquired a stake in the company in 2002. Since they entered into the network, the two founders have given back and served as mentors and advisers on Endeavor boards, both local and global. Kaszek Ventures, since its inception, has also invested in a number of Endeavor companies, such as GuiaBolso, DigitalHouse, and Creditas, among others.

More information about the award and the entrepreneurs can be found here.