Johnny Boufarhat

Johnny Boufarhat (born 1 June 1994) is an Australian-born British businessman who is the founder of virtual eventing platform, Hopin.[1][2]

Early life and career

Boufarhat was born on 1 June 1994 in Sydney, Australia to a Lebanese father who was a mechanical engineer and a Syrian-born Armenian mother who was an accountant.[3] He received his early education from the Dubai American Academy. For further studies, he went to the United Kingdom and studied mechanical engineering at the University of Manchester.[3]

In January 2019, he founded Hopin.[4] The platform gained popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic as people sought alternatives to in-person events.[5] In March 2021, the company was valued at US$5.65 billion.[4] In August 2021, Hopin has raised $450 million through a funding round co-led by Arena Holdings and Altimeter Capital.[6]

In August 2023, Boufarhat has announced his departure from the position of CEO at Hopin.[7]

References

1. Times, The Sunday. "Johnny Boufarhat net worth — Sunday Times Rich List 2021" – via www.thetimes.co.uk.
2. Munbodh, Emma; Scheerhout, John (25 May 2021). "The Manchester Uni grad who has become Britain's youngest self-made billionaire". Manchester Evening News.
3. Shah, Oliver. "Interview: Johnny Boufarhat — the steak-fuelled genius behind Hopin who is a billionaire at 26" – via www.thetimes.co.uk.
4. "Johnny Boufarhat". Forbes.
5. "Hopin rides high on pandemic-led videoconferencing wave". Financial Times. 8 November 2021. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
6. Browne, Ryan (5 August 2021). "Two-year-old events start-up Hopin boomed in the pandemic. Now it's a $7.75 billion business". CNBC. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
7. Lewin, Amy (2 August 2023). "Johnny Boufarhat steps down as CEO of Hopin".