Deepanker Rustagi
Deepankar Rustagi | |
|---|---|
| Citizenship | Indian |
| Education | Visvesvaraya Technological University, Stanford |
| Occupation | Businessperson |
| Years active | 2006-present |
| Organization | VConnect |
| Website | deepanker |
Deepankar Rustagi is a technology entrepreneur based in Lagos, Nigeria.[1] He co-founded VConnect in 2015 and went on to serve as it's CEO.[2] Rustagi also founded OmniRetail, an ecommerce marketplace with a focus on FMCGs.[3][4]
Early life and education
[edit]Rustagi was born and raised in Delhi, India.[5] He got his early education from Indian Language School, lagos.[6] In 2002, he went to Visvesvaraya Technological University to persue his bachelors degree in Engineering. Rustagi also attended Stanford and University of California, Berkeley.[7][8]
Career
[edit]In 2006, after completing his bachelors, Rustagi started his career as a software developer in Keane India ltd and later joined Dufil as a marketing manager. In 2010, he along with Anand Chander Mohan co-founded VConnect (Tolaram Group), an online marketplace that helps users hire local professionals.[9][10] On 19 January 2017, VConnect partnered with Facebook to hold SME Conference 1.0. in Lagos.[11] Rustagi founded OmniRetail in 2019 as a distribution platform for distributors and retailers in Nigeria and Ghana.[12][13] OmniRetail was named Africa's fastest growing company by Financial Times in 2024.[14][15]
Rustagi also spoke at LEAP24, Web Summit Qatar, The Founder Institute, Africa CEO Forum, Forbes Under 30 Summit, and TEDxLagos.[16][17][18][19][20]
Awards and recognition
[edit]- Fastest growing company in Africa, Financial Times, 2024[14]
- Endeavour Entrepreneur, June 2023[21]
- Hottest startup of the year, Forbes, 2013[2]
- CEO of the year, BrandCom, 2022[22]
References
[edit]- ^ Adeoye, Aanu (2024-06-06). "OmniRetail holistic approach takes prize for Nigeria". Financial Times. Retrieved 2025-05-06.
- ^ a b Nsehe, Mfonobong. "VConnect.com Is One Of Africa's Hottest Tech Startups". Forbes. Retrieved 2025-05-06.
- ^ Mabia, Joy (2023-06-23). "OmniRetail Founder, Deepankar Rustagi, Selected As An Endeavor Entrepreneur". Endeavor Nigeria. Retrieved 2025-05-06.
- ^ "Consumer Goods Transaction Brief: Norfund leads its first investment into an African tech startup, Nigeria's OmniRetail". Stears (company). Retrieved 2025-05-06.
- ^ VConnect (2015-05-20). "SMEs are key drivers of Nigerian Economic Growth – Deepankar Rustagi, VConnect CEO". TechCabal. Retrieved 2025-05-06.
- ^ "Grade X Board Examination March 2000" (PDF). Indian Language School. Retrieved 2025-05-06.
- ^ "Stanford Seed on Twitter". Twitter. Archived from the original on 2021-10-22. Retrieved 2025-05-06.
- ^ "Deepankar Rustagi". Africa Tech Summit London. Retrieved 2025-05-06.
- ^ Ogundairo, Abiodun (2016-05-23). "Deepankar Rustagi, CEO VConnect, on The CEO Watch". The Guardian (Nigeria). Retrieved 2025-05-06.
- ^ "Nigerian business directory VConnect receives upgrades for engagement". Ventureburn. 2016-07-27. Retrieved 2025-05-06.
- ^ Duruji, BellaRose (2017-01-09). "VConnect and Facebook announce SME Conference 1.0: Event to explore the intersection between tech, finance and SMEs". TechCity. Retrieved 2025-05-06.
- ^ Kene-Okafor, Tage (2024-03-14). "What African B2B e-commerce startups can learn from OmniRetail's profitable run". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2025-05-06.
- ^ Onu, Emele; Osae-Brown, Anthony. "Nigeria's Top Consumer Firms Tap Startup to Boost Sales". Bloomberg. Retrieved 2025-05-06.
- ^ a b Pilling, David (2024-05-14). "The ranking: Africa's Fastest Growing Companies 2024". Financial Times. Retrieved 2025-05-06.
- ^ "Top 20 Fastest Growing Companies in Africa (2024)". Empower Africa. 2024-05-16. Retrieved 2025-05-06.
- ^ "Deepankar Rustagi | Leap Website". onegiantleap.com. Retrieved 2025-05-06.
- ^ "Deepankar Rustagi". Web Summit Qatar, Doha. Retrieved 2025-05-06.
- ^ "Let's Rebuild in 2021. Applications Now Open to Founder Institute Lagos Virtual Summer 2021". The Founder Institute. Retrieved 2025-05-06.
- ^ "Deepankar RUSTAGI". Africa CEO Forum 2025. Retrieved 2025-05-06.
- ^ TEDx Talks (2013-11-28). Little giants: Deepankar Rustagi at TEDxLagos. Retrieved 2025-05-06 – via YouTube.
- ^ Camp, Jeffrey Van (2023-06-22). "Endeavor Selects 13 Entrepreneurs From Six Markets at the 38th Virtual International Selection Panel". Endeavor (non-profit). Retrieved 2025-05-06.
- ^ "Most Outstanding B2B E-Commerce Brand Of The Year" (PDF). BrandCom. Retrieved 2025-05-06.