Sameer Nigam

Academic Background

Seeking a founder that checks the boxes for attaining industry knowledge and entrepreneurial skills? Look no further. Sameer Nigam, born in Delhi, is a seasoned entrepreneur. He studied at the Delhi Public School (DPS), Noida. He then studied Computer Engineering at the University of Mumbai. Sameer also holds an MSc degree in the field from the University of Arizona.

Furthermore, he enrolled in The Wharton School, where he secured an MBA in entrepreneurship. Sameer was set for the real world with a rich educational background. He had begun working even before his MBA.

Life as an Employee

Sameer worked for Shopzilla for about six years, from 2001-2007. He directed the company’s search product development. Plus, he designed Shopzilla’s shopping search engine.

In 2011, Sameer broke into Flipkart. He served the eCommerce platform in various executive positions. This included the VP and Senior VP of marketing and engineering, respectively. Flipkart acquired his first startup, Mime360, the same year he joined the eCommerce giant.

Life as a Founder

Manoramic International Media Exchange (Mime360) came to life in 2009. Sameer built the venture to distribute digital content safely. Next, the computer engineer founded PhonePe in 2015. He established it alongside his co-founders–Rahul Chari and Burzin Engineer. Rahul serves as the CTO, while Burzin is the CIO.

PhonePe is a UPI-based payment app which struggled to secure funds for expansion. It later succeeded in raising $700 million from investors. Flipkart acquired PhonePe in 2016, gaining a 100% stake in the company. However, Flipkart’s stake was reduced to 87% after PhonePe received investor funds.

Sameer said, “This move gives us access to capital to realise our dream of spreading financial inclusion to many Indians.”

Career Success and Awards

Skills are essential to climbing the corporate ladder and excelling as an entrepreneur. Sameer has a range of digital skills that helped him win several awards. This includes product marketing, business and web development, web analytics, and more.

In 2019, Sameer participated in the NASSCOM Product Conclave and Money 20/20 Asia. His startup, PhonePe, is decorated with awards. Some of them are the Super StartUp Asia and UPI Digital Innovation Award.