Vinny Lingham facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Vinny Lingham
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| Born | 7 February 1979 |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | University of South Africa Gordon Institute of Business Science Damelin |
| Occupation | Internet entrepreneur |
| Title | Founder and CEO of Civic (2015–present) |
| Term | 2007 – Present |
| Board member of | Bitcoin Foundation (the foundation dissolved in 2015) |
| Awards | World Economic Forum Young Global Leaders (2009), Top Young ICT Entrepreneur in Africa Award (2006), Endeavor High Impact Entrepreneur (2006) |
Vinny Lingham is a clever business person from South Africa. He now lives in America. He creates and runs companies that use the internet. Vinny is the boss (CEO) of a company called Civic. This company helps protect your online identity. He also started other companies like Gyft and Yola. Vinny helped create SiliconCape in South Africa. This group works to make Cape Town a big technology center.
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Vinny's Business Adventures
In 2003, Vinny started a company called incuBeta. This company helped other online businesses grow. It had offices in the US, UK, and South Africa. He also started Clicks2Customers that same year. This company helped businesses show up better in online searches. Vinny was the main boss for both companies.
Building Websites with Yola
In 2007, Vinny created Yola. This was a special platform to help people and small businesses build their own websites. Yola received over $25 million in funding. This money came from a fund owned by Johann Rupert.
Helping South Africa's Tech Scene
Vinny Lingham is a co-founder of the Silicon Cape Initiative. This group in South Africa wants to make the Western Cape a major place for new technology companies. He also co-founded Newtown Partners. This is an investment fund that helps new companies get started. Some companies they helped include Sweep South and Augmentors.
Awards for Young Leaders
In 2006, Vinny was chosen as an Endeavor Entrepreneur. Endeavor is a group that helps successful business people in growing countries. In 2009, he was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. This award recognizes young people who are making a big difference in the world.
Gyft and Digital Gift Cards
In 2012, Vinny started Gyft. This company focused on mobile gift cards. Google Ventures supported Gyft. In just two years, Gyft became a top service for mobile gift cards. A big company called First Data Corporation bought Gyft in 2014. They paid more than US$54 million for it.
Protecting Your Identity with Civic
In 2015, Vinny founded Civic. This company helps keep your personal information safe online. It uses a special technology called blockchain to encrypt identity details. In June 2017, Civic raised over US$33 million. They did this through something called an Initial Coin Offering (ICO).
Vinny on TV Shows
From 2014 to 2016, Vinny was an investor on South Africa's Dragons' Den. This was a TV show where people pitched their business ideas. Starting in 2016, he became a "shark" on Shark Tank South Africa. This show is similar to Dragons' Den. In 2017, Vinny was also an "Angel" on National Geographic's Undercover Angel. He also helped write a book called "I'm In: Essential Advice for Entrepreneurs."
Waitroom: Connecting People Online
In 2020, Vinny co-founded Waitroom. This is an online platform for live video meetings. It lets a host talk directly with their audience. This helps people connect one-on-one.
Vinny's Achievements
Here are some of the awards Vinny Lingham has received:
- Top 500 CEO's in the World, 2015
- World Economic Forum Young Global Leaders, 2009
- Endeavor High Impact Entrepreneur, 2006
- Top Young ICT Entrepreneur in Africa Award, 2006
