From becoming the first unicorn in Colombia to igniting the next success stories in Latin America

Started by Simón Borrero and Sebastian Mejia in 2013, Rappi is a Colombian delivery startup that has become a “super app” of sorts, filling a vacuum in the market while giving many jobless people an opportunity to earn much-needed income. It has grown into one of the largest Latin American unicorns. It’s so big it’s basically a verb.

Today in Colombia, anyone who wants a delivery knows that they need to “do a Rappi.” It also offers a growing number of other services, from streaming entertainment and events to its own ecommerce platform.

Their Multiplier Effect

Simón and Sebastian inspired a new spirit of entrepreneurship and possibility to Colombians. More than 130 founders spent part of their career working and gaining experience at Rappi, and the duo has directly invested in nearly two dozen more. They’ve also mentored a handful of other entrepreneurs.

Rappi’s former head of Strategic Partnerships and Revenue founded Laika, a Colombian online platform that offers pet products and services; and in Chile, one of Rappi’s former Directors of Global Operations created Houm, which helps users rent or buy property faster. These are just two stories.

In one interview, a journalist asked co-founder Simón why he never accepted any acquisition offers. “We thought a lot about it, and our true reason is that we can’t sell it because Rappi has a purpose,” he replied. “We truly support our country, and we want to keep getting as many people out of poverty as we can.”

To Simón, there’s more to innovation than chasing unicorn status: “My inspiration comes from groups that create impact and support the local economy. Growth does not come only from the government but also the entrepreneurs. We need to listen more so that we are able to do big things and so that, as a country, we can have as many talented entrepreneurs as we have artists and athletes.”