Some begin their business school journeys with a business plan already in mind, aiming to refine it and gain the skills needed to bring it to life after graduation. For others, the idea emerges during their studies, as they identify a gap in the market and develop a concept alongside their learning.
With business schools increasingly integrating specialized entrepreneurship modules into their MBA curriculums—such as ‘Entrepreneurship and Creativity’ at Nottingham University Business School, or INSEAD’s dedicated track in ‘Entrepreneurship and Family Enterprise’—becoming the founder of the next big household name has never been more accessible to MBA graduates.
Here are 10 companies—both well-established and emerging—that were born from MBA minds.
Companies founded by MBA entrepreneurs
1. Nike
Co-Founder: Phil Knight
School: Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB)
Phil Knight, co-founder of Nike—the world’s largest athletic brand—received his MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB) in 1962. At this point, Nike didn't exist, but its spirit could already be detected in his academic research.
His thesis paper, titled "Can Japanese Sports Shoes Do to German Sports Shoes What Japanese Cameras Did to German Cameras?", compared the sports shoe markets in Japan and Germany. It marked the beginning of his passion for the industry and would later be seen as the conceptual starting point of the brand and the blueprint for modern trainers.
Nike—aptly named after the ancient Greek god of victory—didn’t come to fruition as we know it until 1971. However, it truly took off in 1984, when NBA player Michael Jordan donned a pair of black and red Air Jordan 1s on the court.
2. Grubhub
Founder: Matt Maloney
School: The University of Chicago Booth School of Business
Now one of North America’s largest food delivery services, Grubhub got its start through the University of Chicago Booth School of Business’s New Venture Challenge. Part-time MBA student and Grubhub founder Matt Maloney entered his idea for the food delivery service into the competition, winning one of the top prizes—an achievement that ultimately gave the company the exposure it needed to secure Series A funding.
In 2020, Maloney sold Grubhub, which now connects diners with over 55,000 restaurants in cities across the United States and London, for $7.3 billion to Just Eat Takeaway, highlighting the power of an MBA to generate genuine, profitable opportunities.
More recently, Just Eat passed the torch to the Wonder Group, selling Grubhub for $650 million—a fraction of the price they originally paid for it. Perhaps without the business acumen, an MBA provides, Just Eat just didn’t know how to deliver on GrubHub’s full potential and ironically ended up with less to take away.
3. Intuit
Co-Founder: Scott Cook
School: Harvard Business School
Scott Cook brought a wealth of experience to the table when he co-founded Intuit with Tom Proulx. With an MBA from Harvard Business School, a background in brand management at Procter & Gamble, and consultancy experience at Bain, he was well-equipped to build what would become a global technology platform helping individuals and businesses manage their finances.
Today, thanks to Intuit’s success, Cook's net worth is estimated at $6.6 billion, according to Forbes—a testament to how, when powered by an MBA, even your wildest business dreams can come true.
©Intuit / Facebook
4. Cult Mia
Founder: Nina Brener-Hellmund
School: London Business School (LBS)
Cult Mia, an online fashion marketplace and a favorite among influencers, stylists, celebrities, and consumers alike, was established by Nina Brener-Hellmund, a member of the London Business School (LBS) MBA class of 2019.
She leveraged the school’s launchpad and incubator programs to develop Cult Mia, eventually securing the funding required to turn her vision of an e-commerce platform for handpicked designer garments into a reality.
Cult Mia operates in alignment with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and is certified by the Positive Luxury Butterfly Mark. The brand’s strong focus on sustainability—an increasingly vital aspect of modern business—is likely a sensibility Brener-Hellmund sharpened during her time at business school.
5. Kyte
Co-Founder: Ludwig Schoenack
School: The University of Berkeley, Haas School of Business
With the slogan “Rental Cars. Your Way,” Kyte is a service that delivers rental cars straight to your door and picks them up when you're done. This innovative and modern take on the rental car industry was co-developed by Ludwig Schoeback, a member of the University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business MBA Class of 2019.
Before launching Kyte, Schoeback also worked for several companies highly sought after by business school graduates, including KPMG, McKinsey & Company, and Contrary.
6. Capchase
Co-Founder: Luis Basagoiti Marqués
School: INSEAD
Co-founded in 2020 by INSEAD MBA graduate Luis Basagoiti Marqués, Capchase offers flexible financing for B2B transactions. The platform allows buyers to pay in installments while giving vendors the full payment upfront, enabling faster and more predictable access to revenue.
With a $114 million investment in the form of a credit facility warehouse from Deutsche Bank, the company is now expanding its services to software-as-a-service (SaaS) businesses across the UK and Europe. This expansion is being led through its new offering, Capchase Grow, demonstrating how MBA graduates build businesses that flourish and grow.
7. ANNDERSTAND
Founder: Ge Yu
School: Cambridge Judge Business School
Ge Yu developed her sustainable Chinese fashion label, ANNDERSTAND, in 2016, leveraging the technical skills she gained from her degree in Fashion Design at Parsons School of Design and the business acumen she acquired during her MBA at Cambridge Judge Business School. The marriage of these two skill sets provided her with the tools to launch her brand successfully.
Having showcased at both London Fashion Week and Shanghai Fashion Week, and dressed multiple A-list celebrities, Ge Yu appears well on her way to achieving her vision: to build the world’s leading fashion brand known for high-quality, sustainable products.
The story behind ANNDERSTAND also highlights how MBA graduates can enter a diverse range of industries, including the world of fashion design.
©ANNDERSTAND / Facebook
8. Vinat
Co-Founder: Sarah Mack
School: IESE
While studying for her MBA at IESE Business School in Barcelona, Sarah Mack was inspired to start Vinat, a wine import start-up, with her sister Emily.
The sister-founded wine brand offers thoughtfully crafted European wines, complemented by easy pairing suggestions and cheeky, creative labels—such as ‘Valevino Out of Office’—that showcase the pair's business savvy and marketing flair.
9. Citymapper
Founder: Azmat Yusuf
School: INSEAD
Following the completion of his MBA at INSEAD, Azmat Yusuf moved to London for a job with Google. He didn’t know it at the time, but his journey across the world would inspire his future business—a travel app designed to help other first-timers like himself navigate London’s daunting public transport system.
Originally launched in 2010 as Busmapper, a transportation app focused on London’s buses, it eventually expanded to cover the entirety of the city's complex transport system and was renamed Citymapper.
Today, Citymapper is bigger than just London, operating in nearly every major transport hub in the world. It was also one of the first apps available for the Apple Watch.
Yusuf remained CEO until its acquisition by Via in March 2023. However, he hasn’t given up his entrepreneurial spirit. Just this year, he began working on a new company, Talk Machine. Little is known about it so far, but messaging so far suggests plans to “reinvent the phone” using AI.
10. Little Place Labs
Co-Founders: Bosco Lai and Gaurav Bajaj
School: University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School
While studying for the Executive MBA program at the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School, fellow students Bosco Lai and Gaurav Bajaj united their shared passion for space and technology.
They used resources like the Oxford Saïd Entrepreneurship Forum and the Oxford Space Initiative to transform their joint interest into a joint venture.
Little Place Labs is a software company specializing in near-real-time space insights for both terrestrial and space-based applications. By leveraging space-tech solutions, the pair aim to use their business to enhance public well-being, protect the environment, and create positive change in the world.
The EMBA students' journey also demonstrates that business school can help you find your future business partner.
©Little Place Labs
11. HiCCUP
Co-Founder: Şükrü Dağdelen
School: INSEAD
In 2023, INSEAD graduate Şükrü Dağdelen unveiled HiCCUP, an affordable clothing brand with headquarters in both London and Istanbul.
Made in Turkey, HiCCUP uses cost-effective, ethical, and sustainable manufacturing to provide high-quality garments on a budget, according to the brand's LinkedIn.
Before HiCCUP, Dağdelen co-founded Gorillas, an on-demand grocery app, in 2021. Despite ceasing its UK operations in 2023, it shook up the market during its short lifespan and inspired a wave of imitators.
