# Hernán Botbol

Hernán Botbol (born on October 18, 1981) is an Argentine tech entrepreneur who has created several successful businesses. Currently, he's running Apply AI Corporation from Austin, Texas.

## Biography

Botbol is a technology and internet enthusiast. He attended high school at Hapnot Collegiate High School in Manitoba, Canada and later pursued a degree in Economics and Business Administration at Universidad Argentina de la Empresa in Buenos Aires, Argentina. His entrepreneurial endeavors date back to 2005, when he co-founded his first Company, Wiroos Internet Hosting, alongside his brother, Matías Botbol, and associate, Alberto Nakayama. This company provides web hosting services. Botbol received international recognition when Taringa.net was acquired in 2006, and then relaunched in 2007. It became one of the most successful Spanish-speaking web pages before the emergence of social networks like Facebook and Twitter.
Taringa! is currently one of the most-visited Spanish-language websites with its user base of nearly 100 million unique users per month and its presence in 18 countries in Latin America, Spain, and the United States. Behind Facebook, Taringa! is the second most popular domestic social media platform in Latin America and the second largest social network in Argentina (according to data from comScore).
Currently, Botbol is Co-Founder and CEO of Apply AI.

## Awards and recognition

In 2010, he shared the Premio Oscarlos Argentina, or Argentine Creative Award, with Matias Botbol (his elder brother) and Alberto Nakayama. This award from the Círculo de Creativos Argentinos (the Circle of Creative Argentinians) distinguishes the creative work of professionals in various fields. The three young entrepreneurs received it not only because of the success of Taringa!, but also because it evolved into a community of unique users with their own rules, protocols, and unique identities.
In 2012, Taringa! received the “Website of the Year” award, which recognized it as the best social network of the year. The European online research company Metrix Lab has been organizing this award for 10 years. Taringa! was the only Latin American business nominated. Even though it faced competition from websites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram in the Communities and Social Networks category, Taringa! was chosen by the users to be the winner.
Moreover, Hernán Botbol was distinguished as one of the entrepreneurs of the year by the Universidad de Palermo in Argentina. This award is presented to the most important figures in Argentina’s entrepreneurial field.

## Speaker and industry leader

Botbol is a leader in the Spanish-speaking Internet and Digital Media industries. He has participated as a speaker at many major industry conferences, including Red Innova (Madrid, June 2012), Show me the money (2012), Premio estilo emprendedor Palermo 2012, Pechakucha (June 2013), Orador Cirerre del Social Media Day Montevideo (June 2013), Speaker at IAB Argentina (August 2013), Speaker at IAB Uruguay, Foro Digital organized by the Ministerio de Cultura de La Nación (September 2013), CACE (Cámara Argentina de Comercio Elecrónico) and session Conversando con Mirtha Legrand(September 2013).