Hussein Fazal
Hussein Fazal | |
|---|---|
| Born | Vancouver, Canada |
| Education | University of Waterloo |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur |
| Years active | 2008-present |
| Organization(s) | Super.com, AdParlor |
| Board member of | CrowdRiff |
Hussein Fazal is a Canadian-born American serial entrepreneur based in San Francisco.[1] He is the co-founder and CEO of Super.com, An American technology company.[2] Previously, Fazal co-founded AdParlor, one of the earliest Facebook ad optimization companies, later acquired by adknowledge in 2011.[3][4]
Early life and education
Fazal was born and raised in Vancouver, Canada.[5] His family was Ismaili Muslims.[5]
Fazal attended the University of Waterloo, where he earned a computer science degree.[6] Fazal also attended Waterloo's co-op program along with Henry Shi.[7] In 2011, He was accepted into the NEXT 36 program.[8]
Career
Fazal started his career as a software developer at Bell Canada in 2008.[9] Later that year, he along with Kristaps Ronka co-founded AdParlor, a bootstrapped Facebook and X ad optimization platform.[10] As one of the first companies to focus on performance marketing for social media, AdParlor worked with advertisers to scale their campaigns.[3][11] The company generated over $100 million in revenue and later in 2011 was acquired by AdKnowledge.[12]
In 2016, Fazal co-founded SnapTravel, a conversational AI platform designed to help users book hotels via SMS and messaging apps like WhatsApp.[13] Over time, SnapTravel expanded its offerings, integrating financial tools and retail discounts, and rebranded briefly to SnapCommerce and then Super.com in 2022.[14] In 2024, Super.com was named one of the America's fastest growing companies by Financial Times.[15] Fazal has written for TechCrunch and Ad Age.[16][17]
Awards and recognition
- Forbes Fintech 50, 2023[18]
- Entrepreneur of the Year Ontario region, EY Entrepreneur of the Year, 2022[19]
- 30 Most Creative People In Advertising Under 30, Business Insider, 2012[20]
- 30 Under 30, Inc. Magazine, 2011[3]
References
- ^ Harito, Lori (November 15, 2019). "Father & Founder: SnapTravel's CEO finds common ground". BetaKit.com (interview). Retrieved 2025-02-22.
- ^ "Super.com Company Overview & News". Forbes. Retrieved 2025-02-22.
- ^ a b c Black, Tiffany (2016). "30 Under 30 2016: Hussein Fazal and Kristaps Ronka, Founders of AdParlor". Inc.com. Archived from the original on 2023-10-31. Retrieved 2025-02-22.
- ^ "Young Entrepreneur spotlight: AdParlor". Financial Post. December 3, 2010. Retrieved 2025-02-23.
- ^ a b Martin, Cynthia (March 26, 2018). "Startup guru Rahim Fazal takes pride in 'having a small high-powered team'". The Globe and Mail (interview). Archived from the original on May 1, 2018. Retrieved 2026-02-02.
I was born in Vancouver, have wonderful parents. They came to Canada through the expulsion of the Asians in East Africa.
- ^ "An Inspiring Community: Fostering a Creative and Entrepreneurial Ecosystem at Waterloo". Math e-Ties. 2018-10-05. Retrieved 2025-02-22.
- ^ Longeway, Stephanie (February 4, 2022). "Co-op students play an integral role in Canada's fastest-growing tech company". Waterloo News. University of Waterloo. Retrieved 2025-02-22.
- ^ Winters, Kyle (January 17, 2020). "The NEXT Decade of Entrepreneurs". NEXT Canada. Retrieved 2025-02-22.
- ^ "Quitting jobs dropping out of school: it's worked for the founders of Toronto's AdParlor". BrainStation. June 27, 2011. Retrieved 2025-02-22.
- ^ Taylor-Dunn, Nina (July 21, 2021). "Snapcommerce entrepreneur Hussein Fazal secures $85 million for expansion". Hayat Life. Retrieved 2025-02-22.
- ^ Stadd, Allison (November 4, 2013). "AdParlor Is Next Twitter Advertising API Partner". AdWeek. Retrieved 2025-02-22.
- ^ Constine, Josh (November 1, 2011). "Multi-Channel Ad Marketplace AdKnowledge Acquires Bootstrapped Facebook Ads API Vendor AdParlor". AdWeek. Retrieved 2025-02-22.
- ^ Soltys, Douglas (October 27, 2016). "Hussein Fazal chooses home to build his next startup, SnapTravel". BetaKit. Retrieved 2025-02-22.
- ^ Hall, Christine (October 18, 2022). "Snapcommerce grabs its cape and becomes Super". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2025-02-22.
- ^ Jones, Cleve (April 4, 2024). "FT ranking: The Americas' Fastest-Growing Companies 2024". Financial Times. Retrieved 2025-02-22.
- ^ "Hussein Fazal, Author at TechCrunch". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2025-03-16.
- ^ "Hussein Fazal on Ad Age". Ad Age. 2019-02-08. Retrieved 2025-03-16.
- ^ Kauflin, Jeff (June 6, 2023). "Six Founders Making Their Debut On The Fintech 50". Forbes. Retrieved 2025-02-22.
- ^ "EY Entrepreneur Of The Year® Canada 2022 - Ontario regional winners". Ey.com. Retrieved 2025-02-22.
- ^ Stampler, Laura; Edwards, Jim (September 5, 2012). "These Are The 30 Most Creative People In Advertising Under 30". Business Insider. Retrieved 2025-02-22.