Eerik Oja 2022 speaker

CEO & Co-founder

Planet42

Biography

Eerik Oja grew up in Räpina, a small town in rural Estonia. After graduating high school and completing military service, he got his bachelor’s degree at the Stockholm School of Economics in Riga. He then moved to Tallinn, working as an investor relations specialist for farming organization Agromino, and as an analyst and business development specialist at investment management firm Trigon Capital. In 2014, he became Country Manager of Estonia for the alternative vehicle finance firm Eleving Group (formerly Mogo Finance), a role which saw him turn the Estonian business into the best-performing branch for the group. In 2017, Eerik Oja co-founded Planet42 together with Marten Orgna to fight transport inequality in emerging markets like South Africa.

Through his role leading Planet42, Eerik Oja is motivated by breaking cycles of economic exclusion and getting people on the road to a better life. His vision for a socially impactful business is simple – remove unnecessary hurdles and help people reach their full potential. And do it in a carbon neutral way!

Eerik Oja is an avid rugby fan, a passion he shares with millions of South Africans, and remains a board member of Estonian rugby club Tallinn Kalev RFC. As a member of the Estonian Founders Society, Eerik Oja also maintains tight ties with his home country’s startup community. He is based in the urban jungle of Johannesburg, which he navigates with his trusty motorbike that he honestly is a bit too attached to.