Luis Martins and Kiruba Eswaran, both alumni of The Lisbon MBA, are among the finalists of the world’s best entrepreneurial project award out of an MBA in this year’s edition of the MBA Awards.

These awards seek to recognize the talent and the contributions made by schools and their students in the MBA and the community at large, rewarding what is done best in business schools around the world at the forefront of excellence in leadership.

Luis Martins and Kiruba Eswaran are among the five global finalists in the “MBA Entrepreneurial Venture Award“ category with Zaask, a platform designed to facilitate the process of hiring local services. Taking into account the personal needs of each client, Zaask presents them up to four evaluated professionals, so they can review and choose which one best suits their requirements.

With a community of over 8,000 active professionals and more than 30,000 registered, Zaask presented a turnover of around 10 million euros in 2014, and estimates that this year the amounts exceed 25 million euros. The 25 company employees were able to help over 100,000 people find the ideal professional to collaborate in their personal projects.

Luis Martins explains, “I can say that Zaask was born in The Lisbon MBA, when I met Kiruba, and we both realized that we had a vision and similar goals at a professional level: we wanted to open our company. Professional experience and the limited time available made us realize that there was a gap in the market when it comes to hiring local services, and it was from this necessity that the concept of Zaask emerged, a company created from scratch and based on a single platform that we are very proud of. It is therefore very important for us to see our project being recognized by the AMBA Awards, and we believe this to be the impetus that was needed to expand our business even further.”

Anabela Possidónio, The Lisbon MBA Executive Director adds, “We decided to propose Luis Martins and Kiruba Eswaran and Zaask to the MBA Awards, because we believe in the value of our students and alumni and their projects. Apart from being an important recognition for The Lisbon MBA, it is an acknowledgment of the talent and quality of those who learn with us over the years.”

The results will be known on January 29, 2016, in London.