Nathan Boublil biography: 13 things about University of Cambridge alum from Paris, France

Nathan Boublil graduated from Selwyn College, Cambridge, a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England, United Kingdom. He hails from Paris, France.

Developing a knack for travel, Boublil has lived in 13 countries over the last 16 years. As an intern, he worked under asset management at LCF Rothschild in 2005, under business development at Yelo, LLC in 2006 and under investment banking at Deutsche Bank in 2007.

From 2008 to 2011, Boublil was an investment banker at Deutsche Bank, advising large corporations on Mergers and Acquisitions across Europe. He won many entrepreneurial awards in the U.K. including Entrepreneur of the Year in Cambridge in 2013.

Boublil co-founded a data technology company in Cambridge, developing data and analytics solutions for local governments with the backing of Microsoft Ventures and Cambridge University. He is also a co-founder of ZEN Rooms, a hospitality company that helps budget and mid-range hotels operate more efficiently and increase the value of their property through a range of operational and technological solutions.

ZEN Rooms contributes daily to democratizing access to safe and affordable travel with millions of travelers staying at its franchised or operated properties each year. It has raised US$23 million equity funding from leading institutional investors Rocket Internet, Ooredoo Telecom, RedBadge Pacific, SBI Investments Korea and Yanolja.

Boublil is a fellow at Cambridge and the Royal Society of Arts of the United Kingdom. Here are 13 more things about him:

1. A French national, he speaks five languages.
2. His very first job was on the ground floor of an independent hotel in Marble Arch in London, England as a night receptionist from 2003 to 2004. He experienced firsthand the difficulties of running an independent hotel.
3. From July 2005 to August 2005, he was an asset management intern at LCF Rothschild in Paris, France.
4. In 2006, he studied economics and Mandarin Chinese at The Chinese University of Hong Kong in Hong Kong, China.
5. In 2007, he studied economics at Universita Bocconi in Milan, Italy. He was an investment banking analyst at Deutsche Bank in London from June 2007 to September 2007 and from July 2008 to November 2010.
6. From January 2011 to December 2012, he was an investment associate at EP Private Holding in London. From January 2011 to September 2012, he was an economic advisor at the Comité National des Conseillers du Commerce Extérieur de la France in London.
7. From May 2011 to December 2012, he was a Solus Scientific investor in London.
8. In September 2012, he started supporting the Sun and Moon Foundation.
9. In December 2012, he started supporting the Kenyan Orpan Project.
10. In January 2013, he co-founded SmartGov Technologies in Cambridge.
11. In June 2013, he graduated from the University of Cambridge with a master’s degree in political science.
12. In September 2013, he became a University of Cambridge police fellow.
13. In August 2015, he and his fellow entrepreneur Kiren Tanna founded ZEN Rooms to improve the state of budget hospitality in Southeast Asia, making travel more affordable and safer.