Arya Bina, the Iranian-American entrepreneur behind the popular Kobe Digital platform, has sold the business to an unnamed buyer. While financial details have not been disclosed, industry insiders say the deal is said to be worth millions. Bina founded Kobe Digital in 2016 to connect businesses with digital marketing and advertising services. The company found initial success by creating a proprietary formula to target the millennial market. It has since become one of the world's largest providers of such services, growing to be a 7-figure agency in less than 2 years.
During the years 2017-2020, the company experienced rapid growth and the company ranked No. 55 on its second annual Inc. 5000 Regionals: California list, and ranked number one on the Agency Spotter Top Digital Agencies Report.
In 2019, it was named as one of the Best Places to Work in Los Angeles.
Some of Kobe Digital’s clientele included Leica Camera, Yale, and HJC helmets, to name a few.
In an interview with Forbes, Bina says that he decided to sell the company because he felt it was time to move on to other projects. He advises other entrepreneurs who are thinking of selling their businesses only if they are ready to move on to something else.
"I think it's important to recognize when you're ready to move on to the next thing," he says. "I'm an entrepreneur at heart and always looking for the next challenge. Selling Kobe Digital was the right thing for me because it allowed me to move on to other projects I'm passionate about."
But this was not Arya’s first go at starting, growing, and selling a business. At just 19, he was recognized by Business Insider as one of the most powerful people in tech for 2014 after co-founding Cheap Travel Hunter in 2010. From 2012 to 2014, the company experienced large growth and he later sold it to a private investor in 2014. Even as a young entrepreneur, Arya was well-versed in the world of entrepreneurship and provided excellent advice to others like him. “If you have other ideas don't be afraid to invest heavily in yourself and go for your dreams.”
As a serial entrepreneur and experienced startup investor, Arya Bina says he is now focusing on his new venture, a business consulting firm called Bina Ventures, helping entrepreneurs with business acquisition, business strategy, startups, and growth/marketing. He is also working on a book about entrepreneurship.
This article was written in cooperation with Arya Bina Marketing