Once a year, the business magazine Forbes honors young European innovators whose ideas provide exceptional impetus in their industries. The current issue of "Forbes 30 under 30 Europe" honors 300 young talents in ten different categories. Among them are several founders and leading figures from the Munich startup scene.
Healthcare, Technology & Sports
Kathrin Khadra (29) and Jonas Ils (29), co-founders of Ryver.ai, were awarded in the "Science & Healthcare" category. Founded in 2021, the startup develops generative AI models to generate synthetic, yet realistic radiological image data. The company aims to solve a key problem: the lack of diversity in training data. This often leads to poorer diagnoses, especially among ethnic minorities.
In the “Technology” category, Julian Blum (29) of Vestigas His startup has developed software that digitizes processes in construction site logistics – for example, through automated invoice verification or digital delivery notes. Large construction companies such as Strabag already use the so-called "Supply Chain OS." Vestigas recently completed a Financing round over eight million euros under the leadership of Project A and significantly expanded the team.
Confidence Udegbue (29), Vice President of Product and User Experience Freeletics, is part of the list in the "Sports & Games" category. Under his leadership, the company increased its focus on its AI coach, resulting in improved recommendation logic, the introduction of in-app conversational AI, and double-digit growth in user conversion, among other things. Udegbue also strengthened strategic partnerships, including with Garmin.
Manufacturing & Industry
Several Munich startups impress in the “Manufacturing & Industry” category: Fabian Fürst (28) and Vjekoslav Salapic (29), founder of the energy startup Flexaare working on building a virtual power plant for private households. 100,000 households are already part of the network. Lorenz Hetzel (28) and Gyri Reiersen (29) founded in 2021 Tanso TechnologiesHer startup's software helps industrial companies like Paulaner and Goldbeck measure and reduce CO2 emissions.
Lukas Wiesmeier (29) developed with Angsa Robotics AI-controlled cleaning robots for public green spaces. The startup has already deployed its technology in more than 20 cities and removed several tons of garbage. And Maximilian Oligschläger (27) pursued with ERC System The goal is to revolutionize air rescue with electrically powered aircraft. These aircraft, which function like helicopters, are intended to be faster and cheaper than ambulances.
Finance & Social Impact
In the category “Finance” Lisa Gradow (29), co-founder of Fides, awarded. Their software platform helps companies structure regulatory obligations and document decisions in a legally compliant manner – Allianz Global Investors and Faber-Castell, among others, use the solution. Fabian Scheugenpflug (29), Principal at Plug and Play, is responsible for healthcare investments in the EMEA region. During his career, he has led over 30 investments, including Virtonomy.io and RGrid.
Lisa Oberaigner (26), co-founder of Emidat, is on the Forbes list for its contribution to the sustainable construction industry in the "Social Impact" category. Its AI-based solution analyzes the CO2 emissions of building materials and shows manufacturers potential for optimization.
