Once we consider younger entrepreneurs, names like Mark Zuckerberg, Matthew Mullenweg, and Steve Jobs typically come to thoughts—visionaries who started shaping the world of their late teenagers or early twenties.
Zuckerberg launched Fb at 19, redefining social networking; Mullenweg co-founded WordPress with the identical age, empowering on-line publishing; and Jobs co-founded Apple at 21, paving the best way for groundbreaking improvements just like the iPhone. Different icons, reminiscent of Invoice Gates (Microsoft), Evan Spiegel (Snapchat), Larry Web page and Sergey Brin (Google), and Whitney Wolfe Herd (Bumble), made their marks of their twenties.
Whereas these international success tales encourage, Europe has its personal spectacular lineup of younger entrepreneurs making waves throughout industries.
From tech pioneers to sustainability advocates, this record highlights a number of the continent’s brightest minds who began their ventures early and are shaping the long run with innovation and dedication – all who started and nonetheless are beneath 30!
From youngest to oldest
Luis Dobbelgarten Germany
At simply 15 years previous, designer Luis Dobbelgarten launched No/Religion Studios in 2016 with a display screen printer, a number of T-shirts, and a stitching machine. At this time, the model is a worldwide style label specialising in denim and leatherwear, stocked by retailers like SSENSE and H. Lorenzo. The corporate achieved over €3.5 million in gross sales in 2023, greater than doubling its income from the earlier yr.
Vladimir Danila
At 17, Vladimir Danila based Linearity in 2017, initially generally known as Vectornator, to simplify graphic design. Pissed off with instruments like Adobe Illustrator, he developed a mobile-first app that shortly gained traction, gaining €38.7k in gross sales with no advertising. Backed by €33.9 million in funding, Linearity now competes with Figma and boasts 7 million customers, together with employees from Apple, Disney, and Microsoft.
Daniele Servadei
At 18 years previous, Daniele Servadei based Sellix in 2021 whereas nonetheless a pupil, making a digital ecommerce platform designed to simplify promoting on-line. Sellix permits entrepreneurs to just accept funds and promote digital items with none coding, making it a go-to resolution for startups aiming to scale shortly. In only a few years, the platform has processed over €90 million in transactions and boasts a buyer base of two.3 million customers. Servadei’s journey, from instructing himself to code to launching his first international firm, displays his dedication to empower companies and revolutionise e-commerce. Take heed to his interview on the EU-Startups podcast right here.
Alejandro Benlloch and Bruno Casanovas
At age 19, Alejandro Benlloch and Bruno Casanovas began Nude Undertaking in 2019 from their dorm rooms in Barcelona, dropping out of college when their streetwear model took off. Producing almost €29 million in income in 2023, the corporate employs 130 folks, operates seven shops throughout Southern Europe, and sells on-line to 200 nations. They goal to increase the model’s attain via podcasts, occasions, and even drinks.
Mohammad Filfil
Mohammad Filfil launched Paragit Neurotech in 2018 on the age of 19 to assist sufferers with neurological problems. The corporate’s flagship product, the Paragit Sleeve, makes use of AI to investigate Parkinson’s sufferers’ motion patterns and share insights with healthcare suppliers. Filfil has raised €2.1 million and goals to safe regulatory clearance for the system in 2024.
Urska Srsen Slovenia
Bellabeat was co-founded by Urska Srsen when she was 20 years previous in 2013. Bellabeat designs and creates wearable expertise that assist girls to simply monitor their total well being and wellness.
Hannah Chappatte
At 21, Hannah Chappatte based Hybr in 2019 to deal with the challenges confronted by first-time renters within the UK. The platform has helped 25,000 college students discover housing and generated €18.4 million in GMV for shoppers. Backed by €4.8 million in funding, together with a €4 million seed spherical, Hybr is reworking the scholar rental expertise.
Caroline Walerud Sweden
Walerud co-founded Volumental in December 2012 when she was 21. Ranging from Ph.D analysis in robotics and pc imaginative and prescient on the Royal Institute of Know-how in Stockholm, Swedish Volumental is disrupting shoe purchasing utilizing pc imaginative and prescient and synthetic intelligence. Their expertise is being utilized by the world’s greatest manufacturers and retailers within the footwear industries to personalize the purchasing expertise and supply nice becoming footwear. An offshoot enterprise, My Very Personal, has additionally tailored its expertise for the eyewear market.
Cian Donovan and Robbie Scott
In 2019, at ages 21 and 23, Cian Donovan and Robbie Scott based Akara Robotics to deal with hospital employees shortages via automation. Their disinfection robotic cleans rooms as much as 20 occasions quicker than human employees and is now deployed in six hospitals globally.
Weronika Czaplewska and Mateusz Masiak
In 2020, Weronika Czaplewska and Mateusz Masiak, aged 22 and 21, based Envirly, a platform for monitoring and managing carbon emissions. Working on a B2B SaaS mannequin, the startup has raised €1.9 million and generates income via subscriptions for its sustainability-focused providers.
Raphael Peralta and Thelma Zablocki
At age 22, Raphael Peralta and Thelma Zablocki based CardiaTec Biosciences in 2021 to innovate in cardiovascular drug discovery. Backed by €1.8 million in funding, the UK-based startup makes use of AI and an unlimited dataset of human coronary heart tissue to advance medication growth.
Pedro Braz
At 23, Pedro Braz launched HelpMeChoose in 2021 to simplify monetary product choice. The bootstrapped platform, recognized for “investingintheweb,” has attracted over 1 million customers by evaluating funding platforms and earns income from partnerships with corporations like Revolut and eToro.
Arnaud Delubac
Arnaud Delubac based Greenly in 2019 at age 23 to assist corporations scale back carbon emissions. With €72.6 million in funding and almost 2,000 shoppers, together with LVMH and TripAdvisor, the Paris-based startup generated €9.6 million in income in 2023 and goals to double it this yr. Greenly’s expertise and local weather consultants information companies towards net-zero objectives.
Hendrik Kramer
In 2019, at age 24, Hendrik Kramer launched Fernride to deal with driver shortages with remote-controlled electrical vans. The startup has raised €57.1 million and works with shoppers like Volkswagen and DB Schenker. Utilizing human teleoperators, Fernride’s strategy boosts logistics effectivity whereas decreasing emissions.
Sioned Jones and Tara O’Driscoll UK
At 24, Sioned Jones and Tara O’Driscoll based Boobybiome in 2019 to help toddler immune well being. Their breast milk-based system complement goals to deal with autoimmune points linked to insufficient breastfeeding and enhance long-term well being outcomes.