Imperial founders, innovators and alumni shine in Forbes 30 Under 30

The prestigious listing of young entrepreneurs includes 14 innovators from Imperial.

Company founders from Imperial shine in this year’s Forbes 30 Under 30, with 14 individuals from 11 spinout and startup teams named among the best and brightest young entrepreneurs in Europe in 2025.

They include Chloe So and Barna Soma Biro, whose startup PulpaTronics is devising a more sustainable radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag for the retail industry, and Dr Max Munford, founder of OSSTEC, which has developed innovative system of 3D-printed replacement joints.

It’s brilliant to see so many Imperial founders, innovators and alumni recognised in this year’s Forbes 30 Under 30, and further proof of our thriving, dynamic and world-class entrepreneurial ecosystem. Ben Mumby-Croft Imperial Enterprise Lab

Also listed are Robert Huppertz, co-founder of Orbio Earth, which uses satellite imagery and AI to make gathering environmental data easier, and Rima Suppan, co-founder of the premium nappy company Peachies.

“It’s absolutely brilliant to see so many Imperial founders, innovators and alumni recognised in this year’s Forbes 30 Under 30, and proof, if further proof were needed, of Imperial’s thriving, dynamic and world-class entrepreneurial ecosystem,” said Ben Mumby-Croft, Director of Entrepreneurship, Imperial Enterprise Lab.

To build its lists, Forbes magazine collects nominations from Under 30 alumni and the public, conducts its own research and gathers insight from a panel of independent judges. “The result: 300 young leaders steering the future of Europe, harnessing a moment of global uncertainty to build the future’s next great companies,” the magazine says.

Manufacturing and industry

“This stamp of approval will propel us to work even harder to accelerate our innovation from R&D into commercialisation,” said Chloe So of PulpaTronics. 

She and co-founder Barna Soma Biro came up with the idea for a recyclable RFID tag during a group project for the Master’s in Innovation Design Engineering at Imperial and the Royal College of Art. Together with two course mates they entered the 2023 Venture Catalyst Challenge, Imperial’s flagship entrepreneurial competition, winning one of its tracks, and The Greenhouse, Undaunted’s climate accelerator.

PulpaTronics has since raised substantial pre-seed funding to launch pilot studies with leading retail and packaging companies and secured a prestigious H&M Global Change Award.

“Imperial’s entrepreneurial ecosystem has been a constant guide and support in helping us turn our idea into reality, so it’s no surprise that many other Imperial startup founders who we know from the community are on the Forbes list as well,” Ms So said. “It’s not easy to start any business, let alone start something straight from university, so Imperial is doing something right."

Keeping the PulpaTronics co-founders company in the Manufacturing and Industry category of the 30 Under 30 are three other teams with roots at Imperial.

Ivan Tregear and Josef Chen were both Master’s students at Imperial when they co-founded Kaikaku with Piers Millar. The company is deploying robotics and artificial intelligence to carry out repetitive tasks in restaurant kitchens.

Dr Daniel Wigh completed a Master’s degree in chemical engineering at Imperial and a PhD at the University of Cambridge before co-founding ReactWise. The company has built an artificial intelligence ‘co-pilot’ for chemical process optimisation in the pharmaceutical, chemical manufacturing and biotech industries.

And Cassian Cockings set up additive manufacturing company HenleyPrint3D in parallel with his Master’s degree in mechanical engineering at Imperial. It has produced over 170,000 parts for clients including Rolls-Royce, the BBC, Porsche, Volvo and CERN.

Science and Healthcare

“Being selected on this year’s Forbes 30 under 30 list was a complete surprise,” said Dr Munford, founder and Chief Executive of OSSTEC. “It is rare in the world of science and healthcare to be recognised on a generalist platform and I am grateful to have our dedicated team’s impactful work recognised by such a broad global community.”

OSSTEC was founded in 2021 from a PhD student project in the Department of Mechanical Engineering on how 3D printing could be used in surgery.

Dr Munford developed the company through the Venture Catalyst Challenge, the MedTech SuperConnector and other support provided by the Enterprise Lab. Earlier this year the company raised a £2.5 million in investment to seek regulatory approval for its innovative joint replacements in the US, while beginning a first clinical trial in the UK.

Imperial’s representation in 30 under 30 “reflects our diverse community and interconnected ecosystem which brings people together to build innovation,” Dr Munford said.

He is joined in Forbes’ Science and Healthcare category by Celestin de Wergifosse, co-founder and Chief Executive of Signatur Biosciences, an Imperial spinout specialising in DNA-based precision diagnostics for conditions such as breast cancer. “This is such a strong recognition for the work we’re doing with Signatur Biosciences and our mission to make precision diagnostics accessible to women around the world,” he said.

Mr de Wergifosse set up the company with Dr John Goertz and Professor Molly Stevens, after completing a postgraduate degree in Professor Stevens’ group at Imperial. This year the company completed a $7 million (£5.2 million) seed round to further develop its first product, a kit that allows hospitals and clinical labs to run high-quality breast cancer prognostic testing.

Social impact

“Being featured in the Forbes 30 Under 30 is an incredible validation of our attempt at Orbio Earth to solve one of the lowest hanging fruits in climate change mitigation: methane emissions in oil and gas,” said Robert Huppertz, who is listed in the Social Impact category.

He and co-founder Jack Angela met on the environmental technology Master’s programme at Imperial. “The Enterprise Lab, our course director Mike Tennant and the amazing support network around Imperial provided us with the important beginners’ nudge to stop hesitating and just giving it a shot,” he said. “It ended up being many shots, but it was worth it all the way.”

In March last year, Orbio Earth raised $4 million (£3 million) in seed funding to further refine its system for monitoring methane emissions from the oil and gas industry around the world, data that can then be used to help companies manage and reduce their environmental impact.

Also listed in the Social Impact category are Dr Hans Hon Sang Chan and Dr Martin Holicky, co-founders of Matoha, which makes AI-powered infrared spectrometers able to identify waste materials such as plastics and textiles ahead of recycling.

The pair met as chemistry students at Imperial, where the idea for the company won the Faculty of Natural Sciences Make-A-Difference competition in 2017.

Retail and finance

“When we started Peachies, we didn’t have a roadmap, just a lot of gut instinct, resilience and an obsession with solving a real problem for parents,” said co-founder Rima Suppan, who is listed in the Retail and Ecommerce category.

“Fast forward, and we’re on track to sell over ten million nappies in our second year. This recognition feels like a celebration of the entire journey: the sweat, the tears, the fun, the joy and all the pinch-me moments along the way, with Forbes being one of them.”

Ms Suppan met co-founder Morgan Mixon at Imperial Business School, Ms Suppan on a Master’s programme for innovation, entrepreneurship and management, Ms Mixon studying for an MBA. “Peachies was quite literally born at Imperial,” said Ms Suppan. “The entrepreneurial ecosystem gave us the space to dream big, test ideas and fail fast, an approach that still shapes how we build Peachies today.”

Beyond the practical support, it was the vibrant community of founders, advisors and peers that made the real difference. “I’m still guided by the lessons I learned there: surround yourself with brilliant people who can help you find answers quickly, trust your instincts and keep going, even when others doubt you. Your instincts will carry you further than you think.”

Two further alumni of the MSc in innovation, entrepreneurship and management appear in this year’s 30 Under 30. After graduating, Sophia Lan went on to create the startup Mi Remedy and the WInvest Collective, a female-driven investment platform and online community aimed at teaching women financial literacy and how to achieve financial goals. She appears in the Finance category.

And Wenjun Xiang owns and operates three locations across London selling northern Chinese style dumplings and noodles, which she built from the age of 17 when she began selling handmade frozen dumplings online. She appears in the Art and Culture category.

Finally, Max Cao appears on the US Forbes 30 Under 30 list, in the Manufacturing and Industry category. After completing a Master’s degree in mechanical engineering at Imperial he went to the USA to work on robotics at the University of California, Berkeley AI Research Laboratory. Together with colleagues Lars Berscheid and Yahav Avigal he co-founded Jacobi Robotics, which builds software that makes robot arms faster and easier to program.

This article was updated on 18 and 27 June to include further Forbes 30 Under 30 winners with a connection to Imperial.