Despite global uncertainty—trade wars, the war in Ukraine, and the AI revolution—Europe’s top young talents are building bold ventures across tech, entertainment, retail, and health. The class of 2025 proves that invention thrives even amid disruption, according to Forbes.
🚀 Key Entrepreneurs & Companies
- Fabian Kamberi, 25: Founder of Slay, creator of the hit game Pengu with 10M+ users.
→ Backed by Accel, Scooter Braun, Harry Stebbings ($20M raised).
→ Also launched frfr, an AI social voice app using celebrity tones. - Felicia von Reden, 29: Cofounder of Ovom Care, a fertility clinic using AI to optimize IVF.
→ Raised $8M at a $22M valuation. Helped 350+ women since 2024. - Flore Lestrade (26), Tristan François (26), Christian Kotait (25): Founders of Veeton, using AI-generated fashion models to revolutionize e-commerce and reduce costs.
- Frederic Boesel & Jonas Muller: Founders of Black Forest Labs, creators of Flux, a text-to-image AI engine.
→ Raised $31M from Andreessen Horowitz. Partnering with Deutsche Telekom for AI-generated marketing.
Entertainment Stars
- Ella Purnell, 28: Known for Fallout and Yellowjackets.
- India Amarteifio, 23: Star of Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story on Netflix.
- David Cánovas Martínez “TheGrefg”, 27: Spanish gaming creator with 48M+ subscribers across platforms.
- Tamanna Kaur, 24: Lifestyle creator with 3M+ followers and 71M+ views, focused on women’s empowerment.
- Frankie Corio, 14: Youngest on the list; actress in Aftersun and Bagman.
By The Numbers
- Total Funding Raised:
🔹 $800 million+
(Down from $1 billion+ in 2024) - Average Age:
🔹 27 years old
(Same as 2024)
🔹 Youngest honoree: Frankie Corio, 14 - Gender Breakdown:
🔹 40% female (↑ from 37% in 2024 and 33% in 2023)
🔹 58% male
🔹 1%+ non-binary
Gender parity hits an all-time high - Self-Identified as Person of Color:
🔹 26% (↑ from 23% last year) - Gen Z Representation (Born 1997 or later):
🔹 44% of the list - (Co)Founders:
🔹 70% are founders or cofounders
🔹 Remaining honorees include creators, athletes, actors, musicians - Top Cities Represented: London, Berlin, Paris, Munich, Helsinki
- Social Media Influence:
🔹 Top 24 listers combine for 170 million+ followers
🔹 Most used platforms:- TikTok
- YouTube
- Twitch
Selection Process
- Over 10,000 candidates reviewed
- Evaluated on impact, financial performance, creativity
- Judged by top industry leaders including:
→ Sam Smith (musician)
→ Saruul Krause-Jentsch (Spotify head of podcasts, Central Europe)
→ Stella Jean (fashion designer)
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