March 9, 2023

Meet Some Of The POC In Tech Selected For Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe

Every year, Forbes spotlights the under-30s blazing a trail in their respective fields.

With the release of the Forbes 30 under 30 Europe list, we’ve rounded up some of the Black and Brown tech founders recognized as powering a digital revolution.

Lethabo Motsoaledi

Co-Founder and CTO, Voyc

Lethabo Motsoaledi a Black woman with long black braids wearing a white top, smiling at the camera
Image Credit: Lethabo Motsoaledi (Crunchbase)

Lethabo Motsoaledi is the co-founder and CTO of Voyc, which uses AI speech analytics software to monitor call center interactions and provide valuable insights. 

Motsoaledi and her co-founder moved their HQ from South Africa to the Netherlands in 2020 to take advantage of the Dutch government’s investment into the startup ecosystem.

Her message to little girls from her home town in Polokwane, South Africa, and small towns everywhere is:

“The glass ceiling is thick – Break through it anyway.

The journey is tedious – Walk it anyway.

The dream seems ridiculous – Dream it anyway.”

Andrew Ologunebi

Co-Founder and CEO, LottieLab

Andrew Ologunebi a Black man wearing a black top and pants speaking at Web Summit
Image Credit: Andrew Ologunebi (LinkedIn)

In 2021, Ologunebi co-founded LottieLab to create a new, next-generation animation tool that could rival the GIF. The London-based startup simplifies and modernizes Lottie animation workflows, democratizing motion design.

Last year, LottieLab secured $4 million in a seed funding round led by Point Nine and already has a growing user waitlist despite spending zero on marketing!

Ali Attar, Mahyad Ghassemibouyaghchi, Saurav Mitra

Co-Founders, SigmaOS

Ali Attar, Mahyad Ghassemibouyaghchi, Saurav Mitra, three Asian men sitting on a sofa, smiling at the camera.
Image Credit: SigmaOS

After being diagnosed with ADHD, Iran-born Mahyad Ghassemibouyaghchi decided to build SigmaOS with co-founders Ali Attar and Saurav Mittra. The web browser is designed to help users focus by organizing all their tabs and workspaces in a single window!

The YC-backed startup reports more than 100,000 app downloads and 10 million tabs created since its launch in 2021.

Ahana Banerjee

Founder and CEO, Clear

Ahana Banerjee - an Asian woman with long black hair, smiling at the camera.
Image Credit: Ahana Banerjee (LinkedIn)

Another YC-backed founder who made this year’s list is Physics graduate Ahana Banerjee, founder of the social skincare app Clear

After struggling with cystic acne, Banerjee created a free mobile app that lets users track and share their skincare routines, buy products, and monitor their progress using selfie analysis!

Clear is currently valued at $15 million, has 9,000 users, and has partnered with more than 2,000 brands.

Murvah Iqbal

Co-Founder and Co-CEO, Hived

Murvah Iqbal an Asian woman with long black hair with blonde tips standing by a Hived electric parcel delivery bike in London.
Image Credit: Hived (Facebook)

Murvah Iqbal co-founded Hived in 2021 to build the first 100% zero-emission parcel delivery network. Powered by electricity and driven by data, Hived aims to transform the delivery industry.

Last year, Hived grew its team of nine to 250 across HQ and drivers, saw 35% MoM revenue growth and now boasts retailers like Asos and Zara among its 100+ clients. 

You can view the full list here.

Samara Linton

Community Manager at POCIT | Co-editor of The Colour of Madness: Mental Health and Race in Technicolour (2022), and co-author of Diane Abbott: The Authorised Biography (2020)