Forbes Announces 2026 '30 Under 30 Asia' Honorees
Forbes announced the 11th annual '30 Under 30 Asia' list on May 28, recognizing 300 young entrepreneurs, artists, and athletes under 30 from the Asia-Pacific region. Japan produced 32 honorees.
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Forbes announced the 11th annual '30 Under 30 Asia' list on May 28.
This list highlights young entrepreneurs, artists, and athletes under the age of 30 from the Asia-Pacific region who are driving positive change and innovation worldwide. It selects 30 honorees from each of 10 categories, including Technology, Finance, Healthcare, Art, Entertainment, and Sports, for a total of 300 honorees.
This year's list includes tennis player Alexandra Eala, K-POP groups (i-dle), CORTIS, and NMIXX, as well as Guo Renjie of JoyIn Technology (China), which manufactures companion robots for the elderly and children and aims to expand overseas, and Aniket Shah, Ujjwal Sukheja, and Saran S. of Swish (India), which promises to deliver freshly made food within 10 minutes and is valued at $139 million.
From entrepreneurs pioneering in robotics and AI to investors, artists, athletes, and scientists, the individuals selected for this year's '30 Under 30 Asia' list are pushing boundaries across all industries.
The 2026 '30 Under 30 Asia' list was selected from approximately 4,000 nominations, evaluated by a team of Forbes Asia reporters and editors across the region and reviewed by advisory boards in various fields, including alumni of the '30 Under 30' program.
Final tallies show participation from 18 countries and territories in the Asia-Pacific region. India led with 78 honorees, followed by China with 46, Australia with 38, and Japan with 32. Indonesia, Singapore, and South Korea each had 18 honorees. About a quarter of the honorees are women, and the average age is 26. This year's honorees have raised a total of $1 billion from the region's most capable investors, making a significant impact.
The full list of Forbes' '30 Under 30 Asia' (2026 edition) is available here.
Forbes JAPAN is also scheduled to announce the Japanese edition of '30 Under 30' in August this year.
Selected Japan-based and Japanese Honorees (32 individuals)
[Entertainment & Sports]
Shigekix (Shigeyuki Nakarai): Breakdancer
Tokito Oda: Wheelchair Tennis Player
Yoko Yamanaka: Film Director
Yoshinobu Yamamoto: Baseball Player (Los Angeles Dodgers)
Yuto Horigome: Skateboarder
[Social Media, Marketing & Advertising]
Ibuki: QReation
Sushi Ramen "Riku": Individual YouTuber
Shido Kayako: Utaite
ISSEI: Video Creator
[The Arts (Art & Style, Food & Drink)]
Riku Matsui, Kohei Yamada: Awase gallery
Shin Obinata, Soya Eguchi: Sekisai
Kei Iwata: Poet
HIMARI: Violinist
[AI]
Zhang Xin: AI Mage
Kyotaro Takahashi: LobbyAI
Nonoka Taniguchi: Polimill
[Consumer Technology]
Yuki Noro: Akari
Kito Nohara: Fondi
Kei Omura, Ai Tagami: Mairu Tech
Eitaro Hiraishi: Sally
Shota Maeda, Sena Isaka: Shou Giken Kogyo
[Finance & Venture Capital]
Yasuaki Miyajima: Blackstone
Yuka Kawada: Headline Asia
[Healthcare & Science]
Hikari Okita: Tokyo Institute of Science
Yo Nakahara, Reitaro Nomura, Shaoang Ma: medimo
[Industry, Manufacturing & Energy]
Takumi Yamaguchi: AirKamuy
Shunsuke Sano: Cai Foods
Yuki Ichikawa: HarvestX
[Retail & Ecommerce]
Eriyasu Hotta: Anatae
Kodai Takahashi: THE RICH
[Social Impact]
Umi Hashizume: Booon
Mai Yamada: My Fit
*Japanese honoree names are based on the notation used in the Forbes Asia announcement. Japanese names are listed where confirmed.
What is '30 Under 30'?
'30 Under 30' is a global project by Forbes, an economic magazine that publishes 44 local editions in 77 countries. It was launched in the United States in 2011 as an award to select young innovators who are transforming the world. In Japan, it started in 2018 and will be in its 8th year. Regional editions have also been created for North America, Europe, Africa, and Asia, and the program has produced thousands of honorees worldwide. Past honorees include Mark Zuckerberg and Rihanna.
About Forbes JAPAN (https://forbesjapan.com/)
Forbes JAPAN was launched in June 2014 as the Japanese edition of Forbes. It curates articles from the US edition and other international editions of Forbes for readers with a global perspective, alongside original Japanese articles. Each issue includes lifestyle articles, providing readers with both professional and personal information. Its web version, forbesjapan.com, curates a wide variety of articles daily from Forbes.com, combined with original articles from the magazine and expert official columnists, delivering compelling content every day.
This list highlights young entrepreneurs, artists, and athletes under the age of 30 from the Asia-Pacific region who are driving positive change and innovation worldwide. It selects 30 honorees from each of 10 categories, including Technology, Finance, Healthcare, Art, Entertainment, and Sports, for a total of 300 honorees.
This year's list includes tennis player Alexandra Eala, K-POP groups (i-dle), CORTIS, and NMIXX, as well as Guo Renjie of JoyIn Technology (China), which manufactures companion robots for the elderly and children and aims to expand overseas, and Aniket Shah, Ujjwal Sukheja, and Saran S. of Swish (India), which promises to deliver freshly made food within 10 minutes and is valued at $139 million.
From entrepreneurs pioneering in robotics and AI to investors, artists, athletes, and scientists, the individuals selected for this year's '30 Under 30 Asia' list are pushing boundaries across all industries.
The 2026 '30 Under 30 Asia' list was selected from approximately 4,000 nominations, evaluated by a team of Forbes Asia reporters and editors across the region and reviewed by advisory boards in various fields, including alumni of the '30 Under 30' program.
Final tallies show participation from 18 countries and territories in the Asia-Pacific region. India led with 78 honorees, followed by China with 46, Australia with 38, and Japan with 32. Indonesia, Singapore, and South Korea each had 18 honorees. About a quarter of the honorees are women, and the average age is 26. This year's honorees have raised a total of $1 billion from the region's most capable investors, making a significant impact.
The full list of Forbes' '30 Under 30 Asia' (2026 edition) is available here.
Forbes JAPAN is also scheduled to announce the Japanese edition of '30 Under 30' in August this year.
Selected Japan-based and Japanese Honorees (32 individuals)
[Entertainment & Sports]
Shigekix (Shigeyuki Nakarai): Breakdancer
Tokito Oda: Wheelchair Tennis Player
Yoko Yamanaka: Film Director
Yoshinobu Yamamoto: Baseball Player (Los Angeles Dodgers)
Yuto Horigome: Skateboarder
[Social Media, Marketing & Advertising]
Ibuki: QReation
Sushi Ramen "Riku": Individual YouTuber
Shido Kayako: Utaite
ISSEI: Video Creator
[The Arts (Art & Style, Food & Drink)]
Riku Matsui, Kohei Yamada: Awase gallery
Shin Obinata, Soya Eguchi: Sekisai
Kei Iwata: Poet
HIMARI: Violinist
[AI]
Zhang Xin: AI Mage
Kyotaro Takahashi: LobbyAI
Nonoka Taniguchi: Polimill
[Consumer Technology]
Yuki Noro: Akari
Kito Nohara: Fondi
Kei Omura, Ai Tagami: Mairu Tech
Eitaro Hiraishi: Sally
Shota Maeda, Sena Isaka: Shou Giken Kogyo
[Finance & Venture Capital]
Yasuaki Miyajima: Blackstone
Yuka Kawada: Headline Asia
[Healthcare & Science]
Hikari Okita: Tokyo Institute of Science
Yo Nakahara, Reitaro Nomura, Shaoang Ma: medimo
[Industry, Manufacturing & Energy]
Takumi Yamaguchi: AirKamuy
Shunsuke Sano: Cai Foods
Yuki Ichikawa: HarvestX
[Retail & Ecommerce]
Eriyasu Hotta: Anatae
Kodai Takahashi: THE RICH
[Social Impact]
Umi Hashizume: Booon
Mai Yamada: My Fit
*Japanese honoree names are based on the notation used in the Forbes Asia announcement. Japanese names are listed where confirmed.
What is '30 Under 30'?
'30 Under 30' is a global project by Forbes, an economic magazine that publishes 44 local editions in 77 countries. It was launched in the United States in 2011 as an award to select young innovators who are transforming the world. In Japan, it started in 2018 and will be in its 8th year. Regional editions have also been created for North America, Europe, Africa, and Asia, and the program has produced thousands of honorees worldwide. Past honorees include Mark Zuckerberg and Rihanna.
About Forbes JAPAN (https://forbesjapan.com/)
Forbes JAPAN was launched in June 2014 as the Japanese edition of Forbes. It curates articles from the US edition and other international editions of Forbes for readers with a global perspective, alongside original Japanese articles. Each issue includes lifestyle articles, providing readers with both professional and personal information. Its web version, forbesjapan.com, curates a wide variety of articles daily from Forbes.com, combined with original articles from the magazine and expert official columnists, delivering compelling content every day.
FAQ
What are the selection criteria for '30 Under 30 Asia'?
It is selected through evaluation by Forbes Asia's team of reporters and editors and reviewed by advisory boards.
Which categories have many Japanese honorees?
Honorees come from a wide range of categories, including Entertainment & Sports and AI.
What is the purpose of this list?
To recognize young people who are bringing positive change to the world and driving innovation.