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One of the great pleasures of editing the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for the past 4.5 years has been learning about companies with zany solutions to the world’s most pressing problems. When I review submissions, I’ll brew myself a strong cup of coffee, open my computer, and often truly chuckle. Though many are ridiculous (and ineffective), the ones that make the Under 30 lists continue to delight in this time of—very hot—darkness.
A few weeks ago, I wrote a small magazine story about some of the wackiest honorees I’ve encountered: the upcyclers. These founders, all still under 30, are tackling climate change by turning trash into energy and clothing. Take ICTYOS, which collects discarded fish skins from sushi restaurants in Lyon, France, and transforms them into luxe leather that can be made into belts, jackets and purses. Another favorite: Brooklyn-based Algiknit, whose Helmut Lang-trained founder spools seaweed into yarn–with $18 million in funding.
Read the full story below. Maybe you’ll laugh into your caffeinated drink, too :).
Golf Tournaments, A Private Jet And A Red Ferrari: A Tech CEO Lived Large While His Employees Went Unpaid
A Forbes investigation found that Chris Kirchner, of the $240 million Goldman Sachs-backed startup Slync.io, fired executives after they asked questions about the company’s funds. Now, he’s facing a lawsuit for wrongful termination and claims of “fraudulent behavior.”
ClassDojo, founded by Under 30s, is on a $125 million mission to bring kids to the metaverse. The company says software made by its 30-person team is used by 95% of U.S. schools and has a $1.25 billion valuation. Seems like they did their homework. (Forbes)
The Seattle Mariners are actually winning. Meet the woman who is working to turn the hot streak into bigger profits, starting with her Bon Jovi karaoke selection. (Forbes)
These guys built Gordian, a company that upsells airline customers on seats, baggage and boarding, by cold calling airlines. And they’ve raised $33 million to bring it to cruising altitude. (Forbes)
A few weeks ago I wrote about female founders from the ‘girlboss’ heyday, and the movement’s shadow on women entrepreneurs. This is a profile of Wing founder Audrey Gelman, who had raised $167 million for her members-only women’s coworking club, and shuttered the company in the pandemic Now she’s running an antique store in Brooklyn’s Cobble Hill neighborhood. (Vanity Fair)
Ah, continuing to define office culture sans the office–at this stage, it’s permanent and involves Ted Lasso Zoom dressup. (Forbes)
With $2 trillion in recent crypto losses, what is the richest NFT artist Beeple doing? A lot of things–none of which involve regret. (New York)
General Catalyst, backer of Under 30 heavy hitter companies like Airbnb, Cadre and Canva, launched a $670 million healthcare fund. (Forbes)
In news you can use, here’s how to recognize the physical symptoms of burnout. (New York Times)
An important read to combat this news cycle: A happiness columnist’s three rules for happiness. (The Atlantic)
Despite a drawdown in venture capital spending, the livestream shopping platform Whatnot—popular for sports cards, rare toys and other collectibles—has raised $260 million in fresh funding. (Forbes)
Repurposing animals, vegetables and minerals with the Forbes 30 Under 30, in 30 words or less.
Calling mermaids: Tessa Callaghan is turning algae into clothing.
Tessa Callaghan, 29 Cofounder, Aligknit Callaghan’s Brooklyn-based business spins seaweed into yarn, which is less polluting than traditional textile production. She has raised nearly $18 million from venture capitalists and Dutch incubator Fashion for Good.
Rubén Escudero, 27; Maria Jara Perea, 23; Iñigo Monreal, 24
Olive oil: tasty! And convertible to biogas. These Spaniards, with patent-pending tech and $170,000 in grants (they’re pitching VCs) are opening a plant to turn discarded olive oil into fuel.
Cotton sheets gave this former SoulCycle product manager night sweats and acne, so she designed skin-soothing eucalyptus- ber bedding. A queen set costs $185; 2021 revenue was $2.6 million.
When the invasion of Ukraine began in February, Easton LaChappelle was immediately trying to find out how he could help out casualties of the war. As the CEO of Unlimited Tomorrow, a next generation New York-based prosthetics company that uses 3D printing and scanning technology to make custom and affordable prosthetics, LaChappelle was looking for ways to get his tech on the ground in Ukraine. "I saw what was going on. There was a high number of casualties for them that were causing amputations. We started seeing these news stories about these individual people. And I think that resonates with all of us and we all want to do something about that," says LaChappelle, who made the 30 Under 30 Healthcare list in 2021.
His goal is to raise $1 million dollars through a GoFundMe campaign and provide the prosthetics to at least 100 Ukrainian citizens who have suffered injuries. In trying to achieve this milestone, LaChappelle is working with Singularity Group, a company that focuses on using emerging technologies to solve the world’s biggest social problems. With their global network and LaChappelle’s quick and affordable means of manufacturing bionic arms, the two companies were able to navigate the logistics of getting prosthetics to war victims in a span of about two months.
Currently, Unlimited Tomorrow is taking its streamlined process for producing prosthetics to hospitals in Ukraine. “We have a scanner in a hospital in Lviv. We train the medical staff in about two minutes and how to 3D Scan. We get those scans instantly to our back end database,” says LaChappelle, who relies on Singularity’s network in nearby Warsaw and a network of Ukraine-based drivers to get his prosthetics delivered to those in need.
While traditional manufacturing methods for prosthetics involve making molds, requiring patients to leave their home and wait anywhere from two to six months to receive the prosthetic limb, Unlimited Tomorrow is able to deliver an individual a prosthetic in four to eight weeks. As the war rages on, LaChappelle is confident that he can continue to help those in need. “It's just going to continue to take coordination, partnership and assistance from local governments, healthcare systems, partners, like Singularity Group and boots on the ground,” he said.
BRYAN VAN DER BEEK/THE FORBES COLLECTION
Facebook Billionaire Eduardo Saverin’s B Capital Raises $250 Million For Its Early Stage VC Fund
B Capital’s latest fund comes amid a slump in deals globally, with venture capital-led investments in startups around the world dropping 23% in the second quarter of 2022 compared to the previous three months, according to CB Insights.
Still Open: Forbes Under 30 2023 Nominations