How We Make The Forbes 30 Under 30 List

Forbes

15-04-2025

Each year, Forbes finds the top young entrepreneurs, leaders and changemakers for the coveted 30 Under 30 Europe list. To the public, we showcase 300 of the most talented and influential individuals under 30 making waves throughout the continent. Behind the scenes, this process spans months of thorough research, evaluating thousands of candidates and meticulously examining every detail of their achievements.
To kick off the search for the biggest and brightest, we start by calling on list alumni, industry professionals, and the public. Our public nominations portal—which can be found here—brings in, on average, more than 20,000 nominations across our U.S., Asia and Europe lists. Anyone can nominate themselves or a potential candidate. We look at every single one.
Our more than 3,000 European alumni give their insight into who they think is worth the title. Then our reporters reach out to their sources: Venture capitalists tell us who they're investing in, universities recommend their top alumni, founders who've built billion dollar businesses point us to their mentees. Then we put it all in (several) big spreadsheets.
The editors of this list are, in fact, playing hardball. While there's no one-size-fits-all formula for making the Under 30 list, we're looking for scale, impact and potential for success. Since we are Forbes, money matters. Whether that's raising tens of millions from credible investors or doubling your revenue in the past year, we are looking for young people that will move economies. It applies to non-profits, celebrities and social media stars too—are you making an impact? Are you, in some way, shape or form, shaping the economy at large?
We start off with evaluating every candidate and create a shortlist. Then the shortlist gets shorter and even more rigorously assessed. And again.
Finally, we bring in the big guns—each category is judged by four industry leaders who are best positioned to assess its future direction. We're talking experts like Italian billionaire and denim brand Diesel founder Renzo Russo, international pop sensation Sam Smith, Swedish supermodel Elsa Hosk. They score candidates based on a variety of factors, including (but not limited to) funding, revenue, investors, stage, inventiveness and social impact. All finalists go through background checks.
There's no shortcut or surefire way to become the perfect candidate for the Forbes Under 30 list. The one non-negotiable, however, is that all candidates must be aged 29 or under in order to be considered. That's right—no 30 year olds on the Under 30 list.
Here are some of our most frequently asked questions:
No. The Forbes 30 Under 30 list is an editorial project. There are no fees to apply and no one can pay their way to secure a spot on the list. You can apply here.
No. Nominations are simply a way for editors of this list to learn about you. The number of nominations does not matter, but quality does. Give us a strong pitch, just like you would an investor.
If Mark Zuckerberg takes the time to nominate you, we'll certainly be intrigued, but that doesn't shoot you to the top of our radar. Every nomination, whether it comes from Zuck or from yourself, is given the same level of consideration. What matters is what the nomination tells us about you—give us numbers, tell us how you've made an impact and how you plan to scale. And most importantly, explain exactly what you and your company do.
Apply for whatever category you think best fits your business. Our reporters talk to each other and move around candidates from one category to another. (There have been a few instances where two categories have had to debate over who gets to keep the candidate.)
You find out with the rest of the world! No one learns whether or not they've made the list until the day of publication.
It's Forbes policy. It also adds an extra layer of excitement and anticipation to the process.
No. If you've made a previous Europe, U.S. or Asia list, you can not make the list again. However, individuals who have appeared on Under 30 Local lists, as well as Under 30 lists by Forbes licensees (such as Forbes France) are still eligible.