These young Dutch people secure a spot on the Forbes 30 Under 30

With eight Dutch names on the prestigious Forbes 30 Under 30 list, homegrown entrepreneurship is more visible than ever. The Gen Z selection, spread across ten categories from AI to sports and entertainment, stands out particularly this year due to the strong representation of female entrepreneurs. MASTERS lists the Dutch entrepreneurs for you.

The Netherlands has once again proven to be a surprisingly strong player on the world stage. The prestigious Forbes 30 Under 30 list, an annual selection of young talents under 30 who are making a difference worldwide in various sectors, features a striking number of homegrown names this year. These are the Dutch talents who have secured a spot on the list.

Jutta Leerdam

As one of the most visible athletes in winter sports, the 27-year-old skater is listed under Sports & Games. Following her impressive performances at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, she won gold in the 1000 meters, breaking an Olympic record. But that wasn't all: she also took silver in the 500 meters. “Thereby reinforcing her status as one of the most dominant skating stars of her generation,” writes Forbes.

Maurits Jan Westveen (DJ Mau P)

Better known as DJ Mau P, he is listed in the Entertainment category. He is known for worldwide hits. Drugs From Amsterdam en Like I Like ItThe 28-year-old DJ performed an iconic show at Coachella last year.

Julia Veer

Co-founder of skincare company Clay And Glow in the Retail & E-commerce category. The 28-year-old entrepreneur started with a clay mask for her own sensitive skin. This grew into a vegan skincare brand that is now available at major perfumeries in the Netherlands and Belgium.

Marc Broers

Co-founder of fundraising platform FindNFund. The 27-year-old Dutchman is listed in the Social Impact category with a platform that simplifies access to funding for charities. Approximately 100 million dollars in funding is facilitated annually through the platform.

Parya Lotfi

Together with her co-founder, she is listed in the Finance category with DuckDuckGoose AI: software that recognizes deepfakes. The company focuses on securing identity verification and combating synthetic media.

Francisca Bruinsma

What started as a student project at the age of 17 grew into Francisbyfb: a brand for premium leather bags, aimed at a fashion-conscious Gen Z target group. This earns it a well-deserved spot in the Retail & E-commerce category.

Tess Bevers

Founder and CEO of biotech startup Novogaia. The company develops medicines based on fungi, thereby bridging the gap between nature and modern drug development. Based in Silicon Valley and included in the Manufacturing & Industry category.

Nick Nijhof & Bob Verlaat

The founders of Hears put hearing protection on the map for a young target group. Their comfortable earplugs had already achieved $22 million in revenue by 2025. With their clear mission to prevent hearing damage without compromising on comfort, they have earned a place in the Consumer & Technology category.

Jethro Tieman

Jethro Tieman, also a Dutchman, can be found in the Social Impact category. He started FarmBizAfrica at the age of 14. The platform now reaches more than three million farmers monthly, providing access to financing, climate data, and productivity insights.

View the entire list here.