Forbes Names 12 Chinese Entrepreneurs to 2026 30 Under 30 Asia AI List

The annual list highlights founders building AI tools for 3D content, agentic services, and enterprise applications. Twelve Chinese entrepreneurs appear on the 2026 edition.

1 source·May 29, 5:00 PM(23 days ago)·1m read

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Forbes published its 30 Under 30 Asia AI list for 2026 on May 27, naming twelve Chinese entrepreneurs who use artificial intelligence as a primary development tool. Simon Song, 28, founded VAST and developed the Tripo AI platform that converts text and image prompts into 3D objects.

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The service has attracted nearly 10 million individual users and 90,000 studios and companies, including NetEase and Sony. VAST charges corporate clients on a project basis and offers individual subscriptions from $20 to $140 per month. Song plans to launch a TikTok-style platform for sharing user-created 3D content later this year.

Song graduated from Johns Hopkins University in economics and international studies, returned to China in 2019, and worked briefly at SenseTime before co-founding MiniMax and then VAST in 2022. In March, VAST raised $50 million in a Series A round led by Alibaba Group Holding and Hengxu Capital.

Liu Zidong, Yang Mingzhuo, and Zhuang Ziyang founded Shenzhen Sengine Technology in 2023 to create AI models that generate 3D environments from image prompts. Thanapong Somjai started Spacely AI in Bangkok to automate floor-plan conversion and rendering for architects and interior designers.

Nee and Wu Yichen launched Flowith in Shanghai in 2023; the service generates websites, video, and business content using models from Google and Kuaishou. Elena Zhong and Li Wenxuan founded Thetawave AI to convert student notes and recordings into flashcards and quizzes.

Andrew Chen started Mindverse in Hong Kong to operate the Macaron AI assistant that builds personalized tools from user interactions. Jayne Shin founded Vibers in South Korea to automate brand-management tasks such as inventory reconciliation and influencer outreach.