Meet our young #HKUAlumni and HKU community members featured in the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia 2026! Big congratulations to our remarkable young leaders, who are not only making waves in their respective fields but also a testament to the diverse and innovative talents we have at HKU.
[AI Category]
Andrew Chen Baian 陳柏安 BEng(EngSc) 2015 exchange student
Founder, Mindverse
“Founded by Andrew Chen in 2023, Mindverse operates the Macaron AI digital assistant service. Powered by algorithm from the company’s Mind Lab, the AI agent can learn from its interactions with users to understand their preferences. It can then help to create personalized tools, such as a baby meal planner or a digital outfit assistant. Mindverse has raised over $20 million from investors, including Ant Group, HSG (formerly Sequoia China) and ZhenFund.”
[Finance & Venture Capital Category]
Serena Lee Ching Yee 李清怡 BSocSc 2020
Head of Strategic Partnerships and Growth, Social Impact Investment Foundation (SIIF – UN)
“Serena Lee is the Hong Kong-based head of strategic partnerships and growth at the Social Impact Investment Foundation, which invests in startups that develop sustainable technologies to support the United Nations’ climate and sustainability goals. She joined SIIF-UN, which was cofounded by former UN Under-Secretary General Jan Mattsson, in February last year and has since worked with the United Nations Development Programme to help deploy more than $20 million into startups in the Asia-Pacific region, including carbon-offsetting bamboo farm operator Bamboo Nexus and clean hydrogen energy materials developer Synxia Advanced Materials.”
[Finance & Venture Capital Category]
Jimmy Ng Ka Wing 吳家榮 BBA(IBGM) 2018
Senior Director, Gobi Partners
“Based in Hong Kong, Jimmy Ng is a senior director at Gobi Partners, an Asian venture capital firm that has backed the likes of Airwallex and WeLab. Ng joined the firm in 2022 and quickly rose up the ranks, earning two promotions within three and a half years. He has invested more than $30 million into a dozen startups in Hong Kong and mainland China, including the seed round for contactless health monitoring developer PanopticAI, cofounded by 30 Under 30 Asia alums Kyle Wong and Teric Chan, and construction management company isBIM, which made the 100 to Watch list in 2024. Ng is on the boards of PanopticAI, isBIM and ride-sharing app RushOwl.”
[Industry, Manufacturing & Energy Category]
Aaron Qin Youming 秦祐銘 PhD 2023
Co-founder, Manifold Tech
“Qin Youming cofounded Shenzhen-based Manifold Tech in 2022. The spatial intelligence startup develops hardware and modules that scan and gather 3D data, which can be used to train AI models, create digital twins of factories or digitally reconstruct heritage sites. Manifold Tech has raised an undisclosed amount from investors including MPCi, Gobi China and ZhenFund.”
[Industry, Manufacturing & Energy Category]
Wei Dehao 位德浩 Current PhD Candidate
Co-founder, Shenzhen Interstellar Lightyear Technology
“Cofounded by Wei Dehao in 2024, Interstellar Lightyear Technology is a Shenzhen-based startup developing dexterous robotic hands. The company’s flagship product, Pantheon, is a lightweight, five-fingered robot hand priced at 79,800 yuan ($12,000). Designed to mimic human hand movements, it can grasp objects weighing up to 30 kilograms. Interstellar Lightyear has raised an undisclosed amount from nearly a dozen investors, including FreeS Fund, Puhua Capital and Leaguer Ventures. Wei holds a master’s in robotics from China’s Tsinghua University.”
[Social Impact Category]
Anson Wong Ngo Ting 黃鏊霆 BBA(Acc&Fin) 2021
Co-founder, Eat100
“Three years ago, Anson Wong was at a Hong Kong café one evening when he noticed unsold baked goods being tossed into the garbage bin. That prompted him to quit his job as a securities trader and pivot to addressing the problem of food waste, which accounts for almost 30% of the city’s solid trash, according to the Hong Kong government. Together with childhood pal Jerry Lo, an Imperial College London grad, he cofounded for-profit social enterprise Eat100 in 2023. Its app offers surplus restaurant food packed in ‘surprise bags’ at discounted prices–up to 70% off as the diner’s closing time nears. It had more than 20 restaurants and over 10,000 users on board as of mid-April. The app collects a 10% commission from vendors on every sale and turned profitable late last year, says Wong. The cofounders now plan to include farmers on the app to sell produce that would otherwise be discarded.”
[Social Impact Category]
Paras Kalura MBA 2022
Chief Operating Officer, Migrasia Global Solutions
“Paras Kalura is COO of Migrasia Global Solutions, a Hong Kong-registered charity combating forced labor across Asia. Founded in 2018, Migrasia claims to have recovered about HK$280 million ($35 million) on behalf of migrant workers in cancellation of illegal debts, agency fee refunds and labor tribunal recoveries. Since joining Migrasia in 2022, Kalura has overseen tech developments at the charity, such as PoBot, an AI-driven chatbot for migrant workers needing support on legal, educational and mental health issues. Kalura studied mechanical engineering at India’s UPES and has an M.B.A. from the University of Hong Kong.”
[Healthcare & Science Category]
Dr Liu Zhengwu 劉正午 Research Assistant Professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering
“A research assistant professor at the University of Hong Kong, Liu Zhengwu is working on brain-computer interface technologies. His research into how to decode and monitor brain signals might lead to the next generation of brain implants that allow people to control external devices through their minds. Liu has published in Nature Communications, Nature Electronics and Science Advances, receiving more than 1,700 citations. He earned a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from China’s Tsinghua University.”
[The Arts Category]
Cusson Cheng 鄭家醇 BA 2018
Co-founder, Podium Gallery
“In 2024, Cusson Cheng cofounded Podium, a contemporary art gallery in Hong Kong, with former gallerist Charlotte Lin (over 30). Podium has held more than 10 exhibits focusing on women and LGBTQ+ artists. The young curator graduated with a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Hong Kong, where he pursued a double major in comparative literature and sociology with a minor in Buddhist studies.”
