Young Visionaries: Eleven Spaniards Shine in Forbes Europe’s "30 Under 30" List for 2026

Forbes magazine has published its annual "30 Under 30" Europe list for 2026, highlighting young leaders who are exerting a significant influence on the economy, technology, science, and culture. This year, eleven Spaniards have secured a spot in the prestigious ranking.

According to the publication, the young individuals included in the list have collectively raised over $900 million in investments. Their influence also extends into the digital realm, with a combined audience of over 291 million followers. While the average age of participants is 27, the list includes exceptionally young talent—the youngest being just 15 years old.

One of the most prominent Spanish figures is Marta Cardona Alcántara, a 20-year-old athlete who has shown meteoric growth in sailing. She rose from junior competitions to the international elite in just a few seasons. In 2024, alongside Olympic medalist Jordi Xammar, Marta won the World and European Championships in the 470 mixed class. Cardona is now considered one of Spain’s key medal hopes for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

In the "Social Impact" category, 27-year-old oceanographer Elena Martínez Martínez, co-founder of SOS Group, was recognised. Her projects focus on recycling marine waste and combating ocean pollution. Her company has already processed more than 30 million invasive sargassum algae, created jobs for over 160 fishermen, and helped prevent tens of thousands of tons of CO₂ emissions.

Also in this category are 26-year-old entrepreneurs Albert Beltrán and Carlos Fontclara, creators of Balance Phone. This system helps combat smartphone addiction by blocking access to social media, games, and streaming platforms at the operating system level, leaving only basic functions. Over 5,000 people have used the service in the past year.

Additionally, 28-year-old Anna Bilic was noted as the founder of Les Amis, a platform that helps people make new connections in an offline format. Launched in Barcelona in 2022, the project now operates in 10 countries across Europe and the US, facilitating over 500,000 real-world contacts.

In the "Media & Marketing" category, 22-year-old Jorge Brager Cid and 28-year-old Ivan Barraza were featured for developing Roompass, a platform where experts from various fields share knowledge and answer user questions. The service is currently in beta testing with an active waiting list.

Representing the E-commerce sector are 27-year-old Antonio Faya Jiménez and 25-year-old Manuel Andrés Monterrubio Jaime. Their company, Pacerin, focuses on building and scaling brands on Amazon. Started while they were still university students, the project quickly grew into a multi-million dollar business. In 2025, the company was acquired by the Spanish entity Midea Group, ending the year with a turnover of $17 million.

The finance industry is represented by two participants: 29-year-old Daniel Gonçalves, a board member at Exponential Science Capital, who works in venture capital financing DeepTech and Web3 projects; and 24-year-old Juan Dávila, who manages the US expansion of Fleet. Fleet provides businesses with computers and IT equipment via subscription, including setup and maintenance. In just three months, Dávila generated over $1.2 million in revenue, helping Fleet reach a total turnover of $28 million.