Hurun UK Under25s 2026
In association with Alibaba Cloud
SheMed's Chloe Ferro, 25, and Beem's 17-year-old Toby Brown lead the inaugural Hurun UK U25s - Britain's youngest business builders
The Hurun Research Institute today releases the inaugural Hurun UK U25s, the newest and youngest list in the Hurun UK Uth Series, recognising 18 founders aged 25 or under who are already building serious British businesses.
The 2026 U25s in numbers:
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The businesses of the 18 winners are worth a combined US$4.4 billion — including, remarkably, two unicorn founders: SheMed's Chloe Ferro (US$1bn) and Olix's James Dacombe (US$3.3bn)
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Toby Brown, 17, the youngest person ever on a Hurun UK list
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Noah Carlile-Swift was 14 when he co-founded Freckleface from the family kitchen table. Nine of the 18 founded their first businesses as teenagers
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Eight have no university degree, including university dropouts Josh Benaron and Piers Millar
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Four are women: SheMed co-founder Chloe Ferro, Nook co-founder Alice Mackenzie, Structured AI co-founder Isabel Greenslade and Bijoux De Mimi founder Amelia Hitchcock-Merritt
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360 jobs across the list's companies — the biggest employer, Olix, has around 140 people, ahead of Freckleface (around 50) and Epoch Biodesign (45)
[London: 12 November 2026]:
The Under25s joins the established Hurun UK Under30s, Under35s and Under40s, and is designed to be read alongside them: taken together, the four lists of the 2026 Uth Series track over three hundred of the most successful young entrepreneurs, next-generation family-business leaders and senior executives in the country. The U25s shows where that pipeline begins.
The inaugural U25s lands two weeks after Chancellor John Healey's Autumn Budget of 28 October — the so-called 'Founders' Budget' — whose pilot Young Entrepreneurs Allowance in England — a year of support towards living costs for people starting businesses — speaks directly to the cohort this list celebrates.
The lead story: Chloe Ferro, 25, of SheMed — Britain's youngest unicorn founder
Topping the inaugural list is Chloe Ferro, 25, co-founder and President of SheMed, the women's health platform now valued at US$1 billion.
SheMed is a family story. Chloe founded it in April 2024, aged 23, with her older sister Olivia, 26 — now the company's CEO, and herself a 2026 Hurun UK Under30s awardee — after Olivia's decade-long search for a diagnosis showed both sisters how women's health concerns are dismissed. The platform prescribes the leading branded GLP-1 weight-loss medicines with genuine clinical rigour — blood-test-based eligibility rather than self-reported BMI — and in December 2024 began the first-ever female-focused GLP-1 clinical study. The market responded at extraordinary speed: 60,000 members in under a year, and an October 2025 Series A of US$50 million that made SheMed a unicorn within 18 months of founding — and Chloe, at 24, the youngest woman on Hurun's records to found a UK unicorn.
The biggest business: James Dacombe, 25, of Olix — from neurotechnology at 17 to a US$3.3 billion AI-chip company
The largest business on the list belongs to James Dacombe, 25, who founded his first company, the neurotechnology startup CoMind, at 17. His second, Olix, builds AI chips; in August 2026 — only two years after founding — it raised US$312 million at a US$3.3 billion post-money valuation, backed by the UK Sovereign AI Fund among others, making it one of the most valuable young companies in Britain.
The class of 2026: who they are, where they come from
How they started. The co-founder stories are as varied as the businesses. The Ferro sisters built SheMed out of family experience. Freckleface is a mother-and-son venture. All three Structured AI founders — Raymond Zhao, 23, Isabel Greenslade, 23, and Brandon Smith, 25 — came through Oxford's AI and entrepreneurship ecosystem; Smith was scouted at 17 after a YouTube video of his self-trained fighter-jet algorithm went viral, and spent six years building AI tools for US construction firms before spinning out with his team. Jaspar Carmichael-Jack, 25, of Artisan AI, founded his AI-employee company in San Francisco alongside an Oxford astrophysicist. Healf is a brothers' story: Max Clarke, 25, co-founded the premium health-and-wellness retailer in 2020, aged 18 or 19, with his brother Lestat McCree — now a 2026 U30s awardee — and the business has since become Europe's fastest-growing company. And several are solo-founder stories — several sparked by lockdown, including Amelia Hitchcock-Merritt, 25, of Bijoux De Mimi, who started selling colourful earrings from her bedroom at 18 with £400 of savings after her dream internship fell through, encouraged by her boyfriend and later mentored by Trinny Woodall.
Where they are based. Most of the list's companies are London-headquartered; Noah Carlile-Swift's Freckleface flies the flag for Lincolnshire. But note the pull of San Francisco: Toby Brown (Beem) and Jaspar Carmichael-Jack (Artisan AI) both relocated there to raise and scale — the two youngest VC-backed founders on the list now build in California.
University is optional. Only one company on the list — Structured AI — grew directly out of a university friendship group, all three founders Oxford-trained. Amelia Hitchcock-Merritt went to Central Saint Martins. Eight of the 18 winners have no degree, including two university dropouts: Josh Benaron, 24, of Irys, left Surrey after one year of Computer Science to build the data-scaling layer that powered 95% of the Arweave network; and Piers Millar dropped out of the LSE. The other six are Jacob Nathan, 25, of Epoch Biodesign, who skipped university to chase plastic-eating enzymes at 19 and has since raised more than US$33 million; Noah Carlile-Swift, who left mainstream school at 14 with dyslexia and dyspraxia; Toby Brown, who left before his GCSEs; Edward Somner Bogard, 24, of EMJ Exclusive, who was reselling trainers from sixth form at 17; Jaspar Carmichael-Jack, who went straight from Surrey into his first agency; and James Dacombe, who founded CoMind at 17.
Crypto's young guns. Two of the list's most technical founders build blockchain infrastructure: Benaron's Irys (over US$20m raised) and Kristof Gazso, 25, of Pimlico — who co-authored the ERC-4337 account-abstraction standard alongside Ethereum's Vitalik Buterin before founding his company in early 2023, then landed a16z crypto's first-ever investment from its London office.
A note on previous 'U25s'. The U25s is new for 2026 — but Hurun UK has celebrated founders this young before, on the U30s. Ed Beccle was just 23 when he topped the inaugural Hurun UK U30s in 2022, and Piers Millar, 22, was the youngest member of the U30s 2024 — alongside fellow 2024 U30s James Dacombe, Josef Chen and Ivan Tregear, all of whom are still 25 or under today. Had the U25s existed in those years, they would have been on it; this year, they are winners of the inaugural list itself.
Rupert Hoogewerf, Chairman and Chief Researcher of Hurun Report, said:
"What strikes me most is how young they start: nine of the 18 winners were founders while still in their teens, and the businesses on this list are already worth US$4.4 billion between them. Britain keeps asking where its next generation of entrepreneurs will come from — this list is the most complete answer yet assembled, and it should be read alongside the U30s, U35s and U40s as one continuous story."
About the categories. In its inaugural year, the U25s is composed entirely of first-generation founders — at these ages, nobody has yet inherited a family business or risen to run a major company. From the U30s upwards, the Uth Series also recognises NextGen family-business leaders and senior executives.
Methodology. The Hurun UK U25s recognises individuals aged 25 or under at 1 September 2026 who founded (or co-founded) a UK-based business with a social impact and worth US$1m.
Appendix — The stories of the 2026 U25s
Josh Benaron, 24 — Irys (US$20m+ raised). A-levels at Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar, one year of Computer Science at Surrey, then dropped out at 19 to build Bundlr — the layer that ended up powering 95% of all data transactions on the Arweave network. Rebranded as Irys in 2023; a US$10m Series A led by CoinFund followed in August 2025. London-based.
Edward Somner Bogard, 24 — EMJ Exclusive (self-funded). Started reselling trainers at school aged 17; when Covid halted his apprenticeship he scaled from sneakers into a discreet luxury-concierge and lifestyle-management house sourcing watches, jets and yachts for Premier League footballers and UHNW clients who spend between £100,000 and £2 million a year — entirely self-funded.
Toby Brown, 17 — Beem (US$14m valuation). The youngest person on any 2026 Hurun UK list. Left school before his GCSEs and founded Beem — a proactive AI assistant — while still of school age, raising US$1 million from South Park Commons; now based in San Francisco on an O-1A visa.
Noah Carlile-Swift, 22 — Freckleface (£3.6m sales). The youngest founder-at-founding on the list: he was 14 when dyslexia and dyspraxia made school a struggle, his mother Tara began home-schooling him, and a £50 kitchen-table candle project became a business. Freckleface now sells through 900+ stockists, runs five shops, holds an RHS licence and made the 2026 FEBE Growth 100 at a 40% CAGR.
Jaspar Carmichael-Jack, 25 — Artisan AI (US$100m+ valuation; US$21.1m raised). From Surrey; qualifies through his earlier UK ventures, including London-founded Burst Digital and Assist. He founded Artisan in San Francisco in 2023, aged 22, with Oxford astrophysics PhD Rupert Dodkins. A third-time founder, he built Artisan to create AI "employees", starting with sales agent Ava; YC W24; infamous for the "Stop Hiring Humans" billboard campaign that drew 50m impressions — and, he admits, death threats.
Josef Chen, 25 — Kaikaku (acquired by REEF; terms undisclosed). Born and raised in Austria and Warwick-educated, Chen ran a Bitcoin faucet at 13 and made his first exit at 17 before co-founding Kaikaku in 2023. REEF Technology acquired Kaikaku in July 2026; Chen and the core team joined REEF to scale its restaurant robotics and AI.
James Dacombe, 25 — Olix (US$3.3bn valuation). From Harrogate, North Yorkshire; founded the neurotechnology company CoMind at 17, then built Olix — the AI-chip startup that in August 2026 raised US$312 million at a US$3.3 billion post-money valuation, only two years after founding. No university degree.
Chloe Ferro, 25 — SheMed (US$1bn valuation). Founded SheMed in April 2024 with her sister Olivia (CEO, a 2026 U30s awardee), after Olivia's decade-long search for a diagnosis showed both sisters how women's health concerns are dismissed. Blood-test-based eligibility, the first female-focused GLP-1 clinical study, and 60,000 members in under a year made SheMed the UK's fastest-growing GLP-1 programme; a US$50m Series A in October 2025 made it a unicorn within 18 months of founding — and Chloe, at 24, the youngest woman to found a UK unicorn.
Kristof Gazso, 25 — Pimlico (£4.7m raised). Co-authored Ethereum's ERC-4337 account-abstraction standard with Vitalik Buterin and core Ethereum researchers — then founded Pimlico in early 2023, aged 22, to build its reference infrastructure. Backed by 1confirmation and a16z crypto, for whom Pimlico was the first cheque written from the London office.
Isabel Greenslade, 23; Raymond Zhao, 23; Brandon Smith, 25 — Structured AI (US$4.2m raised). Three co-founders, all U25, all Oxford-trained: Zhao (Maths & Stats) built automation at Goldman Sachs and the LSE; Greenslade was the first undergraduate director of Oxford's own VC fund; Smith — a physics master's graduate — was scouted at 17 after his deep-learning fighter-jet video went viral, and spent six years building AI for US construction firms. Their AI reviews engineering drawings against building codes — Y Combinator Fall 2025.
Amelia Hitchcock-Merritt, 25 — Bijoux De Mimi (US$1m+ revenue). Founded at 18 in June 2020 when lockdown cancelled her dream internship: £400 of savings, a Depop shop, and a boyfriend's dare. Grew 1,117% in year one without a penny of outside investment; a 2024 King's Road pop-up drew a 3,000-strong queue. Central Saint Martins-educated; mentored by Trinny Woodall.
Leo Li Yucheng, 24 — SuperIntern / AMMO AI (US$3.5m pre-seed raised). Co-founder and Head of Business Development of SuperIntern, the London AI startup (Houly Ltd) building customisable AI agents for SEO and generative-engine optimisation, customer support and sales — agents that live inside the tools businesses already use. Founded in 2024, the company raised a US$3.5 million pre-seed led by Samsung Next, with Dispersion Capital, Amber Group and Openspace also investing, and counts BNB Chain among its public AI-support clients. UCL-educated.
Alice Mackenzie, 22 — Nook (valuation over US$10m). UK-raised co-founder of Nook, the London hotel-room automation startup valued at more than US$10 million, which she built alongside Piers Millar — who previously co-founded Kaikaku with fellow 2026 U25s winners Josef Chen and Ivan Tregear before its acquisition by REEF Technology in 2026.
Piers Millar, 24 — Nook (over US$10m valuation). At 22, the youngest member of the Hurun UK U30s 2024 — and still only 24. London-raised and an LSE dropout; the idea for Millar's first company came from an unlikely place: during the pandemic he worked at McDonald's, and the relentless repetition of the kitchen line gave him his first inspiration for Kaikaku, the restaurant-robotics company he co-founded with Chen and Tregear. REEF Technology acquired Kaikaku in July 2026. He had already moved on to found Nook, the hotel-room automation startup — guests pre-set lighting, music and room and mattress temperature, with a sleep-tracking, self-changing bed, and a concept room trialling at the Superhero Hotel in San Francisco since August 2026 with a London opening signed — co-founded with fellow 2026 U25s winner Alice Mackenzie and valued at over US$10 million.
Jacob Nathan, 25 — Epoch Biodesign (US$33m+ raised). Skipped university to pursue an independent research project finding microbes that digest plastic; founded Epoch at 19. Now a deep-tech company of 45+ scientists with a London HQ, a demonstration biorecycling plant and backers including Lowercarbon Capital and Inditex's Mundi Ventures.
Ivan Tregear, 25 — Kaikaku (acquired by REEF; terms undisclosed). London-raised and Imperial-educated, Tregear founded a school-age electronics startup and completed a placement at Ocado Technology before going straight from university into co-founding Kaikaku in 2023. REEF Technology acquired Kaikaku in July 2026; Tregear and the core team joined REEF, where he continues to develop restaurant robotics and AI.
About Hurun Inc.
Promoting Entrepreneurship Through Lists and Research
Oxford, Shanghai, Mumbai
Established in the United Kingdom in 1999, Hurun is a research and media group that promotes entrepreneurship through its lists and research. Hurun is the world's largest provider of unicorn and young founders lists, as well as rich lists, valuing around 20,000 businesses and entrepreneurs every year. Hurun's lists generated 8 billion brand views in 2025, mainly in China and India.
Hurun is best known for the Hurun Global Rich List, the Hurun Global Unicorn Index and the Hurun Uth Series — the Under40s, Under35s, Under30s and Under25s — which began in 2017 and today runs across China, India and the UK.
For further information, please contact:
Alexandra Sanne/ Porsha Pan
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Ada Shan, Hurun representative in the UK & Europe
07539018042
Do you know a candidate for the 2027 Hurun UK Under25s? The 2027 list will recognise individuals born after 1 September 2001: FirstGen founders of businesses worth US$1m or more; NextGen leaders managing a family business worth US$2m or more; and Senior Execs (VP or C-suite) at businesses worth US$10m or more. If you know of candidates for the 2027 Hurun UK Uth Series, please contact Alexandra at press@hurun.co.uk.
In Association with Alibaba Cloud
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