Forbes “30 Under 30” for 2022

Inclusion on Forbes Magazine’s renowned “30 Under 30” list is a true accomplishment for any young entrepreneur. This year, another five alumni of WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management made it onto the European list: Philipp Buhr (BSc, 2017) and Jan Hoffmann (BSc, 2017) for their start-up Marta; Moritz Weisbrodt (MSc, 2016) for Alaiko; Stavros Papadopoulos (MSc, 2015) for Lendis; and in this year’s “Finance” category, Bilgin Bilir (BSC, 2014), a vice president at Bank of America, working in the investment banking department for the DACH region. Gabriel Thomalla and Julius Bolz, co-founders of Alaiko and Lendis respectively, were unfortunately ineligible for inclusion, as they were both over the age of thirty by the time the list was compiled.

Marta

Two years ago, two Bonn-natives Philipp Buhr and Jan Hoffmann co-founded Marta, a platform that provides links caregivers with people in need of assistance. The Marta team is available round the clock and immediately finds the right caregivers for the job, cutting out the need for an intermediary agency and eliminating additional charges. The company also thoroughly vets their staff and ensures that they are paid fairly.

Alaiko

Co-founded by Moritz Weisbrodt and Gabriel Thomalla, Alaiko provides storage options and innovative delivery systems to online retailers. The company also aids in the optimization of various processes, including inventory and warehouse management or the automatization of deliveries to help customers save time.

Lendis

Lendis started in 2018 with the business model of renting office furniture to large companies. But then, the pandemic struck. With many offices left unoccupied and remote working rapidly gaining significance, the company had to quickly adapt. It began offering a software infrastructure that allows companies to digitally connect their employees’ workplaces, regardless of location.

With this recognition from Forbes Magazine, these four alumni have joined a group of other successful WHU-affiliated founders who have made the list in the past.