We’re delighted to congratulate current student Katie Kennedy (2024) and alumni Raymond Zhao (2021) and Amaury van Trappen de Buggenoms (2023) on their inclusion in the Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe 2026 list, which recognises outstanding young entrepreneurs, leaders and changemakers across sectors ranging from science and finance to technology, the arts, sports and more.

Candidates are assessed by Forbes staff and an independent panel of expert judges against criteria including funding, revenue, social impact, scale, originality and future potential. All those selected for this year’s list were aged 29 or under on 14 April 2026.

 

Katie Kennedy – Media and Marketing category

Katie Kennedy set out to change the kind of stories being told about the past. While still a student at Lincoln, she was struck by how often the lives of ordinary people were missing from the history she studied, so she turned to social media to share them herself.

Now known as @TheHistoryGossip, Katie has built an audience of more than 800,000 followers and gone on to present two series, History Crush on Sky History and History Yappers for the BBC. She is also the author of The History Gossip: Was Anne of Cleves a Minger? and 365 Other Historical Curiosities, published in both the UK and US.

In 2025, she expanded her work further with the launch of her podcast, The History Diaries, which uses pop culture as a way into stories from the past.

Katie, who is pursuing her MSt in British and European History 1700-1850, said, “I just feel very grateful to be recognised. I suffer a lot from imposter syndrome, I really didn’t think I’d even get into Oxford – but I think coming here and having the support networks around me, especially from Perry Gauci (my dissertation supervisor) are helping me everyday to believe in myself more. So being recognised by Forbes on top of that is a crazy moment for me! I love History so much and presenting it the way I do on social media is my way of making it fun and accessible to people who may not have cared much about the past. And I love learning stuff at Oxford that I’m able to share with the world too!”

 

Raymond Zhao – AI category

Raymond Zhao co-founded Structured AI with Oxford graduate Isabel Greenslade in 2025. The Y-Combinator-backed startup develops software that helps engineers review construction designs more quickly and accurately, automatically flagging errors, safety risks and compliance issues. Zhao and Greenslade, who previously led the University’s venture capital fund together, have raised nearly $5 million to date.

Raymond, who completed an undergraduate degree in Mathematics and Statistics at Lincoln, said, "I'm honoured to be included alongside such a talented group of founders in this year's Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe list. At Structured AI, we're building AI agents that catch construction drawing errors before they reach the field, helping AEC firms mitigate risk and deliver with certainty. My time at Lincoln shaped how I think about complex problems, and that foundation has been vital in building this company. I'm incredibly grateful to the Lincoln community for the support over the years."

 

Amaury van Trappen de Buggenoms – Manufacturing and Industry category

Amaury van Trappen de Buggenoms, who completed an MSc in Energy Systems at Lincoln, co-founded A&B Smart Materials, which is developing biodegradable alternatives to fossil fuel-based plastics. The company is focused on replacing superabsorbent polymers, used in products such as nappies, sanitary items and some agricultural systems to retain liquid, which are typically made from petrochemicals and can persist in the environment for decades. The global market for these materials is projected to reach $17 billion by 2035.

In 2025, the company raised $2 million in a pre-seed funding round supported by investors including Entrepreneurs First, Sake Bosch, Archipelago Ventures and Triple Impact Ventures. Based at the University of Oxford’s Begbroke Science Park, A&B Smart Materials is now gearing up for industrial rollout.