Discover the Visionaries Behind Today’s Trailblazing Startup Investors!
Meet the Trailblazing Venture Capitalists Shaping Tomorrow’s Tech Landscape
By a team of experts in the field
When Molly Mielke, a film student turned graphic designer, took the leap into the world of venture capital by launching her firm, Moth Fund, in 2021, some people raised an eyebrow. “I definitely don’t fit the typical VC mold,” Mielke, only 24, remarked. Yet she carved out a niche for herself, passionately helping tech startups tell their unique stories from the ground up.
Her dedication has yielded impressive results. Backed by heavyweight investors like billionaire Marc Andreessen and Coinbase cofounder Fred Ehrsam, Mielke has successfully raised $6 million for her debut fund. She’s already made a splash by investing in 36 startups, including electric scooter innovator Infinite Machine and the cutting-edge robot dishwasher company, Armstrong, writing checks as hefty as $250,000. And the buzz is that she’s gearing up to launch her second fund soon!
Image by Tim Tadder
While Molly’s story is compelling, she’s just one of many young investors shaking up the game! The 30 Under 30 list in Venture Capital for 2025 shimmers with bright new stars who are not just writing checks—they’re revolutionizing the way venture capital operates. This year’s honorees, chosen by a panel of industry veterans, are ardently supporting the next wave of innovative tech companies.
Venture capitalists are traditionally recognized for their financial backing, but many from this year’s Under 30 cohort take a much more hands-on approach. Michelle Aguinis, just 29, spearheads strategy at Menlo Labs, a startup studio inside Menlo Ventures, where she’s launched eight companies, including the innovative Squint.ai. Meanwhile, at Neo, 26-year-old Emily Cohen leads a three-month program designed to nurture 20 early-stage startups each year. And let’s not forget Greylock partner Corinne Riley, 29, who’s also driving a similar initiative at her renowned firm.
At Bain Capital Ventures, 28-year-old Rak Garg has taken the lead on BCV Labs, an AI-focused accelerator that has birthed six startups, including Contextual AI, which enhances large language model applications, and Prophet Security, which develops AI security solutions. Young innovators like Talia Askowitz, 26, George Easley, 29, and Emily Zhen, 28, are also pioneers in their own right, incubating new ventures that are set to make waves.
Mark Xu, a mere 24, founded a student startup incubator while studying at Harvard. A true renaissance man, he has traversed the realms of violin studies at Juilliard to drug discovery—and even spent time at both a hedge fund and a blockchain startup before landing at Lightspeed Venture Partners. Similarly, Alex Sharata, only 29, co-founded mobile app security startup, Fractal, which was acquired while he was still in his twenties. And let’s not overlook John Smothers, 28, a partner at Scribble Ventures who co-founded a wildly successful ecommerce business.
Artificial intelligence is taking center stage for several of the honorees. Along with Rak at Bain Capital Ventures, there’s Jenny Xiao, 26, a partner at Leonis Capital and former OpenAI researcher who holds a PhD from Columbia. Elaine Dai, 29, a partner at Alt Capital, and Claire Zau, 27, at GSV Ventures, are both leading their firms in investments across AI.
This impressive Under 30 cohort isn’t just made up of U.S.-based talent. Zehra Naqvi, 25, an investor at Headline Ventures and the mind behind the popular ‘The Z List’ newsletter, once worked on an ecommerce brand in Hong Kong. Taha Ziaee, 29, also contributes to the global landscape as a principal at BOND, and Yuri Lee, 29, a partner at IVP and a former world-ranked League of Legends player, has roots in Seoul and Budapest.
The 30 Under 30 list shines a spotlight on funders and founders aged 29 or younger as of December 31, 2024, who have never been recognized in previous 30 Under 30 lists across North America, Europe, or Asia.
Selection is rigorous, with judging conducted by a panel of seasoned industry leaders after an open submission process. Notable judges for the 2025 Venture Capital list included Beth Ferreira, John Locke, Reshma Sohoni, and Trae Stephens—all titans in the investment realm.
Impressively, 56% of the honorees identify as people of color, and 47% are women, showcasing a diverse and dynamic new era in venture capital.
For more insights on the full Venture Capital list, click here, and to explore the complete 30 Under 30 coverage, click here.
