Tech entrepreneur, 19, is youngest amongst Singapore-based youths on Forbes' 30 Under 30 Asia list

Like many 19-year-olds in Singapore, Harsh Dalal is a fresh graduate from polytechnic, having just earned a diploma in business administration.

But unlike others his age, he's also co-founder and CEO of tech start-up Team Labs that is worth US$25 million (S$33.2 million), with 120 employees across six countries under him.

He is also the youngest among the 32 Singapore-based youths who made it into this year's Forbes' 30 Under 30 Asia — a list that features 300 young individuals who have managed to "survive, succeed and inspire others in the midst of business, social and personal challenges brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic."

It all started with his mother's old iPhone 4 when he was 13.

Harsh figured out how to jailbreak the device, and it sparked his curiosity in coding, app development and jailbreaking iPhones. With four other friends he met on the internet, he developed one of the first screen-recorder apps, he told CNA.

While they didn't manage to make money out of the app, it paved the way for the group to start their own company offering web and software development services, and building collaborative software development tools later on. The group eventually went on their own ways, leaving Harsh leading the company.

Team Labs has, since 2017, raised US$9.8 million from investors and now serves 70,000 customers including big names such as Coca-Cola, Hilton and even Google.

Despite his job title, Harsh only brings home a nominal $100 to $200 a month. The rest of his pay is channelled back into the company until it turns profitable. Speaking to Forbes about Team Labs' profitability, Harsh says: "It's there. I can see it. But we're not at that stage yet."

Sheik Farhan, 23, national silat athlete

The second-youngest person from Singapore to make the list is Sheik Farhan, 23.

He is the nation's top athlete and three-time champion in silat — a feat he couldn't have been accomplished had it not been for his fiery tenacity and sheer determination.

Dedicated to preserving the sport, he says that being on the Forbes' 30 Under 30 Asia list is more recognition for the sport than himself.

Oh Chu Xian, 27, Magorium co-founder, CEO

Troubled by the lack of viable recycling options available and the high amount of plastic waste being burnt, 27-year-old Oh Chu Xian co-founded Magorium, a company that re-engineers plastic waste into new materials that can be used to build roads. 

Her start-up came out on top of Singapore's waste-tech start-up competition Waste 20/20 last year, beating out over 100 other start-ups from over 32 countries to bag US$19,000.

Sazzad Hossain, 27, SDI Academy founder

When he arrived in Singapore at age 11, Sazzad Hossain could barely speak or write English. Today, the 27-year-old is the founder of social enterprise SDI, which empowers migrant workers through lessons in English, computer literacy and financial planning.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, about 10,000 migrant workers took up the four-month course he offered for just $15. SDI Academy is currently working with partners, such as the Ministry of Manpower, to increase the scale of the project in hopes of reaching as many people as possible.

Xi Liu, 28, Ferne Health co-founder

Sexual health shouldn't be a taboo, says 28-year-old Xi Liu, the co-founder of Ferne Health, a Singapore-based start-up that offers at-home STI screening and consultation services.

Beyond test kits, she hopes to build a community for women where it's safe to talk about sexual health, not just in Singapore, but the rest of the region too.

rainercheung@asiaone.com