From AI-generated 3D content to intelligent agents, this year’s AI entrepreneurs are expanding the technology's use cases.

It can take hours, even days for game creators and users to produce in-game 3D content, but Chinese startup VAST’s Tripo AI platform can transform image and text prompts into detail-rich 3D objects in seconds. Since its launch three years ago, VAST has drawn nearly 10 million individual users and 90,000 studios and companies, such as Chinese internet giant NetEase and Japan’s Sony, according to founder Simon Song, an avid gamer and anime fan. Corporate customers are charged on a project basis while individuals pay between $20 to $140 a month for the service, which can be used for a lot more than gaming, such as animation and industrial design.

“AI has released people’s creative impulses,” says Song. Next up is a TikTok-like platform for users to share the 3D content they’ve created using Tripo AI, to be launched this year.

Song is one of the 12 Chinese entrepreneurs who made this year’s Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia: AI list who are using the cutting-edge technology as a main tool for innovation.

The 28-year-old founder majored in economics and international studies at Johns Hopkins University and returned to China in 2019 where his first gig was as an assistant to Xu Li, cofounder and CEO of Hong Kong-listed AI software firm SenseTime. Two years later he cofounded AI model developer MiniMax but left the company in 2022 to set up VAST. (Today, MiniMax has a market cap of $31 billion following its January IPO in Hong Kong.)

In March, VAST, which competes with big players like Tencent Holdings and other startups, including U.S.-based Meshy, raised $50 million, to be spent on research. The Series A funding round, at an undisclosed valuation, was led by Alibaba Group Holding and PE firm Hengxu Capital.

AI has released people’s creative impulses.

Other listees who are betting on AI’s potential in producing 3D content are Liu Zidong, Yang Mingzhuo and Zhuang Ziyang. The Chinese trio cofounded spatial intelligence startup Shenzhen Sengine Technology in 2023. The company develops AI models that can turn image prompts into realistic-looking 3D environments, attracting users such as game developers and interior designers who can test out ideas and present 3D renderings to potential clients easily.

In Thailand, Thanapong Somjai cofounded Spacely AI, a Bangkok-based SaaS startup bringing generative AI to the architecture and interior design industry. Spacely AI tools help architects, interior designers, and realtors work faster and more efficiently by eliminating tedious, repetitive tasks in the process, such as floor plan conversion and lifelike rendering. In July 2025, Spacely AI raised $1 million in seed funding led by PropTech Farm Fund III, following a pre-seed investment from SCB 10X.

Agentic AI

Entrepreneurs on the list are also building agentic AI services to automate complex tasks like drafting business proposals and presentations.

Cofounders Derek Nee and Wu Yichen launched Flowith, an agentic AI startup, in 2023. The Shanghai-based company's service can assist with a diverse range of tasks, from generating business insights to launching websites and creating video content. Powered by large language models, including Google's Veo 3.1 and the Kling series from Chinese short video firm Kuaishou, Flowith can generate a web page from text prompts in seconds. The company has raised $9 million from HSG (formerly Sequoia China), LongRiver Investments and Vertex Ventures.

Also in China, high school classmates Elena Zhong and Li Wenxuan cofounded Thetawave AI in 2023 to help college students capture, organize and personalize learning materials. The Beijing-based company has developed an AI-powered app that takes note and converts audio, video, text and files into tailored study tools such as flash cards and quizzes. Thetawave AI raised over $7 million in total funding from investors including BAI Capital (formerly Bertelsmann Asia Investments), Hillhouse Ventures, the MBA Fund, and MiraclePlus.

Hong Kong-based Andrew Chen founded Mindverse, which operates the Macaron AI digital assistant service. Powered by algorithm from the company's Mind Lab, the AI agent can learn from its interactions with users to understand their preferences. It can then help to create personalized tools, such as a baby meal planner or a digital outfit assistant. Mindverse has raised over $20 million from investors, including Ant Group, HSG (formerly Sequoia China) and ZhenFund.

Enterprise Uses

This year’s listees are also building AI agents for industry-specific uses, helping enterprises maximize their efficiency.

In South Korea, Jayne Shin encountered the operational grind of brand management firsthand while working at Korean social-commerce marketplace StyleShare and later launching and running his own fashion label. He realized many tasks, such as inventory reconciliation, market analysis, customer experience and influencer outreach, could be automated by AI. In July 2025, he founded Vibers, which develops AI agents for back-office and research functions for brands. The startup says it has four enterprise clients and is expanding into North America. So far, Vibers raised $1.6 million from Kakao Ventures, SNU Holdings and government grants.

In 2025, Alisa Rae founded Sydney-based Lucent, which aims to improve user experience and boost user retention. The company's AI software connects with digital products to monitor and analyze user behavior, replaying sessions to understand what users are trying to do and detect bugs as well as interface design issues. Last year, it raised A$2 million ($1.3 million) in pre-seed funding from investors including Browder Capital, Long Journey Ventures and Weekend Fund.

Also in Australia, Liam King and Kunal Vankadara cofounded Haast in 2023 to automate legal and compliance reviews for enterprises. The startup has developed an AI agent that can track regulatory changes that may impact a business, monitor content such as product descriptions or social media posts for brand and regulatory compliance, and alert users when something might be wrong. Haast says its product is used by customers in a range of industries including retail, financial services and telecommunications. The startup has raised almost $20 million in funding, including a $12 million series A round led by Peak XV Partners in April.

Read our complete AI list here – and be sure to check out our full Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia 2026 coverage here.

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