Hope Tech is on Forbes!
We’re thrilled to share some exciting news: Brian Mwenda and Laura Wissiak have been named in the 2025 Forbes Europe 30 Under 30 list for Social Impact!
Brian Mwenda and Laura Wissiak posing for a photo which is framed with “Forbes under 30 Europe 2025”. Brian has a Sixth Sense wearable on his shoulders and Laura has one hand up showing an international sign language ILY.
This is more than just a personal milestone, it’s a huge recognition of nearly a decade of work we’ve put into building inclusive technology and assistive solutions across four continents. More importantly, it’s a refreshing moment to see assistive tech finally being celebrated on such a global stage.
At Hope Tech, we’ve always prioritised listening to our users. Every product we build starts with the real needs and lived experiences of people with disabilities. Our main innovation, The Sixth Sense, launching mid-2025, is a perfect example of that. It’s a mobility device designed to help blind and visually impaired people navigate independently. It’s sleek, smart, and works alongside other tools and apps our users already rely on, enhancing their independence.
Through Hope Tech Insights - our research arm based in Austria - we’ve also been pushing for accessibility in every space, from websites and PDFs to product design and the built environment. Our goal is simple: Make accessibility part of the design from the start, not an afterthought. Laura Wissiak has been leading this mission across Europe and Africa, and her work is shaping the future of inclusive design.
Laura Wissiak, has become a leading voice in the field of accessibility and user research. She teaches web accessibility, writes for Accessibility First and the newsletter A11y News, and regularly speaks at UX and developer events. Her leadership at Hope Tech Insights has been game-changing.
Brian Mwenda comes from an engineering background and has spent close to a decade building assistive technologies and championing innovation for people with disabilities worldwide. Laura joined forces with Brian to co-found Hope Tech Insights and now leads our global accessibility work.
This moment is a big shoutout to everyone in the assistive tech space, and a stepping stone for what’s coming next. We’re hopeful that this recognition sparks more visibility, more representation, and more investment into assistive tech.
According to the WHO, by 2050, over 3 billion people will need assistive technology. That future is approaching fast. We’re building for it today.
Here’s to the journey ahead! Sign up to our waitlist to join us in building for the future.
