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Apurv says he was surprised and excited to be included on the list: "It reminded me of the ambitions I had as a college kid and how I am gradually progressing towards my goals thanks to the support of so many people in my life—friends, family, colleagues."

He adds, "The next milestone for our company is to drive profitability as we drive $10M ARR and leverage our core blockchain and AI technology to expand into mainstream Web2 markets."

Ray is co-founder of A Hot Hideout, a Singapore-based restaurant chain that is known for its twist on Mala cuisine (the traditional flavor of Szechuan cuisine in China). The restaurant began its life as a rice noodles business in the campus canteen at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, where Ray was a student.

Ray says he is humbled by his inclusion on the list, and credits the Firm with helping to build his skills. "We started as a small food stall driven by the vision to reimagine Mala for the Singaporean palate. I took a pause in running the business to work at McKinsey after graduation, where I focused on sharpening my problem-solving, operational, and leadership skills. That experience fundamentally shaped the way I approached the business upon returning full-time. With a more structured and strategic lens, we scaled aggressively, transforming A Hot Hideout into an eight-figure business. This Forbes milestone feels like a celebration of both worlds: the entrepreneurial grind and the invaluable foundation McKinsey provided."