Two talented Pakistanis, Salman Habib and Hassan Chaudhry, have earned prestigious spots on the Forbes 30 Under 30 United States 2026 list, which recognizes leading young innovators, founders, and changemakers across America. Their achievements highlight Pakistan’s growing footprint in global innovation, entrepreneurship, and investment.
Salman Habib: Transportation & Aerospace
Salman Habib, co-founder and CEO of Burq, was selected in the “Transportation & Aerospace” category. Burq, founded in 2021 by Salman and his brother Shaban, enables businesses to offer delivery services without building their own logistics operations.
The platform connects over 500 delivery service providers, including Uber and DoorDash, operating across 4,000+ U.S. cities. Burq has raised over $10 million and works with major grocery chains such as Albertsons, Safeway, and Kroger.
Salman described the recognition as “surreal,” expressing gratitude and excitement for the future in a post shared on X.
Hassan Chaudhry: Venture Capital
In the “Venture Capital” category, Hassan Chaudhry was recognized for his exceptional impact at BlackRock Private Equity Partners, where he serves as Vice President. Hassan leads growth-equity investments from Series C to pre-IPO stages and has deployed more than $800 million over the past two years.
His notable contributions include:
- Acting as Series D lead and board observer for Groq
- Co-leading the Series F round for Applied Intuition alongside Kleiner Perkins
- Supporting women-led innovation as part of the LPAC for Glasswing Ventures II, a Boston-based seed-stage AI fund
Forbes highlighted his role in three successful exits and his leadership in shaping BlackRock’s Growth Equity platform after rejoining the firm in 2023.
The inclusion of Salman and Hassan in the Forbes list stands as a reminder of Pakistan’s global talent and the rising influence of young Pakistani innovators driving change in technology and finance worldwide.
