Chiharu’s love of the internet started early. She built her own websites as a teenager and later worked at a mobile games company. When she heard colleagues discussing their frustrations with cooking at home, Chiharu—an avid baker—saw a chance to combine her passions for food and tech. This led to the birth of DELISH KITCHEN, an app featuring short, easy-to-follow cooking videos that focus on local, fresh ingredients. It offers more than 55,000 Japanese recipes developed by professional chefs. Working alongside co-founder Taisei, Chiharu recently launched an AI cooking assistant for members, designed to turn leftovers into meals and accommodate individual dietary needs. Looking ahead, the team aims to strengthen supermarket partnerships and continue developing another app that helps people track what they eat and live healthier.

When Corrine lost both grandmothers and a childhood friend to breast cancer, she turned her grief into purpose. Drawing on her background as a graphic designer, she created Know Your Lemons, an app that uses simple, visual cues, including lemons, to teach people to recognize symptoms while providing guidance on self-checks and mammograms in a supportive, stigma-free way. The app is supported by over 1,200 volunteer "Lemonistas" who build awareness about early detection across more than 75 countries. With a new AI-powered medical matchmaking service for newly diagnosed patients on the way, Corrine is working to ensure breast health is understood, discussed, and prioritized worldwide.

Bryan, Elias, and Jeremy met in Seattle during the dot-com boom, sharing a fascination with GPS technology and exploring the outdoors. Inspired by an online hide-and-seek challenge, they launched Geocaching—a digital treasure hunt that encourages people to explore their surroundings. What began as a weekend passion project has grown into a global phenomenon, with over 3 million geocaches hidden by players worldwide, from city parks to mountaintops. To celebrate 25 years of Geocaching, the team recently introduced a new feature with collectible digital treasures and is also bringing more people together at large-scale, in-person events. Looking ahead, the trio and their team are focused on evolving the app to inspire more expeditions and help players create meaningful outdoor experiences.

From his formative years in Nigeria to a finance career in England, Hugo's path led him back home with a powerful mission: to boost Africa's creative industries. He founded Maliyo Games, to help uplift gaming talent across the continent. His solution was to establish a training program, which has since equipped over 1,500 aspiring professionals and built his own core team. One of the studio's main titles, Safari City, is inspired by Lagos architecture, inviting players to restore abandoned properties to their former glory. As Maliyo continues to grow, Hugo’s goal remains the same: to turn African stories into a global gaming force.

Back in the late ’90s, Matt and Ralf met while working at a California game company. Years later, after stints at major studios, they craved more creative freedom and launched their own company: Vector Unit. United by a love of classic kart racers, they broke through with Beach Buggy Racing—a vibrant, action-packed title that brought console-quality 3D racing to phones. Fans embraced it so fully that they’ve baked birthday cakes and dressed up as their favorite characters during seasonal events. Today, the team keeps Beach Buggy Racing 2 fresh with global toy collaborations and is already prototyping a new game—all with one goal: creating experiences that spark joy.

Søren’s curiosity about the world began in the 80s with his trailblazing grandmother, a yoga teacher and motorcycle rider who used a home computer to track horse racing. Fascinated by tech, he began creating games inspired by the real-world alongside his childhood friend Niklas—eventually transforming this passion into a career. In his simulator Energy Manager, players build a vast power network, exploring sustainable strategies using live weather data and industry insights. The game has even drawn interest from energy firms as a training tool. Spurred by its success, Søren and his team are committed to evolving their creations, educating players on sustainability, and expanding into new industries.

Hooked on retro games as a child, Musab became curious about how they worked and began tinkering with code, building small projects to share with family and friends. After studying computer engineering and working in film production, he turned his attention to his own creation - Last Letter Word War Game. It revives a traditional Arabic word challenge with both nostalgia and a fun, competitive twist. The game has also delivered a welcome social benefit, helping younger generations strengthen their vocabulary while reconnecting with their cultural roots. With a talented team that includes veterans from major studios, Musab is now preparing to release Jackaroo Go!, a tactical card-and-strategy game already earning positive reviews in its beta launch.

Magaly and Carlos first met as computer science classmates, but their shared creativity soon grew into a bigger vision. What began with simple casino simulators quickly evolved into their true passion: cooking games. Drawing inspiration from Peru’s vibrant food culture and their love of exploring cuisines around the world, they created Cafe Panic, a restaurant simulator where players prepare over 800 dishes with hundreds of tools, from stoves to grills. Today, their 20-person team keeps the game lively with monthly updates and seasonal events. With more than 10 million downloads, the studio continues to grow, driven by its mission to bring the joy of food and play to people everywhere.

As a child, Maki loved reading books and finding comfort in their stories. After starting a career in game marketing, he realized that gaming could offer new ways to tell unique narratives. With that vision, he founded Caramel Column, a small Yokohama-based studio dedicated to story-driven works. Their breakout release, Alter Ego, drew on Maki’s own adolescence, blending the solace he once found in books with his university studies in psychoanalysis. The result was a game that guides players through a stylized journey, using personality tests and multiple-choice questions to reflect their inner selves. Today, Maki is prototyping his next project while working on more compelling and moving games.

Brothers Abdullah and Abdur-Rahman are mobile entrepreneurs who have been building app businesses together since the early days of smartphones. With Master’s degrees in computer science, the pair combined their love of puzzles and learning to create their game MindPal: a personalized, AI-powered brain-training app. It features workouts in memory, language, math and logic, combining classic riddles with challenges like AI-tuned email proofing. MindPal has become a daily ritual for many: teens use it to boost focus, while seniors log on to stay sharp. Recently, they added the calming Sudoku Blocks with weekly themed levels. Next, they’re expanding their game library and introducing AI-driven personality and IQ tests to help people better harness their minds and improve cognition.

Tech graduate Camilla worked as a software engineer before teaching herself game development while living with her mother during the pandemic. Inspired by her mom’s indoor plants, she created Window Garden, a lofi idle game that encourages players to slow down by watering flowers, fruits, and vegetables while decorating cozy spaces in their own style. For many, it has become a calming daily ritual and a wholesome way to unwind after work. Since its launch, the game has reached millions worldwide and was named one of Google Play’s Best of 2024. Looking ahead, Camilla hopes to expand her studio, collaborate with new creatives, and bring more projects to life.

Rodrigo taught himself to code at age 12, spending his days creating software for his family's businesses. Later, after a career in programming and as an amateur musician in his spare time, he noticed a lack of high-quality percussion apps. He united his love for technology and rhythm to create Real Drum—a realistic, easy-to-use virtual set that lets millions bang drums and clash cymbals with far less noise. The game has made learning to play music accessible to many and inspired a new generation of artists. Next, Rodrigo and his team plan to launch new children’s apps to keep nurturing musical creativity among youngsters.

As a kid, Shola was always sketching, sculpting, and inventing whatever his imagination could dream up. His love for visual storytelling led him from animation into game development, resulting in his first release on Google Play and eventually Stickman Fight and its sequel, Stickman Fight 2: Magic Brawl. In this fast-paced action platformer, magical stickman warriors face off in two modes: a four-player battle royale and a chapter-based adventure campaign. Since then, Shola and his team have built a creative streak, releasing over 20 games across different genres. Looking ahead, they’re adding new multiplayer features and game modes to keep the fun and magic alive.

A lifelong gamer, Derek spent years in the gaming industry, developing a passion for creating interactive experiences that blend imaginative design with challenging gameplay. That vision came to life in HAAK, a darkly atmospheric action-platformer inspired by his home city of Shenzhen. Its title comes from the Cantonese word for “black,” reflecting both the hero’s name and the game’s moody aesthetic. Players traverse a world of cities, puzzles, and challenges, with each landmark echoing Shenzhen’s streets to anchor the adventure in an authentic backdrop. Having surpassed a million downloads and launched a physical edition that sold out in minutes, HAAK’s success has paved the way for new projects, with more games already in development.

After serving as an Air Force Captain, Jacob retrained as a hypnotherapist and quickly witnessed the remarkable transformations his clients achieved—from conquering anxiety to breaking stubborn habits. Wanting to make this life-changing support accessible to a broader audience, he teamed up with his wife Ditte, also a hypnotherapist, and co-founders Per and Henrik, both experienced in TV production. Together, they launched HelloMind, an app offering hundreds of guided hypnotherapy sessions, anytime and anywhere. Today, the team is expanding research partnerships and exploring AI and multi-language tools to bring mental wellbeing to even more people around the world.

Growing up across the Middle East, the Philippines, and Africa, Kevin developed a fascination with maps. In San Diego, while training for his second marathon, he built a simple MapMyRun website to map his routes. When other runners joined, former professional cyclist Robin reached out with a vision to also help cyclists discover and share maps. Together they founded MapMyFitness in 2007 and launched MapMyRide soon after, blending Kevin’s technical expertise and Robin's athletic know-how. Today, the MapMy suite powers millions of walkers, runners, and riders with adaptive training plans, guided workouts, live safety tracking, and community challenges—all in support of their mission to "get everybody outside".

Jacqueline’s first venture was a maternity fashion brand she built from scratch and sold all over Africa. Yet, working with expectant mothers revealed a deeper need: accessible resources tailored to their unique realities. She then sold her business and, teaching herself how to launch an app, created My Pregnancy Journey. It provides vital information with week-by-week updates, digital health tools to address challenges like adolescent pregnancy, and expert advice, while also creating a powerful community through forums where women can connect, share, and support each other. With new AI features and expert-led videos, Jacqueline is now focused on growing the app's reach so women throughout Africa have access to both trusted guidance and a supportive network.

After earning a computer science degree, Kevin spent eight years in Shanghai’s fast-paced online advertising industry. The intensity of the job left him anxious and searching for balance, leading him to develop a morning journaling ritual that brought clarity and motivation. Inspired by this practice, Kevin began designing tools that reflected his writing routine—and soon, Grid Diary was born. The app guides users through daily reflections, helping them build mindful habits and track personal growth. Recently, Kevin’s team upgraded the app’s infrastructure and plans to introduce new features that encourage writing while protecting privacy. Looking ahead, they aim to expand AI-powered insights to deepen the self-reflection and diary-keeping experience.

QiXu’s love for technology began at just eight years old, when he first discovered computers. Years later, after experimenting with software and building websites, he founded a SaaS company with friends, but the day-to-day pressure led him to struggle with insomnia and anxiety. Turning to mindfulness practices like meditation and breathing, he regained focus and emotional balance. This experience inspired him to create Tide, an app designed to bring the same calm to others through guided sessions, mindful naps, and relaxing sounds. With over 40 million downloads, QiXu continues to evolve the app—with plans for a major redesign, overseas expansion, and AI-driven wellness features.

While studying computer science, Jay’s biggest challenge wasn’t debugging code—it was waking up for his morning classes. This struggle sparked an idea: what if there were an app that could help anyone get out of bed? Jay built a basic version and showcased it at a tech event, where it quickly drew attention. That prototype evolved into Alarmy, an app that uses creative missions, like solving math problems, doing squats, or snapping a photo, to get people moving so they fully wake up. Now available in over 30 languages and 170+ countries, Jay and his team are expanding beyond alarms, adding sleep tracking and wellness features to help even more people start their day right.

While working in London’s tech scene and later writing about psychology, Ellie noticed a pattern: many people turned to video games to ease stress but struggled to engage with traditional meditation. That’s when she came up with the idea to combine the two. While curating a book on mental health, she met Hazel—a therapist, former world champion boxer, and game lover—and together they created Betwixt, an interactive fantasy adventure that guides players on a journey of self-discovery. By blending storytelling with evidence-based techniques, the game helps reduce anxiety and promote well-being. Now, with three new projects in development, Ellie and Hazel strive to turn play into a mental health tool.