Four WHU Alumni Make the Forbes 30 Under 30

Those enrolled in a study program at WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management are on a fast track to success, a fact reaffirmed by the latest European edition of the Forbes 30 Under 30 list. The publication has now honored the work of four WHU alumni, highlighting the diverse profile of the school’s graduates: Lucas Christel (BSc 2018) and Tobias Hoss (MSc 2020), who appear on the “Manufacturing & Industry” list; Finn zur Mühlen (BSc 2020), noted for his work in “Technology”; and Lukas Pauly (MSc 2019), active in “Media & Marketing.”

Originating in the United States, Forbes now publishes several regional editions of its magazine in Germany, Switzerland, and wider Europe. Since 2012, its 30 Under 30 initiative has been recognizing young, up-and-coming personalities from a variety of sectors, including business, sports, the arts, and technology and other sciences. To date, nearly forty WHU graduates have made it onto the list in recent years, underscoring WHU’s position as one of Europe’s most successful business schools.

WHU Alumni on the 2025 Forbes 30 Under 30 List(s):

Lucas Christel

​Lucas Christel is a co-founder of Purpose Green, a Berlin-based climate-tech start-up born out of collaboration with his own brother Lennart and Okitonga Memba. The company has set itself the mission of reducing carbon emissions in the real estate sector through scalable digital solutions for energy-efficient renovation and ESG management. Purpose Green counts Fifth Wall, Speedinvest, and Atlantic Labs as some of its investors, having already raised US$18.4M in funds to further develop its platform and expand operations throughout Europe. The start-up seeks to help property owners and managers reach the net-zero goals for preexisting assets, as outlined by the European Union, by 2050.

Tobias Hoss

Tobias Hoss is Vice President Operations at Lunar X, a Berlin-based media firm founded in 2021. Lunar X invests in digital-first content brands, developing and transforming them into global franchises. The company supports creators maximize their reach by offering solutions for data analysis, strategizing, production, and distribution. With over 108 million subscribers and 39 billion video hits, Lunar X is one of the world’s leading digital media agencies.

Finn zur Mühlen

Finn zur Mühlen co-founded Telli in 2024, a Berlin-based start-up developing AI-supported voice technology to make sales processes more efficient and scalable. Alongside Philipp Baumanns and Seb Hapte-Selassie, zur Mühlen has secured US$3.6M from Cherry Ventures and Y Combinator. Telli is active in Germany, as well as the United Kingdom and United States, supporting customers in a variety of branches, from real estate to solar energy. Before co-founding Telli, zur Mühlen worked for Enpal, where he gained experience working in heat pumps for the real estate market.

Lukas Pauly

Lukas Pauly is the founder of Enpal.pro, a subsidiary of Enpal, both of which are active in the renewable energy sector. It stands as Europe’s largest B2B platform for solar and heating fitters and currently supports over 1,200 active companies—roughly 10% of all fitters in Germany—by providing 24-hour material delivery, system planning, and consumer financing. Enpal.pro has been profitable since early 2024 and is now expanding into Austria, France, the Netherlands, and Poland. Before starting Enpal.pro, Pauly gained experience at Picus Capital, acting as interim COO at Hive, as well as at Ford and Roland Berger.

Click here to view the 2025 Forbes 30 Under 30 for Europe

Click here to read about the WHU alumni who made the Forbes list in 2024