The young VCs and entrepreneurs on this year’s list are helping fuel startup growth by providing access to capital.

In 2022 Patrick Nappa was working as a software engineer at Apple in Sydney when, inspired by the company’s famous slogan, “think different,” he teamed up with a banker pal to launch a fintech firm offering online loans to small businesses. “I just really liked the challenge,” recalls Nappa, who studied computer science at the University of Sydney. “I wanted to jump into a field that I am not an expert in and just become, like, ‘the guy.’” Now he’s overseeing tech at Kashcade, which has evolved from its original concept to become a niche lender to Australian startups and small businesses, providing financing against the R&D tax incentive refunds they get from the government.

Nappa is one of the listees on this year’s Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia: Finance & Venture Capital list, who are actively helping startups across the Asia-Pacific grow by providing access to capital.

To foster innovation, Australia allows companies with less than A$20 million in annual revenue a refundable tax offset of up to 43.5% of total R&D spending each year. Kashcade unlocks that refund early, disbursing loans of as much as 80% of the refund amount. It charges an upfront fee of A$950 ($680) and a monthly interest of 1.38%. The loan is repaid, according to Kashcade, when the tax office deposits the refund into an account it controls. So far, Nappa says, the company has lent A$100 million to 200 businesses, including humanoid-robot developer Andromeda, the brainchild of Grace Brown, a 30 Under 30 Asia alum........

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