Li Gang, '12 alumnus of Antai College of Economics and Management (ACEM) was named in the '30 Under 30 Asia 2017', an annual list by Forbes highlighting 300 young innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders who are working to shape today's world.  

The list, consisting ten categories, was compiled by a panel of experts, who are tasked to select 300 honourees from more than 1,200 submissions, based on criteria such as leadership and disruption in respective field; entrepreneurial mind-set and results, and the likelihood of changing their industry over the next half-century.

Li Gang, 28, was listed in the Industry, Manufacturing and Energy category. He founded a smart bicycle startup SpeedX in Beijing in 2014, after working extensively at Chinese internet company Qihu 360 Technology and successfully launching and managing its smart hardware devices.

Born largely from Li Gang's passion for cycling, SpeedX sells domestically designed high-end bikes, paired with a smart phone app that records users' biking distance and health data.

In light of China's recent bike-sharing boom, Li Gang launched Bluegogo, a spinoff from SpeedX in 2016, seeking to gain a foothold in the market by providing more comfortable riding experiences through better performing and more durable bikes.

Its bikes are equipped with safety features such as a built-in LED front light and twin solid tyres, as well as 3-speed gear and adjustable seats for comfort.

Having secured large amounts of capital and a recent partnership deal with Alibaba's Ant Financial, Bluegogo now has around 13 million users nationwide and nearly 700 thousand vehicles in six cities including Beijing and Guangzhou.

Speaking with Antai College, Li Gang emphasised the importance of passion. 'Do not start running a business unless you love it extremely,' he said.

Another two Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) alumni, Zhang Shaodian,  '10 School of Electronic Information and Electrical Engineering, and Sui Shaolong, '11 University of Michigan-SJTU Joing Institute, have both made the list.