The winner of the EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year 2026 has been revealed.
Casey Morrison, Jitendra Mohan and Sanjay Gajendra, co-founders of US winner Astera Labs, beat the UK’s representative, Mia Drennan of GLAS, to the top prize at a ceremony in Monaco’s Salle des Étoiles.
Starting in a Silicon Valley garage almost a decade ago and growing into a $54bn company, Astera Labs has overcome constant hurdles in its mission to make AI more accessible.
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Leaving their established careers, the founders set out to solve the performance bottlenecks and bandwidth issues essential to unlocking the next wave of AI innovation.
With more than 1,000 employees across 13 global offices, Astera Labs continues to operate at the forefront of AI infrastructure, driven by a vision built on passion, purpose and execution.
The company was selected from nearly 5,000 programme participants, including 58 national winners from 46 countries and regions competing for the global title.
Astera Labs completed a successful IPO in 2024 and is the fourth US winner of the award.
Janet Truncale, EY Global Chair and CEO, said: “Their willingness to take strategic risks, make bold decisions and adapt to changing conditions has been fundamental to the success of Astera Labs. What truly stands out, however, is their fierce commitment to social responsibility and making a lasting impact for future generations.”
Jitendra Mohan, CEO and co-founder of Astera Labs, said: “It’s a real privilege to stand here in this moment. The connections we’ve made with fellow winners and the judges have been incredibly inspiring.
“From a team of 10 in 2018 to more than 1,000 today, we’re proud to be part of such a powerful global entrepreneurship community.”
Sanjay Gajendra, president, COO and co-founder of Astera Labs, said: “As entrepreneurs, we’re builders. The days are long and the sacrifices are real, so this recognition means a great deal.
“Our focus has always been on building a lasting legacy by helping communities, people and infrastructure harness the potential of AI.”
Casey Morrison, CPO and co-founder of Astera Labs, added: “From the beginning, we set out to build something special and make a positive impact on people’s lives in the process.
“Going from three engineers in a garage to a public company helping to build the foundation for the AI era, this recognition is deeply humbling.
“The progress we’ve made reflects years of hard work and the relationships we’ve built along the way. EY has recognised so many exceptional entrepreneurs who saw what the market needed and moved decisively to meet it. I’m honoured to be included among them, and inspired to keep innovating and solving problems.”
Keir Starmer letter
The UK’s representative, Mia Drennan of GLAS, may have missed out on the top prize, but she did not go away empty-handed.
“The class of 2026 world entrepreneurs is contributing more than $350bn in revenue and providing many thousands of jobs across the globe, and that’s the real power of this programme,” she said. “This community is making, and will continue to make, real change.
“One special moment was receiving a personal letter from our very own Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, outlining the country’s recognition and support. Just wow.”