SEON, a Hungarian startup offering online fraud prevention solutions, secured the number one spot on Forbes’ 2025 list of the “hottest Hungarian startups.” The company, now active in global markets, traces its origins back to 2013, when founders Tamás Kádár and Bence Jendruszák met at Corvinus University and discovered a shared interest in cryptocurrency. This encounter marked the beginning of SEON, which has since developed its own digital tools and platforms to detect and prevent financial fraud, as well as support anti-money laundering efforts. Today, SEON’s client portfolio includes major players such as Revolut, Patreon, WorldCoin, and AirFrance-KLM. The co-founders aim to generate half of their revenue from the U.S. market in the near future—an ambition reflected in their current leadership, with both now managing the company from Austin, Texas. 

Coming in ninth on the Forbes 2025 list is another newly founded Hungarian startup, Kodesage, which uses AI to create comprehensive internal documentation for large corporations. One of its founders, György Szilágyi, is also a Corvinus alumnus. 

Forbes editors compiled the 2025 startup list by evaluating companies that are no more than ten years old and have at least one Hungarian founder. The ranking was based on five criteria, after analyzing data from over sixty startups. These criteria included disruptiveness (how novel the idea is), scalability (growth potential), global market presence, the uniqueness of the team’s combined expertise, and the quality of investors involved.