KATSEYE Biography: Members, Ages, Net Worth, Songs, Height, Nationality, Boyfriends

September 19, 2026 • 12:15 pm 0 Posted By Haruna Ayuba

KATSEYE is a global girl group based in Los Angeles, formed through the HYBE x Geffen Records reality competition The Debut: Dream Academy.

The six-member group—Sophia Laforteza, Manon Bannerman, Daniela Avanzini, Lara Raj, Megan Skiendiel, and Yoonchae Jeong—is known for its multicultural lineup, high-energy performances, sharp choreography, and pop sound that blends international influences.

Debuting in 2024, they quickly gained attention for viral tracks, strong live presence, and representation as one of the first major global girl groups under the HYBE system.

Quick Facts

Members: Sophia Elizabeth Guevara Laforteza, Meret Manon Sarpong Bannerman, Daniela Andrea Avanzini Llorente, Lara Rajagopalan, Megan Meiyok Skiendiel, Jeong Yoon-chae
Stage Name: KATSEYE
Active: 2024-present
Origin: Los Angeles, California, United States
Active Until: Present
Nationality: Multinational (Filipino-American, Swiss-Ghanaian, American/Latina, Indian-American, Chinese-Singaporean-American, South Korean)
Occupation: Singers, Dancers, Performers, Idols
Net Worth: $5 million

Early Life and Members

KATSEYE was assembled from a worldwide pool of over 120,000 applicants who trained intensively in Los Angeles under a K-pop-style system before the public competition. Members come from diverse cultural backgrounds and bring prior experience in dance, singing, acting, and modeling.

Sophia Laforteza

Date of Birth: December 31, 2002
Age: 23 years old
Place of Birth: Queens, New York, United States
Ethnicity: Filipino-American
Religion: Christianity
Parents: Carla Guevara Laforteza, Godfrey Laforteza
Siblings: N/A
Education: Graduated high school in the Philippines
Early Life: Sophia began performing young, appearing with her mother on Philippine television as a child. She trained in singing and performance and ranked first in Dream Academy, becoming the group’s leader. She has taken temporary hiatus periods for health reasons.

Manon Bannerman

Date of Birth: June 26, 2002
Age: 24 years old
Place of Birth: Zurich / Lucerne area, Switzerland
Ethnicity: Swiss-Italian and Ghanaian
Religion: Christianity
Parents: Mr and Mrs. Bannerman
Siblings: N/A
Education: N/A
Early Life: Manon has a multicultural background and began using her middle name professionally as a teenager. She trained in modeling and performance before joining the competition. She has been on temporary hiatus for health and well-being.

Daniela Avanzini

Date of Birth: July 1, 2004
Age: 22 years old
Place of Birth: Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Ethnicity: Venezuelan-Cuban-Italian / Latina
Religion: Christianity
Parents: Mr and Mrs Avanzini
Siblings: N/A
Education: Riverwood International Charter School
Early Life: Daniela grew up in a dance-focused Latin household and competed on shows including America’s Got Talent and So You Think You Can Dance: The Next Generation. She is the group’s main dancer.

Lara Raj

Date of Birth: November 3, 2005
Age: 20 years old
Place of Birth: Stamford, Connecticut / raised in Texas and Los Angeles areas, United States
Ethnicity: Indian-American
Religion: Christianity
Parents: Mr and Mrs Raj
Siblings: N/A
Education: LaGuardia High School
Early Life: Lara developed an interest in music production and singing early, sharing videos online that led to her being scouted. She is a main vocalist and the first artist of Indian heritage signed under HYBE. She has been open about her queer identity.

Megan Skiendiel

Date of Birth: February 10, 2006
Age: 20 years old
Place of Birth: Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
Ethnicity: Chinese-Singaporean and Swedish-American
Religion: Christianity
Parents: Sylvia Lee, William Skiendiel
Siblings: 1
Education: N/A
Early Life: Megan began formal dance training at age four and vocal lessons by six. She worked as a child model and actress (credits include Sydney to the Max and Bosch: Legacy) and has spoken about living with dyslexia and other health conditions. She is known as a versatile all-rounder.

Yoonchae Jeong

Date of Birth: December 6, 2007
Age: 18 years old
Place of Birth: Seoul, South Korea
Ethnicity: South Korean
Religion: Christianity
Parents: Mr and Mrs Jeong
Siblings: 1
Education: Homeschooled / K-pop trainee system; prior training under WakeOne
Early Life: Yoonchae is the youngest (maknae) member and trained in the traditional K-pop system for about two years before Dream Academy. She brings strong dance skills and Korean industry experience to the group.

Formation

KATSEYE was created through The Debut: Dream Academy (2023), a global competition co-produced by HYBE and Geffen Records. After intensive training in Los Angeles and public evaluations, the final six members were selected in November 2023. The process was later documented in the Netflix series Popstar Academy: Katseye.

Career

The group debuted in June 2024 with the single “Debut,” followed by the viral hit “Touch” and their first EP SIS (Soft Is Strong) later that year. Their second EP Beautiful Chaos (2025) featured “Gnarly” and “Gabriela,” earning strong chart performance and critical attention.

1 Andy Arruti Actress

2 Manon Bannerman Content Creator

3 Michael Vick Footballer

4 Chineme Ojukwu Public Figure