Paulina Grnarova is Young Entrepreneur of the Year

(CONNECT) At the fifth SEF.WomenAward from NZZ Connect, Paulina Grnarova received the prize for Young Entrepreneur of the Year. Born in North Macedonia, she founded DeepJudge in Zurich in 2021. The spin-off from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH) has developed artificial intelligence (AI)-based software that makes it possible to find, analyze and link data sources such as law books, court rulings, commercial registers and encyclopedias.

"Under her leadership, DeepJudge has made significant progress and has been recognized in the industry," according to a brief portrait by the Swiss Economic Forum (SEF). She was included in the prestigious Forbes 30 under 30 list "and, as a female CEO with a strong technical background, is setting an example in the male-dominated fields of law and technology". In an oversubscribed seed financing round in 2025, DeepJudge raised almost 10 million Swiss francs for further expansion.

"I am incredibly proud of how far we have come with my DeepJudge team in such a short time," says Grnarova on LinkedIn. "What began as an idea after our doctorate at ETH Zurich has developed into Switzerland's leading AI start-up, which serves thousands of lawyers in leading law firms worldwide."

The honorary award winner of the year is Bea Knecht. She receives the award as an exceptional personality who has spent her life working for a strong Swiss economy. Knecht founded the streaming service Zattoo in 2005. She relinquished the position of Managing Director in 2012 and has since acted as Vice President of the Board of Directors. According to the SEF jury, it is also committed to sustainable corporate governance, promoting women in tech professions and supporting start-ups.

Entrepreneur of the Year is Antje Kanngiesser. She has been CEO of the Alpiq energy group since March 2021. According to SEF, her focus is on the strategic realignment and consistent transformation of business models and companies. "Humor, value-based modern leadership and consistent cross-team collaboration with a passion for performance and success are her tools." ce/mm