‘Digital Shapers 2026’: Switzerland Celebrates Its Digital Pioneers

Eight editions, ten categories, eight hundred awardees. What began as a ranking in 2016 has become the definitive reference format for digital excellence in Switzerland.

Switzerland is one of the few countries that not only participates in the discussion on artificial intelligence but actively shapes it. ETH Zurich and EPFL are internationally leading in AI research. Their results are directly translated into start-ups, which develop concrete applications. Virtually all global AI heavyweights, from Google and OpenAI to Palantir and Meta, have established substantial development departments here. This is not by chance but the result of years of investment in talent, infrastructure, and research. Simultaneously, several technological waves are converging: AI, robotics, quantum computing, and the digitalisation of critical infrastructures are evolving in parallel and beginning to reinforce each other. The ‘Digital Shapers 2026’ represent exactly this breadth.

This year, BILANZ, Handelszeitung, PME, and digitalswitzerland, together with presenting partner Huawei, are elevating the award to a new level: For the first time, the one hundred ‘Digital Shapers 2026’ will be announced in a ceremonial setting this evening at Zurich's Folium.

On the invitation of Ringier CEO Marc Walder, around 200 guests from business, politics, culture, and society will celebrate the 100 awardees. The evening will be accompanied by keynotes from Allen Cao, CEO Huawei Switzerland, Christoph Aeschlimann, Group CEO Swisscom, and Federal Chancellor Viktor Rossi.

Marc Walder, CEO Ringier: ‘Eight editions of ‘Digital Shapers’ are eight years of living proof of the innovation power in this country. Artificial intelligence is transforming every industry and area represented in this ranking: banking, telecommunications, media, medicine, public administration, research, and so forth. Switzerland has the brains, institutions, and infrastructure to successfully master this transformation. The individuals we are honouring today prove that.’

Franziska Barmettler, CEO digitalswitzerland: ‘To advance digital transformation in Switzerland, we need ‘Digital Shapers’ who set new impulses and inspire their environment. When the best minds from science, administration, and business from all parts of the country work together on solutions, we secure Switzerland's competitiveness.’

Allen Cao, CEO Huawei Switzerland: ‘It is a privilege for us to support this project. We can help develop the technological foundations for digital transformation, but it is the creativity of the ‘Digital Shapers’, the founders, researchers, and visionaries, that turns them into tangible solutions. They are the forces driving Switzerland's economy and society forward.’

Jury with wide support from business, science, and politics The selection of the ‘Digital Shapers 2026’ was made by a 12-member jury chaired by Marc Kowalsky, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of BILANZ and Project Manager of ‘Digital Shapers’. The jury members include, among others, Christine Antlanger-Winter (Country Director Google Switzerland), André Kudelski (CEO Kudelski, President Innosuisse), and Roland Siegwart (Professor of Autonomous Systems, ETH Zurich). The complete jury list is at the end of this announcement.

Following a nomination phase at the end of 2025, the jury selected ten individuals in ten categories from all submissions. Particularly noteworthy: In the category AI Acrobats, women are the majority. Six out of ten awardees are advancing AI development in Switzerland.

The ‘Digital Shapers 2026’ – The Who's Who of digital Switzerland

The AI Acrobats: They are preparing Switzerland for the age of artificial intelligence. Benjamin B. Bargetzi, Founder & CEO, MindGuard

Chris Beyeler, Managing Director, BEYONDER AG

Cindy Candrian, Co-Founder, Delta Labs

Andy Fitze, Co-Founder, SwissCognitive

Vanessa Foser, Co-Founder & CCO, AI Business School

Sabrina Schenardi, Co-Founder, BLP Digital

Dalith Steiger, CEO, SwissCognitive

Michael Wegmüller, Co-Founder, Artifact

Sabine Wildemann, Co-Initiator, Swiss {ai} Weeks

Katrin J. Yuan, CEO, Swiss Future Institute.

The Androids: They are working on maintaining Switzerland's supremacy in robots and drones. Ulrich Amberg, CEO, Swissdrones

Marko Bjelonic, Co-Founder & CEO, Rivr

Raffaello D’Andrea, Founder, Verity / ETH Professor

Péter Fankhauser, CEO, ANYbotics

Florian Gutzwiler, CEO, Voliro

Marco Hutter, ETH Professor and Serial Entrepreneur

Ryan Luke Johns, CEO & Co-Founder, Gravis Robotics

Dominique Megret, CEO, Ecorobotix

Elvis Nava, Founder, Mimic Robotics

Roger Wüthrich-Hasenböhler, VR and Advisory Board of various robot start-ups.

The Cloudriders: They provide applications and infrastructure for the cloud era. Luca Callegari, Managing Director, Google Cloud DACH

Serge Gansner, CEO, Luware AG

Markus Gebert, Co-Founder & CEO Hostpoint

Elmar Grasser, CTO, Sunrise

Chris Keller, Managing Director Europe Central + ACH, AWS

José Lopez, Group CEO, CONVOTIS

Mohamad Ali Mahfouz, Leading Services Sales, Microsoft Switzerland

Roger Suess, CEO, Green.ch

Andreas Waber, CEO, Swiss Fibre Net

Eric Wolff, CTIO, Salt.

The Defenders: They ensure the security of hardware, software, and data. Christoph Aeschlimann, CEO, Swisscom

Samir Aliyev, CEO, Swiss Cyber Institute

Christian Cachin, Professor of Computer Science, University of Bern

David Haber, CEO, Lakera / VP AI Security Checkpoint

Kristof Hertig, Senior Program Manager, digitalswitzerland

Thomas Holderegger, Security Lead, Accenture Switzerland

Antti Partanen, CISO Sunrise

Daniel Seiler, Head of Platform Services, BACS

Beatrice Smit, COO, Axpo Systems AG

Andy Yen, CEO, Proton.

The Energizer: They make the extraction, storage, and use of energy more efficient through digitalisation. Liliane Ableitner, Co-Founder & CEO, Exnaton

Pierre Bi, CEO, enshift AG

Felix Bünning, Co-Founder & CEO, Viboo

Sébastien Cajot, CEO, urbio

Martin Everts, Managing Director Energy & Mobility, AMAG Group

Giampiero Frisio, Head of Electrification, ABB

Hagen Lihl, Co-Founder & CEO, Upgrid

Robert Piconi, VR President & CEO, Energy Vault

David Taylor, CEO, Unbound Potential

Yves Zischek, Managing Director, Digital Realty.

The Fintechies: They are taking the financial industry to the next digital level. Kathrin Braunwarth, CIO, AXA Switzerland

Pascale Bruderer, Founder, Swiss Stablecoin AG

Riccardo Conti, Co-Founder Fume

Johs Höhener, Independent Board of Directors

Igor Izraylevych, CEO & Founder, S-PRO AG

Lidia Kurt, CEO, BX Digital & Seturion

Adriano Lucatelli, Founder & CEO, Descartes Finance

David Riegelnig, CEO & Co-Founder, RULEMATCH AG

Michael Stemmle, Founder, Additiv AG

Hans Peter Wolf, CTO, FNZ.

The Frameworkers: They set the digitalisation guardrails in politics, administration, and associations. Gerhard Andrey, National Council / VR Liip

Judith Bellaiche, President, ASUT

Martin Bürki, President, ComCom

Jon Fanzun, CEO, SWICO

Richard P. Hess, Head of Digital Finance, Swiss Bankers Association

Marcel Meyer, Managing Director, GRdigital and Head of Tourism Office Graubünden, Conters im Prättigau

Lennig Pedron, CEO, Trust Valley

Viktor Rossi, Federal Chancellor

Joanne Sieber, CEO, Deep Tech Nation Switzerland

Karin Taheny, Chief Digital + Technology Officer S-GE.

The Health Techies: They are digitalising medicine and healthcare. Lucas M. Bachmann, medignition AG

Verena Barthelmes, Product Manager IoT and Digital Platforms

Romain Boichat, Partner, Rhome

Pascal Chatelain, CCO, Zur Rose Suisse AG

Guillaume DuPasquier, Co-Founder & CEO, Domo.Health

Yalak Garif, Director Digital Innovation, Cisco Switzerland

Lara Gervaise, CEO & Co-Founder, Virtuosis AI

Gregory Inauen, CEO, Grape Insurance

Christine Jacob, Lecturer Health-Tech, University of Applied Sciences FHNW

Peter Ohnemus, Founder & CEO Dacadoo.

The Quantum Leapers: They are working on the next IT revolution: Quantum computing. Alexandra Beckstein, CEO, QAI Ventures

Daniel Brau, CEO, Miraex SA

Klaus Ensslin, Professor of Experimental Physics, ETH Zurich

Jonathan Home, Professor, ETH Zurich

Thomas Landolt, CEO, QuantumBasel

Markus Pflitsch, CEO & Founder, Terraquantum

Heike Riel, IBM Fellow & Chief Scientist, IBM Rüschlikon

Andreas Wallraff, Team Lead Superconducting Circuits, ETHZ/PSI

Hugo Zbinden, Professor Honoraire, University of Geneva

Dominik Zumbühl, Director NCCR SPIN, University of Basel.

The Mentors: They share their digital experience as advisors, educators, VCs, or evangelists. Andreea Cretu, Head, BioMed Entrepreneurship Programs

Sunnie J. Groeneveld, Managing Partner, Inspire 925

Arnold Hermann, Co-Founder 42hacks / active investor

Amit Joshi, Professor AI & Marketing Strategy, IMD Lausanne

Pascal Mathis, Partner, Founderful

Max Meister, Koyo Capital AG

Marc K. Peter, Professor of Digital Transformation, HES-SO Valais/Wallis

Romano Roth, Global Chief of Cybernetic Transformation, Zühlke Group

Philipp Stauffer, Managing Partner & Co-Founder, Fyrfly Venture Partners

Stefan Steiner, Co-CEO, Venturelab.

Special edition and coverage The special issue ‘Digital Shapers 2026’ will be published following this evening's event. The 108-page magazine with portraits of the awardees, their work, and motivation will be included in the print editions of BILANZ, Handelszeitung, and PME.

Editor's note: Image rights belong to the respective publisher. Image rights: Ringier AG