A groundbreaking first for Sweden. A powerful milestone for women in business. A transformational moment for the future of global cybersecurity.
Stina Ehrensvärd — visionary co-founder of Yubico, the company behind the world-famous YubiKey — has been crowned EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year 2025, rising above nearly 5,000 elite entrepreneurs from 43 countries. Her win marks a historic moment:
– the first Swedish winner ever,
– and only the fourth woman to claim the title in 25 years.
A Leader Who Changed the Internet as We Know It
Stina’s journey is a masterclass in innovation, courage, and purpose-driven leadership. Guided by an unshakable belief that digital security is a human right, she built one of the world’s most important cybersecurity companies — long before the rest of the world understood how critical online identity protection would become.
In 2007, she co-founded Yubico with a bold mission:
“Make the internet safer for everyone.”
Just one year later, the first YubiKey was born — a small physical security key that would go on to redefine global MFA authentication and transform cybersecurity standards across the tech world.
Within five years, Yubico had secured partnerships with three of Silicon Valley’s biggest companies. Today, Yubico protects:
– 19 of the world’s 20 largest internet companies
– has maintained a 40% CAGR since 2020 and safeguards billions of digital identities across the globe.
Why Stina Won the World’s Most Prestigious Entrepreneurial Title
The EY judges praised Stina for:
– Entrepreneurial spirit
– Purpose-driven leadership
– Explosive global growth
– Deep social impact
Her work has strengthened democracy, protected digital identities, and set the standard for trust in an increasingly connected — and vulnerable — world.
Janet Truncale, EY Global Chair & CEO, put it best:
“Stina exemplifies the true spirit of entrepreneurship. Her belief that secure digital identity is a basic human right is exactly the kind of purpose-driven leadership the world needs today.”
A Victory Fueled by Vision — Not Finished by It
In her emotional acceptance speech, Stina expressed profound gratitude to Yubico’s teams and the EY community. And she made a promise:
“This recognition isn’t the finish line — it’s fuel. I won’t stop until we build a safer digital world for everyone.”
Her mission continues:
✔ protecting democracy
✔ safeguarding free speech
✔ enabling secure access to education and opportunity
✔ defending the future of the internet
Celebrating the World’s Top Entrepreneurs
The EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year gathering in Monaco brought together global leaders, founders, and CEOs to celebrate those shaping the future of business — and solving some of humanity’s most complex challenges. The 2025 award was decided by an independent, diverse panel of former winners and industry giants, chaired by Asif Ramji, Founder & CEO of Venture Worx.
Stina Ehrensvärd now joins an elite league of world-changing entrepreneurs — and opens a bold new chapter for women in tech and cybersecurity.
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