Anita Schjøll Abildgaard
Anita Schjøll Abildgaard | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1985 Bærum, Norway |
| Occupation(s) | Business leader, entrepreneur |
| Known for | Co-founder and CEO of Iris.AI |
Anita Schjøll Abildgaard, previously known as Schjøll Brede, (born 1985) is a Norwegian business leader and entrepreneur, serving as the co-founder and CEO of Iris.AI.
Early life
Her upbringing took place in Bærum, Norway.
Education
She earned a Bachelor's degree specializing in Theatre and Communication, followed by a master's degree in entrepreneurship from Chalmers University of Technology located in Gothenburg. Additionally, she pursued studies at Singularity University in California.
Professional career
Prior to establishing Iris.AI in 2015, Anita was at the helm of the startup Pinexo; Iris.AI represents her fourth entrepreneurial venture. The company, which was initiated at Ames Research Center, secured $2.4 million in funding by December 2017. Among its clientele are Denmark's Leo Pharma, the University of Helsinki, and multiple Norwegian academic institutions, with yearly subscription costs approximately 250,000 NOK.
Her professional circle includes prominent individuals such as Christine Spiten, Erna Solberg, Odd Reitan, Johann Johannson, and Arne Wilhelmsen. She has held board positions at the Ulstein Group (2018), Katapult Group, and NORA Startup (Norwegian Artificial Intelligence Research Consortium). Iris.AI achieved recognition as a Top 10 Semifinalist in the AI XPRIZE competition.
Awards
Anita was recognized by Forbes as one of "The World's Top 50 Women in Tech 2018" as well as "Europe's Top 50 Women in Tech 2018."
She has presented two TEDx talks, including one delivered in 2016.
She is an alumna of both 500 Startups and the TechCrunch Startup Battlefield program.