At 26, Julie Böhning heads PAVE Space, which has made it its mission to develop Lyoba, a vehicle capable of accelerating the launch of satellites into orbit. Ranked third in the 2026 TOP 100 Swiss Startup Award, the company began life in a Fribourg barn.

It all started in Gruyère, deep in rural Fribourg, long before PAVE Space was founded. How did a group of friends end up building rockets?

We met when we were around 14, and a few years later, we launched the “Gruyère Space Program”. For six years, we worked evenings, weekends, and vacations, mostly in a barn in Le Pâquier. Our Colibri demonstrator, the first of its kind in Europe, ultimately completed 53 takeoffs and landings. What is amazing about all of this is that most of the team is still working together.

This adventure led to PAVE Space, which is now developing the Lyoba spacecraft. What will it be used for?

Satellites have become much smaller, but they can take six months to a year to reach their final orbit. Our goal is to cut this journey to 24 hours: once a satellite launcher reaches low Earth orbit, Lyoba will take over and transport the payload to its destination. Our vehicle will also be capable of traveling beyond geostationary orbit, all the way to lunar orbit.

PAVE Space has quickly grown from a student project into a company with about 50 employees. What sets your approach apart?

Our speed of execution. We try to have as many of the core capabilities we need in-house so that we can shorten development cycles and test quickly. Execution is the name of the game for us. We want to make faster progress toward our goal. In contrast, our team has grown gradually. The Gruyère Space Program taught us the importance of professionalizing our methods.

At 26, how do you learn to lead a company that is growing so fast?

I don’t think there’s a right age to try something new. You just have to give it a shot and work hard. Starting a business is something you can learn! Most importantly, you need to surround yourself with the right people. I also have two grandmothers who each ran their own shop and taught me a lot of practical lessons—so why not me?

PAVE Space is now an international project. What remains of its Fribourg roots?

Lots. A large part of the core team from the Gruyère Space Program is still with us. They have been joined by people from all over the world. Our very Swiss, very Gruyère spirit is still alive and well. Even the name Lyoba (editor’s note: a reference to the Ranz des vaches, the canton’s unofficial anthem) is a nod to our Fribourg roots. For me, there is something beautiful about preserving this identity while building a project that reaches far beyond our borders.