Nature/EF Innovation Forum
I was one of five young scientists selected from applicants worldwide to present their projects at the recent Nature/Entrepreneur First Innovation Forum in Quantum Technologies. The Forum is designed to give young scientists a chance to get a better understanding of what a successful quantum technology start-up looks like and to discuss their ideas with leading figures from industry and academia.
The scheme consisted of 6 weeks of sessions with Entrepreneur First as well as being assigned a scientific mentor from Nature editors to present an idea that can be commercialised.
This led to a 'pitch' day at the Nature offices on 6th May. Here's me moving my hands waaaay too much in front of the panel who consisted of:
Professor Polina Bayvel (University College London, Head of Optical Networks Group)
Professor Khaled Karrai (Co-founder and Scientific Director of attocube)
Sir Peter Knight FRS (The Kavli Royal Society, Imperial College)
Dr Richard Murray (Emerging Technologies and Industries, Innovate UK)
Dr Hartmut Neven (Director of Engineering at Google, Quantum Artificial Intelligence Laboratory)
Dr Gregoire Ribordy (Founder and CEO of ID Quantique)
Dr Frances Saunders CB FREng FRInstP (President of the Institute of Physics 2013–2015)
My fellow participants were:
Ryan Amiri – Heriot-Watt University
Amir Feizpour/Kris Kaczmarek – University of Oxford
Guilherme Tosi/Vivien Schmitt - University of New South Wales (Sydney)
Andrea Rocchetto – University of Oxford
For more information and resources about commercialising quantum technology please go to the official Nature page here.
Entrepreneur First was founded in 2011 by Matt Clifford and Alice Bentinck to help top technical talent build world-class tech start-ups in London. It is Europe’s leading early-stage investor in deep technology companies.
The Forum was supported by Innovate UK who have championed quantum technology development and offer funding to academics/SMEs and industry to taking all facets of research into industry.
UCL also prepared a lovely press release which you can read here.