Cambridge Innovation Capital (CIC) has appointed Dr Ilana Wisby, the founding CEO of deep tech scaleup Oxford Quantum Circuits (OQC), to its Entrepreneurs in Residence (EIR) programme.
Wisby joins the Cambridge-based venture capital firm’s deep tech team, where she will focus on identifying and translating breakthrough quantum computing research into commercially viable spinouts.
During her seven-year tenure leading OQC, Wisby oversaw the launch of Europe’s first Quantum Computing as a Service (QCaaS) platform and deployed the company’s 32-qubit systems into commercial data centres.
Under her leadership, the Oxford University spinout raised over $100m (£74.6m) in Series A and Series B funding.
Wisby has also served as an advisor on quantum computing to successive UK prime ministers and the World Economic Forum.
“Cambridge is one of the most exciting deep tech ecosystems in the world,” said Dr Ilana Wisby. “Having built and scaled a company before, I know how much the right support matters at the right moment. I’m excited to start building again.”
CIC’s EIR programme seeks to work with experienced deep tech and life sciences executives, embedding them into early-stage IP projects.
Past participants in the initiative include Immutrin CEO Mihriban Tuna and TRIMTECH Therapeutics co-founder Damian Crowther.
Andrew Williamson, managing partner at CIC, added: “Ilana is one of Europe’s most respected deep tech entrepreneurs, with a proven track record of scaling a company from concept to global industry leader.”
