Insider Brief
- Cambridge Innovation Capital has appointed Dr Ilana Wisby, former CEO and founder of Oxford Quantum Circuits, as an Entrepreneur in Residence focused on deep-tech commercialization.
- During her leadership at OQC, Wisby helped launch a quantum computing-as-a-service offering and deliver commercial quantum systems to data centers.
- Wisby will support CIC’s deep-tech team by exploring quantum computing applications and helping translate scientific research into commercial ventures.
Press release – Cambridge Innovation Capital (CIC), the Cambridge-based VC firm investing in the UK’s highest-potential deep tech and life sciences companies, has appointed Dr Ilana Wisby, the founding CEO of Oxford Quantum Circuits (OQC), to its Entrepreneurs in Residence (EIR) programme.
Dr Ilana Wisby joins CIC after seven years leading OQC, one of the world’s leading quantum computing companies. She led the launch of Europe’s first Quantum Computing as a Service product and delivered 32-qubit systems into commercial data centres – a world first. During her tenure, OQC achieved a 55x increase in valuation and raised more than $100 million in Series A and Series B funding rounds.
Cambridge Innovation Capital’s EIR programme bridges the gap between breakthrough scientific research and commercial success. The initiative matches high-potential IP and founders with experienced deep tech and life sciences executives, who bring a track record of creating significant value with their previous businesses.
By introducing experienced leadership from the start of a company’s journey, the EIR programme accelerates progress towards viable commercialisation. Alumni of CIC’s EIR programme include Mihriban Tuna, CEO of biotech firm Immutrin, which recently raised £65 million in Series A funding, Damian Crowther, co-founder of TRIMTECH Therapeutics, which recently raised £35 million in seed funding and Ferenc Huszár, Founder of Reasonable AI.
Dr Wisby brings significant startup and scaleup experience through her time at OQC. She has also served as an advisor to successive UK Prime Ministers on quantum computing and has served on councils for the World Economic Forum and the UK Government, and as Board advisor for the National Physics Laboratory. Dr Wisby will be an EIR in CIC’s deep tech team, where she will explore real-world uses for quantum computing. Her work will focus on translating the breakthrough technology into commercial applications that deliver a positive impact.
Current EIRs on the programme include Sally Epstein, former Chief Innovation Officer at Cambridge Consultants, Laurent Jespers, former Chief Scientific Officer at Xap Therapeutics and Director at Domantis Ltd (acquired by GSK), Ignas Budvytis, an Assistant Professor of Computer Vision and Robotics in the Department of Engineering at the University of Cambridge, James Chapman, former Chief Product Officer at Imagination Technologies and General Manager of Qualcomm’s Voice, Music & Wearables business, Philip Winter, a Co-founder of hardware startup Nebia (acq. Brondell) and interim CEO of biotech Supplant (recently acquired) and Rodrigo Santos, former CTO of clock.bio.
Dr Ilana Wisby, Entrepreneur in Residence at Cambridge Innovation Capital, says: “It’s a real privilege to be joining CIC’s exceptional team and the brilliant founders already on the EIR programme. Cambridge is one of the most exciting deep tech ecosystems in the world, and CIC sits right at its heart. Having built and scaled a company before, I know how much the right support matters at the right moment, and CIC offers exactly that. I’m excited to start building again, and to draw on Cambridge’s outstanding talent, expertise and capital, alongside CIC’s wider UK and international networks, to build a company that turns world-class science into meaningful global impact.”
Andrew Williamson, Managing Partner at Cambridge Innovation Capital, says: “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. We are excited to welcome her to the EIR programme, and look forward to supporting her as she builds her next world-class business.”
