Fundraising Fox

Ilana Wisby

Investor

Entrepreneur in Residence at Cambridge Innovation Capital

London, England, United Kingdom

About

Ilana Wisby is a quantum physicist and deep tech entrepreneur who was the founding CEO of Oxford Quantum Circuits (OQC), which she built from a single 2018 patent into a UK quantum company with a 135+ person team across the UK, Japan and Spain and over £100m raised. She has advised UK governments and served on bodies including the UK Business Innovation Forum Council and the World Economic Forum's Global Future Council on Quantum Computing. She holds a PhD in experimental quantum physics from Royal Holloway and the National Physical Laboratory.

Invests in

Deep TechQuantum Computing

Experience

  1. Cambridge Innovation CapitalEntrepreneur in Residencecurrent2026 — presentCambridge
  2. Ilana Wisby AdvisoryQuantum & Deep Tech Advisor, Strategy Consultant, Speaker, NED | Independent Professionalcurrent2024 — present
  3. National Physical Laboratory (NPL)Entrepreneur in Residencecurrent2026 — presentTeddington
  4. National Physical Laboratory (NPL)NPL Science and Technology Advisory Council (STAC)current2025 — present
  5. National Physical Laboratory (NPL)QMI Advisory Councilcurrent2019 — present
  6. Oxford Quantum Circuits LimitedFounding CEO2018 — 2024Reading, England, United Kingdom
  7. Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS)Business Innovation Forum Member2022 — 2024
  8. World Economic ForumGlobal Future Council Member - Quantum2020 — 2024
  9. Schmidt FuturesInternational Strategy Forum 2023 Europe Fellow2023 — 2024Europe
  10. Snap OutCOO2016 — 2018Guildford, United Kingdom
  11. The BehaviouralistData Scientist2017London, United Kingdom
  12. National Physical Laboratory (NPL)Research And Development Scientist - PhD2012 — 2016Teddington, England, United Kingdom

Skills & more

Strategy1Leadership20Public Speaking18Communication9Teamwork14Problem Solving9Team Leadership5Entrepreneurship15Project Management13Product Development7Start-ups10Proposal Writing6
+12 moreProgrammingAgile MethodologiesTechnical writingSoftware DevelopmentTeachingExecutive ManagementMicrofabricationSuperconductorsScience CommunicationP&L ForecastingQuantum ComputingUser Experience (UX)

From Ilana's professional profile.

Investments

Board seats

SpinOr

Per the firm's website.

Colleagues at Cambridge Innovation Capital

Adam Glinsman
Investor at Cambridge Innovation Capital
Andrew Williamson
Managing Partner at Cambridge Innovation Capital
Andy Neely
Vice Chair at Cambridge Innovation Capital
Andy Richards
Investor at Cambridge Innovation Capital
Anne Horgan
Partner at Cambridge Innovation Capital
Christopher Tapper
Senior Associate at Cambridge Innovation Capital
Damian Crowther
Entrepreneur in Residence at Cambridge Innovation Capital
Dipesh Patel
Operating Partner at Cambridge Innovation Capital

Frequently asked questions

Who is Ilana Wisby?
Ilana Wisby is a quantum physicist and deep tech entrepreneur who was the founding CEO of Oxford Quantum Circuits (OQC), which she built from a single 2018 patent into a UK quantum company with a 135+ person team across the UK, Japan and Spain and over £100m raised. She has advised UK governments and served on bodies including the UK Business Innovation Forum Council and the World Economic Forum's Global Future Council on Quantum Computing. She holds a PhD in experimental quantum physics from Royal Holloway and the National Physical Laboratory.
Where does Ilana Wisby work?
Ilana Wisby is Entrepreneur in Residence at Cambridge Innovation Capital.
What does Ilana Wisby invest in?
Ilana Wisby invests in Deep Tech, Quantum Computing.
What boards does Ilana Wisby sit on?
Ilana Wisby holds tracked board seats at SpinOr.
Where did Ilana Wisby go to school?
Ilana Wisby studied at Royal Holloway, University of London (Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Physics).

Founder mafias

Cambridge Innovation Capital mafia3

Also came through, then founded or led a company.

William Tunstall-PedoeFounded UnlikelyAIJonathan MilnerFounded Bit Bio

Royal Holloway, University of London mafia3

Also came through, then founded or led a company.

Andrej Zukov-GregoricDoctor of Philosophy (PhD)Founded unSurveyOleg GibersteinBAFounded Coinrule

Same school

Also attended Royal Holloway, University of London45

Warda DiyarInvestor at 13books CapitalThapanawit JanthraInvestment Analyst at Beacon VCJohn TayDirector of Partnerships and Strategy at Tin Men CapitalYvette PasquaAdvisor & Tech Expert at Chloe CapitalKenneth LamExecutive Director, Fund Operations at The Spartan GroupJussi NunesFinance at SC Ventures

+ 39 more

Shared employers

Also worked at National Physical Laboratory (NPL)2

Annanay KapilaFounder at QFEXTomer SautoyCEO at Atom

Also worked at Oxford Quantum Circuits Limited4

Britt DannemanPrincipal at Alpha EdisonNeil CameronInvestment Director at Parkwalk AdvisorsJavier MancillaConsultant in Technology and Innovation at SquareOne CapitalNicholas Dixon-CleggPartner, Head of Independent Investments at Oxford Science Enterprises

Also worked at Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS)16

Tom PageHead of Investor Relations at Cambridge Innovation CapitalJames WisePartner at Balderton CapitalGemma SiddallInvestment Associate (Sustainability) at University of Cambridge EnterpriseLouise VilladsenManager at The Footprint FirmTony RavenChair of Board and Consultation Committee at UK Innovation & Science Seed FundAlison CampbellInvestor at UK Innovation & Science Seed Fund

+ 10 more

Also worked at Schmidt Futures23

Will ZengPartner at QuantonationKelvin DegbotseCommercial Lead at Founders FactoryAaron SistoPartner at First Spark Ventures, LlcElana BerkowitzManaging Partner at SpringbankJordan BlashekCo-Founder and Managing Partner at America's Frontier FundDomFounding Director at Deep Science Ventures

+ 17 more