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Ilana Wisby
InvestorEntrepreneur in Residence at Cambridge Innovation Capital
London, England, United Kingdom
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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
- Cambridge Innovation CapitalEntrepreneur in Residencecurrent2026 — presentCambridge
- Ilana Wisby AdvisoryQuantum & Deep Tech Advisor, Strategy Consultant, Speaker, NED | Independent Professionalcurrent2024 — present
- National Physical Laboratory (NPL)Entrepreneur in Residencecurrent2026 — presentTeddington
- National Physical Laboratory (NPL)NPL Science and Technology Advisory Council (STAC)current2025 — present
- National Physical Laboratory (NPL)QMI Advisory Councilcurrent2019 — present
- Oxford Quantum Circuits LimitedFounding CEO2018 — 2024Reading, England, United Kingdom
- Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS)Business Innovation Forum Member2022 — 2024
- World Economic ForumGlobal Future Council Member - Quantum2020 — 2024
- Schmidt FuturesInternational Strategy Forum 2023 Europe Fellow2023 — 2024Europe
- Snap OutCOO2016 — 2018Guildford, United Kingdom
- The BehaviouralistData Scientist2017London, United Kingdom
- National Physical Laboratory (NPL)Research And Development Scientist - PhD2012 — 2016Teddington, England, United Kingdom
Skills & more
Strategy1Leadership20Public Speaking18Communication9Teamwork14Problem Solving9Team Leadership5Entrepreneurship15Project Management13Product Development7Start-ups10Proposal Writing6
+12 more
ProgrammingAgile 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
Royal Holloway, University of London mafia16
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Jesse LozanoPolitical Science and GovernmentFounded Pi Top +1Romain SestierBusiness Management & MarketingFounded StackOne +1Ryan WindhamBScFounded AppViewX +1Andrej Zukov-GregoricDoctor of Philosophy (PhD)Founded unSurveyOleg GibersteinBAFounded CoinruleDr Shahram MossayebiMaster of Science (MSc)Founded Crypto Quantique
Start Codon mafia11
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Damian CrowtherEntrepreneur In ResidenceFounded TRIMTech TherapeuticsWilliam Tunstall-PedoeMember of the Advisory PanelFounded UnlikelyAIPhilip WinterOperating PartnerFounded The Supplant CompanyIan TomlinsonChairFounded Apollo TherapeuticsEmmanouela PetsolariVenture PromoterFounded ACXAlexander PombergerVenture AnalystFounded ReactWise
Cambridge Innovation Capital mafia5
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Same school
Also attended Royal Holloway, University of London91
Anna JonesInvestor at Mercuri.vcWarda DiyarInvestor at 13books CapitalThapanawit JanthraInvestment Analyst at Beacon VCJohn TayDirector of Partnerships and Strategy at Tin Men CapitalNathalie KönigOperating Partner at CapnamicYvette PasquaAdvisor & Tech Expert at Chloe Capital
+ 85 more
Shared employers
Also worked at National Physical Laboratory (NPL)8
Annanay KapilaFounder at QFEXTomer SautoyCEO at AtomDarko Matovski, PhDFounder at CausalensIan ButterworthChief Technology Officer at Leuko LabsLeonardo Del BinoFounder at AkhetonicsPujun BhatnagarExecutive Officer, Director, Promoter at Kintsugi AI
+ 2 more
Also worked at Oxford Quantum Circuits Limited8
Britt DannemanPrincipal at Alpha EdisonNeil CameronInvestment Director at Parkwalk AdvisorsJavier MancillaConsultant in Technology and Innovation at SquareOne CapitalPeter LeekFounder at Oxford Investment Consultants LLPNicholas Dixon-CleggPartner, Head of Independent Investments at Oxford Science EnterprisesGerald MullallyCEO at Oxford Quantum Circuits
+ 2 more
Also worked at Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS)26
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
+ 20 more
Also worked at Schmidt Futures32
Will ZengPartner at QuantonationJacqueline TameOperating Partner External Affairs at Playground GlobalKelvin DegbotseCommercial Lead at Founders FactoryAaron SistoPartner at First Spark Ventures, LlcChristine KeungPartner at J2 VenturesElana BerkowitzManaging Partner at Springbank
+ 26 more