Key Points
- Cambridge Innovation Capital has appointed Dr Ilana Wisby, founder and former chief executive of Oxford Quantum Circuits, to its Entrepreneurs in Residence programme.
- Wisby will join CIC’s deep tech team to help identify and translate quantum computing research into commercial spinouts.
- During her seven-year leadership at OQC, she helped launch Europe’s first Quantum Computing as a Service platform.
- OQC also deployed 32-qubit systems into commercial data centres under her leadership.
- The Oxford University spinout raised more than $100m in Series A and Series B funding while she was chief executive.
- Wisby has advised successive UK prime ministers and the World Economic Forum on quantum computing.
- CIC says the EIR programme works with experienced deep tech and life sciences executives on early-stage intellectual property projects.
- Past participants have included Immutrin chief executive Mihriban Tuna and TRIMTECH Therapeutics co-founder Damian Crowther.
Cambridge (Cambridge Tribune) July 10, 2026 – Cambridge Innovation Capital (CIC) has appointed Dr Ilana Wisby, the founding chief executive of deep tech scale-up Oxford Quantum Circuits, to its Entrepreneurs in Residence programme. The move brings one of the UK’s best-known quantum computing figures into CIC’s deep tech investment team, where she will work on turning research ideas into companies that can reach the market.
As reported by CIC, Wisby’s role will focus on identifying breakthrough quantum computing work and helping shape it into commercially viable spinouts. The appointment reflects a broader push by venture firms to pair capital with specialist operators who have already scaled difficult science-led businesses. CIC is positioning the programme as a bridge between early research and the practical demands of company building.
The announcement places Wisby inside a programme that is designed to support early-stage intellectual property projects. CIC says the initiative brings in experienced executives from deep tech and life sciences to help researchers and founders navigate the path from laboratory work to commercial products. That model is increasingly common in sectors where technical complexity and long development cycles can slow down company formation.
Why Is Wisby Important To CIC?
Wisby’s experience at Oxford Quantum Circuits is central to why CIC has brought her in. During seven years leading the company, she oversaw the launch of Europe’s first Quantum Computing as a Service platform, a milestone that helped make quantum hardware accessible through cloud-style commercial delivery. She also led the deployment of 32-qubit systems into commercial data centres, extending the company’s reach beyond laboratory settings.
Her track record also includes major fundraising success. Under her leadership, the Oxford University spinout raised more than $100m, split across Series A and Series B rounds. For a venture firm backing deep tech, that combination of technical credibility, fundraising experience and commercial execution is particularly relevant when assessing early-stage spinouts.
CIC managing partner Andrew Williamson said Wisby is “one of Europe’s most respected deep tech entrepreneurs” and praised her record of scaling a company from concept to global industry leader. That language signals how CIC views the appointment: not simply as an advisory role, but as a practical addition to its investment and venture-building process.
What Did Wisby Say?
Dr Ilana Wisby described Cambridge as one of the most exciting deep tech ecosystems in the world. She said that having built and scaled a company before, she understands how much the right support matters at the right moment. Her comment suggests that she sees the appointment as an opportunity to help founders at the stage where technical promise still needs structure, capital and commercial direction.
Wisby also said she was excited to start building again. That phrase matters because it points to an active, hands-on role rather than a purely ceremonial advisory position. In practice, Entrepreneurs in Residence programmes often rely on people who can sit close to opportunity, assess research quickly and help founders avoid common early mistakes.
Her background gives the comments added weight. In addition to her work at OQC, she has advised successive UK prime ministers and the World Economic Forum on quantum computing. That experience suggests she has operated at both company level and policy level, which may help CIC connect scientific opportunity with wider market and strategic trends.
What Does The EIR Programme Do?
CIC’s Entrepreneurs in Residence programme is intended to work with senior figures who can help shape early scientific ideas into investable businesses. The firm says it embeds experienced executives into early-stage IP projects, which means the programme is aimed at the point where a concept still needs commercial framing. That makes it different from later-stage investment support, where companies already have products, customers and revenue.
The model can be especially useful in deep tech, where research may be strong but the route to market is uncertain. By bringing in operators who have already handled fundraising, product development and scaling, CIC can reduce the gap between academic innovation and commercial delivery. In sectors such as quantum computing, that gap is often wide because the technology is complex and the customer base is still forming.
CIC has used the programme before with other experienced executives. Past participants include Immutrin chief executive Mihriban Tuna and TRIMTECH Therapeutics co-founder Damian Crowther. Those examples show that CIC is not treating the EIR role as a one-off appointment, but as part of a continuing strategy for sourcing and shaping early deep tech opportunities.
What Does This Mean For Quantum Computing?
Wisby’s appointment comes at a time when quantum computing remains a high-interest but still developing part of the deep tech market. Commercial viability is still being tested across hardware, software and service delivery, which makes experienced leadership especially valuable. Investors and researchers alike are looking for people who can move beyond the technical milestone and build a business around it.
Her background in Quantum Computing as a Service is significant because it reflects a route to market that helps customers use quantum capabilities without owning the hardware themselves. That approach can make the technology more accessible while the sector matures. For venture investors, such models may also offer clearer commercial pathways than hardware development alone.
At the same time, the appointment shows how investment firms are trying to lower the risk in early spinouts by adding seasoned operators. In practical terms, that may improve the chances that promising research projects become companies with a realistic plan for product development, fundraising and customer engagement. It also reinforces Cambridge’s standing as a centre for deep tech entrepreneurship.
Background Of The Development
CIC is a Cambridge-based venture capital firm with a strong focus on deep tech, a category that includes highly technical fields such as quantum computing, advanced engineering and life sciences. Its Entrepreneurs in Residence programme is built to connect those sectors with experienced business leaders who can help turn intellectual property into companies.
Oxford Quantum Circuits, the company Wisby founded and led, emerged as one of the better-known UK quantum computing businesses during a period when the field was attracting significant investor attention. Under her leadership, OQC’s milestones included the launch of Europe’s first QCaaS platform and the deployment of 32-qubit systems into commercial data centres. The company also raised substantial venture funding, which helped establish it as a notable example of UK quantum commercialisation.
Wisby’s wider profile in policy and industry also helps explain the appointment. Advising UK prime ministers and the World Economic Forum placed her at the intersection of technology and decision-making, making her a relevant figure for a venture firm that works at the front end of science-led company creation. CIC’s decision therefore fits a wider pattern in which investors seek not only capital allocators, but also experienced builders who understand the realities of scaling deep tech.
Prediction
For deep tech founders, especially those working in quantum computing, this appointment may mean stronger support at the earliest stages of company formation. CIC-backed spinouts could benefit from faster commercial shaping, more credible fundraising preparation and closer links to experienced industry operators.
For the wider Cambridge ecosystem, the development may reinforce the city’s position as a hub where scientific research is more likely to be translated into companies. For investors, it may signal continued interest in specialist venture-building models that combine capital with sector expertise. For researchers, it may increase the chances that promising work finds a clearer path to market, though the pace of progress will still depend on technical breakthroughs and customer demand.
