Bristol launches Quantum Technology pre-incubator to create more UK deep tech start-ups

By Nicky Godding

13 October 2021

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The University of Bristol’s Quantum Technology Enterprise Centre (QTEC) is launching a new pre-incubator programme, QUEST, this November.

The QUEST programme will support the rapid generation of new quantum, engineering and scientific technology companies.

Bristol has a pretty impressive quantum computing record, with a third of all UK quantum start-ups originating out of the university. Since 2016, QTEC has supported the creation of 28 active companies with a combined valuation of more than £120 million. These companies have raised more t Han £57 million and created in excess of 175 new skilled jobs within the UK.

QUEST is a 6-month programme for UK university researchers who are looking to commercialise their tech. Selected founders will receive skills and training designed specifically for the creation of deep tech companies, plus mentoring from respected industry leaders, regular road-mapping sessions with a team of Entrepreneurs in Residence and the potential to pitch for capital from a network of UK and European angel investors and VCs.

Participating founders will benefit from the proximity to the Bristol and Bath region, one of the most innovative, creative and desirable places to live in the UK. The Bristol and Bath smart city region is home to a 5G testbed and the UK’s most productive tech cluster, providing world class digital connectivity. In addition, the founders will have access to the entrepreneurial network in the West of England which has a strong track record of commercial success in bringing research and innovation to market.

Kimberley Brook, Programme Manager of QUEST said: “To ensure the UK remains at the forefront of deep tech innovation, it is vital we upskill our PhD students and researchers to enable them to develop companies based on university research. Through QTEC we have demonstrated that scientists make excellent CEOs and CTOs provided they are given the training, skills and support they need to succeed early on in their entrepreneurial journey.”

Neciah Dorh, CEO and Co-founder of FluoretiQ, who has previously been a Fellow at QTEC, says: “QTEC gave me the freedom to explore the commercial possibilities of my technology.”

FluoretiQ Limited (FQ) was founded to solve the £1.1 billion problem of using broad spectrum antibiotics as an alternative for accurate diagnosis of infection. It developed NANOPLEX™ technology to ensure that Primary Healthcare professionals can prescribe the most effective antibiotic treatment from day one. Since co-founding the company in 2017, Neciah has attracted grant and investment funding opportunities and forged long-term strategic partnerships to ensure patients receive the most effective antibiotic first time; Saving Time, Saving Money and most importantly Saving Lives.

Matthew Hutchings, CPO and Co-founder of SEEQC, says of his time at QTEC: “If QTEC had not instilled the confidence that I was ready to pitch my business, I would not be in the position I am now. I am a co-founder of a VC-backed company based in the USA and the UK, with 18 employees and counting.”

QUEST applications close on 31 October 2021 - https://www.qtecbristol.com/quest

The Quantum Technology Enterprise Centre was funded by the Engineering and Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC) in 2016 as a skills and training hub in Quantum Systems Engineering and is a key part of the UK's National Quantum Technology Programme. It is a world-leading pre-incubator for innovators for quantum inspired technologies.

QTEC offers quantum scientists and engineers a safe environment to explore the commercial potential of their technology. The training programme allows them to develop the skills they need to set up a successful technology start-up and the team of expert mentors led by the QTEC management team, support each Fellow through the start-up process.

QTEC has supported the creation of 28 active companies including KETS Quantum Security, QLM, FluoretiQ Nu Quantum, Quantum Dice, QURECA, Vector Photonics

By Nicky Godding

Nicky Godding is editor of The Business Magazine. Before her journalism career, she worked mainly in public relations moving into writing when she was invited to launch Retail Watch, a publication covering retail and real estate across Europe.

After some years of constant travelling, she tucked away her passport and concentrated on business writing, co-founding a successful regional business magazine. She has interviewed some of the UK’s most successful entrepreneurs who have built multi-million-pound businesses and reported on many science and technology firsts.

She reports on the region’s thriving business economy from start-ups, family businesses and multi-million-pound corporations, to the professionals that support their growth and the institutions that educate the next generation of business leaders.