UofG spinout Quantcore wins Institute of Physics prize
Published: 18 June 2026
A pioneering University of Glasgow spinout which is developing advanced quantum hardware for use across a wide range of industries has been awarded a major prize by the Institute of Physics.
A pioneering University of Glasgow spinout which is developing advanced quantum hardware for use across a wide range of industries has been awarded a major prize by the Institute of Physics (IOP).
Quantcore received the IOP’s qBIG prize at the Economist’s Commercialising Quantum 2026 event held on Tuesday 16 June. The prize, awarded by the IOP's quantum Business Innovation and Growth group, recognises and celebrates innovation and real-world commercialisation in quantum technologies.
Quantcore is developing superconducting processors, resonators, and sensors which will help create the quantum computers and sensing systems of the future.
The company, which is based at the university’s Mazumdar-Shaw Advanced Research Centre, recently secured £2.5m in seed funding in a round co-led by PXN Ventures, Blackfinch Ventures and Scottish Enterprise. Investment also came from Quantum Exponential and STAC.
(l-r) Quantcore co-founders Dr Valentino Seferai (CTO), Dr Jack Brennan (CEO), Wridhdhisom Karar (Measurement Lead), and Prof Martin Weides (Scientific Advisor)
One of Quantcore’s key innovations is its use of niobium-based components, which can operate at higher temperatures than materials currently used in many quantum computing systems.
Beyond computing applications, Quantcore's quantum sensors enable secure communications and unprecedented accuracy in medical imaging that classical technology cannot achieve. Their hardware could support future breakthroughs in areas such as neuroscience, early disease detection, secure infrastructure, and fundamental physics.
The company, founded by Dr Jack Brennan, Dr Valentino Seferai, Wridhdhisom Karar, and Professor Martin Weides, was spun out from the University of Glasgow in August 2025.
Professor Weides, Quantcore’s scientific advisor, is also director of the University of Glasgow’s James Watt Nanofabrication Centre (JWNC), where many of Quantcore’s components were prototyped.
He said: “We’re pleased and proud to have received this recognition from the Institute of Physics so soon after Quantcore was established, and during our year of celebrations of the James Watt Nanofabrication Centre’s 20th anniversary.
“Quantcore is the latest in a string of spinout success stories enabled by the JWNC’s state-of-the-art facilities, which have supported more than 170 companies through our commercial arm, Kelvin Nanotechnology. The JWNC is also a key part of the Critical Technology Supercluster, which brings together government, academia and industry with the aim to boost Scotland’s tech sector to a turnover of £10bn by 2035.
“At the same time, we’re continuing to develop our ambitious proposal for the Critical Technologies Nanofabrication Facility (CTNF), which will build on the JWNC’s two decades of achievement. The CTNF will help expand the UK’s sovereign capability in rapid prototyping and low volume production for SMEs and corporates, helping them take critical technologies from lab to market faster and more securely.”
Quantcore CEO Dr Jack Brennan said: "We are delighted to receive the IoP qBIG Prize. Looking at the calibre of previous winners, many of whom have gone on to make a significant impact in the UK's innovation ecosystem, it is fantastic for Quantcore to be recognised alongside such distinguished companies. The award reflects the hard work and ingenuity of our team, what we're building in Glasgow, and points to the strength of the UK's quantum sector.
“We see this not only as recognition of what we have achieved so far, but as encouragement to continue pushing the boundaries of what quantum technology can deliver for industry and society."
The qBIG award is supported by venture capital fund Quantum Exponential, and includes £10,000 in funding, mentoring, and additional business support. Previous recipients include Cerca Magnetics, Equal1 and Delta g.
IOP Director of Science, Innovation and Skills Louis Barson, who hosted an IOP-organised panel at the Commercialising Quantum event, said: “The UK quantum industry is going from strength to strength – and is becoming a major growth engine. The qBIG Prize is all about celebrating the strong pipeline of new physics-powered quantum innovators like Quantcore coming through – and giving them a platform to help accelerate that growth.”
First published: 18 June 2026