Our Bristol quantum pre-incubation programme at the Quantum Technology Enterprise Centre (QTEC) has been running since 2016. Funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council it provides enterprise training for the UK’s national quantum technology programme and the researchers considering developing new quantum technology start-ups.

The 12-month programmes have seen four cohorts comprising 41 individuals, and a further 500 people have been supported through our ‘Start Something’ events and short programmes.  Most importantly, the programme has resulted in the creation of one third of all the UK quantum start-ups during this period.

We have learnt a lot from lessons of QTEC, including that the programme can be technology agnostic and can support businesses in a range of areas beyond quantum, including aerospace, health, bioscience and agritech.

It is also clear that QTEC bridged a clear skills and training gap for PhD students and researchers who had no commercial background but wanted to create their own technology businesses.

The launch of QUEST

These findings helped us identify a specific need for a shorter 6-month training programme for researchers looking to commercialise deep technologies, with QUEST launching in November 2021.

The QUEST programme supports researchers to become founders and leaders of their businesses with training, mentoring and road-mapping to ensure they will attract the right sort of funding at the right time. 

As for QTEC, it offers practitioner-led training programme to bring the researchers together with founders of some of UK’s most successful business founders, including Phil O’Donovan, Co-founder and Managing Director of CSR plc, and Jamie Urquhart, Co-founder of ARM.

Our first cohort is made up of 7 quantum companies and we have brought on a further 4 deep tech companies from partnering programmes such as the University of Bristol’s New Enterprise Competition, SETsquared Bristol’s Breakthrough Bursary and Cambridge’s Impulse programme. The companies are in the very early stage of their entrepreneurial journey, and we hope to get them ready for seed investment by the time they complete the programme in May 2022.

We are currently seeking PhD students and researchers at UK universities who have an idea for a new deep technology to join the next cohort of QUEST which will take place later on this year. Find out more and  register your interest on our website.

Alternatively, if you’re wondering if entrepreneurship is the right next step for you in your career, QTEC will also be re-launching its ‘Start Something’ programme in Spring 2022.