Featured Speakers Who’ve Walked Your Path
Enjoy a thought-provoking fireside chat featuring Professor Terry Rudolph– who transformed his Imperial quantum physics research into PsiQuantum, now a $6 billion Silicon Valley powerhouse. This candid discussion will focus on the practical journey from lab to market – including challenges of transitioning from academia to startups, building world-class teams, and translating complex science into viable businesses.
The conversation will be led by Georgia Ritter, Head of Marketing at Giant Ventures and accomplished podcast host featured in Esquire & GQ
Panel Discussion on Scaling Science-Driven Ventures: Following the fireside chat, join us for a dynamic panel discussion chaired by Following the fireside chat, join us for a dynamic panel discussion chaired by Jia Lin Yong, Investor at Giant Ventures and former Chief of Staff at Babylon Health.
The panel will feature early and growth-stage founders, including:
- Anna Luisa Schaffgotsch– Founder & CEO of Impli, whose innovative implantable biosensors for at-home hormone monitoring recently secured a partnership with pharmaceutical giant Bayer
- Glen Gowers– Co-founder of Basecamp Research, who has raised over £65m since 2020 building what’s being called the “GPT of biology” – the world’s largest AI-driven biodiversity database
- Simon Hunter, Former Director of Product at unicorn company Hinge Health
Why This Matters to Your Research Career: Rather than diving into technical specifics, this event focuses on the practical aspects of turning research into real-world impact. You’ll gain valuable insights on navigating the founder journey, building teams, rasing investment and creating high-impact ventures.
Expect bold ideas, candid stories, and tangible advice on scaling science-driven ventures.
Following the panel, join our curated networking session, where you’ll connect with potential collaborators, investors specifically interested in early-stage deep tech, and fellow researchers who’ve successfully commercialized their work.
Our speakers
Terry Rudolph is Co-founder and Chief Architect at PsiQuantum and invented the fusion-based quantum computing approach that PsiQuantum’s quantum computer is based on. Terry did his PhD in theoretical quantum optics and held positions at the University of Toronto and Bell Labs before moving to Imperial College in 2003 where he became Professor of Quantum Physics in 2011. In the period 2004-2015 he wrote four academic papers founding a theoretical approach to photonic quantum computing that forms the basis from which PsiQuantum’s current architecture has been further developed. He also founded and then co-Directed for 7 years the UK’s first Centre for Doctoral Training, which graduated over 130 PhD students in the field of quantum information. His research receives more than 1,000 citations per year.
Anna-Luisa Schaffgotsch is the Founder and CEO of Impli, a pioneering healthtech company developing the world’s first continuous hormone monitoring platform. With a background in biotechnology and a track record in scaling medtech ventures, she is leading the charge in transforming women’s healthcare.
Glen Gowers is a co-founder of Basecamp Research. The inception of Basecamp Research began on the ‘Return to Vatnajokull’ ski expedition led by Glen and his co-founder Oliver which retraced a 1932 route. They lived on the ice cap for a whole month and became the first to conduct fully off-grid DNA sequencing in a polar environment, opening up entirely new avenues to explore novel biodiversity at the genetic level. Glen and his co-founder Oliver met over 10 years ago whist completing their degrees in biochemistry and engineering, respectively, at the University of Oxford. Glen also has a PhD in synthetic biology from Imperial College London.
Additional information
- Please complete your registration in full to confirm dietary and accessibility requirements.
- This is a ticketed event with limited space.
- This is an invite-only event, we reserve the right to cancel tickets.
- Venue accessibility information can be viewed via AccessAble.
- Any questions, please contact j.groves@imperial.ac.uk
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