Oxford Ionics Named Technology Pioneer by World Economic Forum

OXFORD, UK, 27th June, 2025: Oxford Ionics, a leader in trapped-ion quantum computing, today announced that it has been recognised as a 2025 Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum. 

Now in its 25th year, the Technology Pioneers programme celebrates companies that are developing innovative technologies to address some of the world’s most pressing challenges. Since its inception, the community has championed the technology of more than 1,200 organisations – including household names like Google, PayPal, DropBox, and SoundCloud. This year, the World Economic Forum honoured 100 companies across industries like advanced robotics, aerospace, and AI. 

Oxford Ionics was selected for its pioneering approach to building quantum computers which uniquely relies on electronics instead of lasers to control its qubits. Called ‘Electronic Qubit Control’, this patented technology unlocks unprecedented scalability by enabling the company to manufacture its quantum chips via the existing semiconductor supply chain. This approach has yielded the highest performing quantum platform in the world – Oxford Ionics holds the world records in all three of quantum computing’s ‘super metrics’: single-gate fidelity, two-qubit gate fidelity, and quantum state preparation and measurement (SPAM). 

The company has rapidly commercialised its quantum computers, selling systems to customers including the UK’s National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC) and Germany’s Cyberagentur. Further, Oxford Ionics was recently selected for the United States’ DARPA Quantum Benchmarking Initiative, a programme designed to verify and validate the quantum computing approaches that can achieve utility-scale operation by the year 2033. 

For more information about the 2025 Technology Pioneers, the full list can be viewed on the World Economic Forum’s website here. 

Oxford Ionics was co-founded in 2019 by Dr Tom Harty and Dr Chris Ballance who both hold world records in quantum breakthroughs. The team includes 60 global experts across physics, quantum architecture, engineering and software and expects to triple headcount over the next 18 months as the business scales internationally. Oxford Ionics has raised £37 million to date with investors including Braavos, OSE, Lansdowne Partners, Prosus Ventures, 2xN, and Hermann Hauser (founder of chip giant ARM). In 2024, Oxford Ionics rapidly commercialised its technology, selling full-stack quantum computers to the UK’s National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC) and Germany’s Cyberagentur. The company also holds the world records in the three most important metrics for quantum performance: single- and two-qubit gate fidelity and quantum state preparation and measurement (SPAM). For more information, visit our website www.oxionics.com

The World Economic Forum, committed to improving the state of the world, is the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation. The Forum engages the foremost political, business and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas. (www.weforum.org).

Launched in 2000, the Technology Pioneers community marks its 25th anniversary in 2025 as a leading platform for early-stage companies from around the world that are shaping the future through breakthrough technologies and innovations. These companies are selected for their potential to have a significant impact on business and society and are invited to engage with public and private sector leaders through the World Economic Forum’s global platform.

The Technology Pioneers community is part of the Innovator Communities within the Forum’s Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The Innovator Communities convene the world’s leading global start-ups across different growth stages from early-stage Technology Pioneers to growth-stage Global Innovators and unicorn companies valued at more than $1 billion.