Exeter College student part of quantum start-up securing £50,000 Innovate UK grant
Exeter College student, Wan Er Thang (2024, MEng Engineering Science) was part of a student team whose quantum computing start-up, Entangled Quantum, secured a £50,000 Innovate UK grant following their participation in last summer’s StEP Ignite programme.
StEP Ignite is jointly run by Oxford University Innovation and Oxford Edge, established by Christ Church to support student-led ventures across disciplines. The summer programme provides selected undergraduates and postgraduates with bursary funding, mentoring from established entrepreneurs, and practical workshops to help develop early-stage ideas into scalable ventures.
Entangled Quantum brings together students from Exeter, St Edmund Hall, and Wolfson College. With the team working to improve the efficiency and reliability of quantum algorithms by optimising quantum circuit design and execution. By reducing noise and addressing performance bottlenecks, their work aimed to make quantum computing more scalable and applicable to complex, real-world challenges.
During the programme, the team developed and submitted a proposal to Innovate UK, successfully securing £50,000 to further advance their technology. The funding will support continued technical development and validation as Entangled Quantum moves to the next stage of growth.
Following the summer programme, the team was also selected by Oxford University Innovation to take part in Stage Two in Berlin last October. There, they presented their business idea and won the Fast-Track to Investment Committee (IC) Accelerate Prize, sponsored by Armilar Venture Partners.
Oxford Edge was created to bridge academic knowledge with practical application, drawing together partners from across the University and the wider innovation ecosystem. Entangled Quantum’s success reflects both the strength of this collaborative model and the ambition of Exeter students to translate cutting-edge research into tangible impact.
Exeter College congratulates Wan Er and the Entangled Quantum team on this significant achievement and looks forward to following their continued progress.
Wan Er Thang and the team of Entangled Quantum
