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[UK] Coming to America with Chris Ballance (CEO & Founder of Oxford Ionics)
The US offers UK tech companies greater access to capital, customers, and scale. Succeeding there means rethinking how you build and run your business.
For this session of Coming to America, we’re delighted to welcome Chris Ballance, CEO and Co-founder of Oxford Ionics - one of the world’s leading quantum computing companies and winner of the Deep Tech Award at the GBx Gala 2024.
Founded in 2019, Oxford Ionics is a world-leading quantum computing company that achieved a $1bn+ acquisition by IonQ in 2025. The company has set world records in quantum performance and developed breakthrough ion-trap technology built on standard semiconductor chips - helping bring quantum computing closer to real-world use.
The combination with IonQ brings together complementary technologies to accelerate the development of large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computers, unlocking transformative applications across industries - from drug discovery to cybersecurity - in a market projected to reach up to $850bn by 2040.
Chris will be in conversation with GBx Advisory Board Member and Managing Partner of Wilson Sonsini London, Daniel Glazer.
Together, they will explore what it takes for a UK deep tech company to compete and win in the US - from attracting world-class investors and partners to scaling frontier technologies globally. They’ll also discuss how expectations differ across US stakeholders, including investors, commercial partners, employees, and acquirers, and what UK founders must do to meet them.
With thanks to our partners: Silicon Valley Bank and WSGR.