

From Oxford PhD to YC Founder: A Fireside Chat with Brandon Severin
From Oxford PhD to YC Founder: Brandon Severin of Conductor Quantum
A few years ago, Brandon was a PhD student in Oxford. Today he runs a Y Combinator-backed quantum startup in San Francisco, and he’s flying back to tell you how he did it.
Brandon Severin is co-founder and CEO of Conductor Quantum (YC S24), which builds AI that operates and tunes quantum computers. He took his Oxford PhD research, teamed up with a co-founder he met here, and turned it into a company at the meeting point of two of the biggest technologies of the decade.
Join OQS and Oxford Edge for an honest, unscripted evening about what it really takes.
Why you should come
Into quantum? See where the field is actually heading as it moves out of the lab and into industry.
Into tech or AI? Hear how AI is being used to run the hardest machines ever built.
Into business or startups? Get the inside story on YC, fundraising, and building a company from scratch.
Thinking about your own idea? This is your chance to ask someone who’s done it.
The evening
5:00pm Fireside chat and Q&A with Brandon. Nothing is off limits, so bring your questions.
6:00pm Networking with Brandon, founders and investors, free pizza and drinks.
No background needed, just curiosity.