2024 NSW Award
The 2024 NSW Pearcey Entrepreneur of the Year Award recipient is quantum technology pioneer Prof Michael J. Biercuk PhD. The award was presented at a special Pearcey Foundation event on Thursday 7 November in Sydney by Mark Englund, the 2022 NSW award recipient.
Professor Biercuk is a global science and technology innovator building the greenfield quantum technology industry. He founded Q-CTRL in 2017, now a global business leading the development of quantum infrastructure software, delivering unique technology to accelerate the pathway to the world's first useful quantum computers. Q-CTRL now has 130 employees globally, secured $168 million in funding and is surpassing benchmarks for practical quantum applications.
Benjamin Chong, partner at Right Click Capital and chair of the NSW Pearcey judging committee, commented,
Michael was first nominated for this award in 2021, so we are delighted to see his upward trajectory continuing three years later.
He took a risk in founding Q-CTRL, a risky venture in a nascent industry. Michael is also an inspiration to his peers as an advocate for Australia’s role in the quantum field and through his educational efforts to make quantum computing accessible to everyone through Q-CTRL’s Black Opal interactive online learning platform.
The Pearcey NSW Entrepreneur Award is presented to an outstanding individual who has "taken a risk, made a difference and is an inspiration to others" in the NSW ICT industry. The process draws on nominations from the public and the Pearcey Foundation network. Selection is made in consultation with past award recipients to ensure the continued integrity and quality of this peer-based recognition.
Prof Michael J. Biercuk PhD
Michael Biercuk, CEO and founder of Q-CTRL, is one of the world’s leading experts in quantum technology. Michael serves as professor of Quantum Physics and Quantum Technology at the University of Sydney. In 2017, he founded Q-CTRL based on research he led at the university’s Quantum Control Lab.
Q-CTRL is dedicated to helping researchers realise the true potential of quantum hardware, from quantum sensing to quantum computing. In quantum computing, the Q-CTRL team is known for its efforts in reducing hardware errors caused by environmental ‘noise.’ Computational errors are considered a major obstacle in the development of useful quantum computers and sought-after breakthroughs in science and industry.
Q-CTRL is funded by some of the world’s leading venture capital firms, including Silicon Valley-based Sierra Ventures and Sequoia Capital, SquarePeg Capital, Data Collective, Horizons Ventures, and Main Sequence Ventures. The company is headquartered in Sydney, Australia, and has opened global offices in the U.S., Germany and the U.K.
Michael completed his master’s degree and Ph.D. in physics at Harvard University and his undergraduate degree at the University of Pennsylvania. Upon graduation, he held a research fellowship in the Ion Storage Group at NIST Boulder and later served as a technical consultant to DARPA, the premier research funding agency in the U.S., helping steer government investments in quantum information and next-generation computer architectures.
Michael speaks with clarity and authority about science and technology and is adept at making physics accessible to a lay audience. He is a regular contributor to both the technical literature and popular media and is a TEDxSydney and SXSW speaking alumnus.
Michael is also an avid collector of mechanical watches, and has spoken at events including Dubai Watch Week and TEDxSydney on the links between high horology and the most advanced research in quantum technology.
Pearcey Event
The Pearcey NSW ICT Entrepreneur of the Year Award event is an annual event that recognises an exceptional NSW entrepreneur, often mid-career, who showcases trailblazing innovation, impactful contributions, and serves as an inspiration in the technological sphere.
The 2024 event, attended by well over 100 people, was held on Wednesday, 6 November from 6pm at the ASX Exchange Square, 20 Bridge St, Sydney. It included a University Pitching competition showcasing rising stars in NSW.
Unfortunately, Michael Biercuk was overseas so couldn't be at the event in person to accept the award. Dr Mark Englund, CEO and founder of FiberSense, presented the award which was accepted on Michael's behalf by Benjamin Chong, partner at Right Click Capital and chair of the NSW Pearcey judging committee.
Pictured: (L-R) Mark Englund, Ben Chong
Sponsors
Thanks to our sponsors ASX, The Next Generation, ACS and Macquarie Government.
