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Quantum computing is widely seen as a transformative technology, but most current systems remain large, complex machines operating under extreme conditions. Quantum Brilliance is pursuing a different vision: compact quantum processors built from synthetic diamond that can operate at room temperature and integrate directly with existing computing infrastructure. eeNews Europe talks to CEO Mark Luo about the strategic decisions behind this approach, the company’s path from research breakthrough to global recognition, and how deployable quantum systems could move the technology from the lab into real-world computing environments.

eeNews Europe: Quantum Brilliance was named one of TIME’s Top 100 Inventions of 2025, alongside companies like NVIDIA and Microsoft.  From a founder’s perspective, what were the key decisions that transformed a breakthrough idea into a recognised global innovation?

Our idea was to take quantum anywhere. Most quantum technologies are constrained due to limitations of nature. We founded Quantum Brilliance on the conviction that diamond is the technology which can achieve small and high-volume products that can be part of everyday technology, shaping 21^st century technology in the way silicon microchips shaped the 20^th century.

The room-temperature and room pressure feature of our technology was something we were never going to compromise on. You can make cryogenic diamond quantum technology, but we chose not to pursue this path. This shapes all our decisions, from chip design, market sequencing, our products, our partners, and our priorities.

We also invested heavily in Europe, the “birthplace” of quantum diamond technology.  Add to that funding support from the EU government within 18 months of founding, helped give us an international footprint from the outset.

eeNews Europe: Quantum Brilliance has taken a different path with compact, room-temperature quantum systems rather than large, centralised machines.  Why did you believe this approach was the right strategic choice from the beginning?

Room-temperature and room-pressure operation is critical because it changes where you can deploy these products, and who can really use it.

From a commercialization perspective, mobility changes the size of the market opportunity. Compact, room-temperature quantum devices open the door to deployment across millions of data centers, offices, vehicles, satellites, and interplanetary travel one day…

eeNews Europe: Quantum Brilliance highlights applications ranging from optimisation to computational chemistry and machine learning.  Which real-world problem do you believe quantum computing is uniquely positioned to solve first, and what makes that application achievable in the near term?

The adoption of quantum technology will not be a singular ‘cinematic’ event that solves an industry overnight. Instead, it will earn its place through the incremental optimisation of high-value workflows. I anticipate a pragmatic adoption curve: beginning with high-volume adoptions in quantum sensing, followed by a scaling demand for quantum computing as the ecosystem matures.

If I had to pick an area where the logic is strongest in quantum computing, I would say molecular dynamics; computational chemistry problems inside hybrid HPC workflows.  Near-term to me means adding quantum as a tool to the stack for the parts of the problem that are the hardest to model classically.  That is a more realistic path based on where the technology in general is today.

eeNews Europe: One of your systems is already deployed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.  What did it take to move from an experimental quantum system to something trusted enough to run inside a world-leading research facility?

That deployment served as a benchmark for our operational maturity, extending well beyond mere hardware delivery. Our systems engineering focused rigorously on automation, remote oversight, autonomous recovery, and long-term supportability. By seamlessly integrating with existing classical computing environments, we demonstrated the ability to support sophisticated hybrid workflows and parallelized operation across multiple QPUs.

This transition toward centralised manufacturing, characterized by rapid deployment, quality control, and a stabilized BOM, underscores our readiness to productize at scale; a capability validated by our inclusion as one of TIME’s Best Inventions of 2025.

What made this successful was the quality of the teams on both sides. Our team did an outstanding job translating a highly advanced quantum system into something that could operate reliably in a demanding real-world environment, and the team at ORNL brought exactly the kind of rigor and technical depth you would hope for in a world-leading facility.  It was a very strong collaboration, and the result reflects the commitment, ingenuity, and professionalism of both teams.

eeNews Europe: Europe is investing heavily in deep tech and technological sovereignty.  How do you see Quantum Brilliance contributing to Europe’s quantum ecosystem over the next decade?

Europe has an opportunity to build a strong industrial position in quantum technology, and this is where Quantum Brilliance can contribute. We already have a strong footprint in Germany, where our Integrated Quantum Chip team is developing advanced diamond chip technologies.  Elsewhere in Europe, we are working with world-leading semiconductor and fabrication partners to develop manufacturing process technologies that will enable us to deliver diamond chips at the scale of any other chip used today. If over the next decade Europe wants quantum to connect with advanced manufacturing and systems engineering, that is exactly the direction we are positioned for.

I also think Europe is the right place for the diamond story to mature.  There is a meaningful semiconductor base, strong applied research institutions, and a policy agenda that increasingly recognises the need to turn strategic technologies into industrial capability. Bringing diamond into semiconductor processes sits within that broader trajectory.

eeNews Europe: Quantum technology development depends heavily on collaboration across research, industry, and government.  How do you decide which partnerships genuinely accelerate innovation versus those that simply add complexity?

Partnerships are very important to us, but they are also essential to the quantum industry as a whole.  This is still a field where no single company can do everything alone and where scientific research, engineering, manufacturing, and end-user environments need to be linked much more closely than what is necessary in a mature industry. 

Having said that, when we look at whom to partner with, the first question we ask ourselves is: Does the partnership close a gap we cannot close as quickly on our own?  Partnerships that matter to us tend to do one of four things: improve the hardware, strengthen the path to manufacturability, clarify product priorities, or shorten the path to commercialization.  If a partnership does not move at least one of those forward in a meaningful way, it is probably adding complexity rather than reducing it.

The best partnerships are the ones where both sides want to be part of the journey and where there is genuine opportunity to contribute to something bigger than either could achieve alone.  Personally, those are the partnerships I find most exciting because there is a joint exploration and discovery journey that the teams embark on that makes the work more ambitious, more collaborative, and ultimately more valuable for everyone involved.

Government also has a particularly important role, both in creating policy conditions for the sector to develop, as well as helping technologies move up the TRL scale through targeted funding and early adoption.

eeNews Europe: Looking ahead, what milestone would signal to you that quantum computing — particularly diamond-based systems — has crossed from promise into real strategic value?

2026 marks a pivotal year for Quantum Brilliance, as we unveil breakthrough outcomes across our fabrication partnerships, IP portfolio, and customer roadmaps. These milestones are the ‘strategic building blocks’ that confirm our trajectory toward industrial-scale quantum computing.

On the hardware front, we are seeing a critical convergence: the number of qubits required for meaningful algorithms is falling, while the reliability of physical qubits is rising. As these lines cross over the next 3–5 years, the industry’s focus will shift from ‘scientific feasibility’ to ‘economic utility.’ The cost per quantum task will face immense downward pressure, and the ultimate winners will be systems that offer low size, weight, and power (SWaP) at room temperature. Ultimately, mass adoption will not be driven by niche applications like decryption but by ubiquitous needs like Quantum Machine Learning.

Mark Luo is Co-Founder and CEO of Quantum Brilliance, bringing 20 years of experience bridging frontier science and industrial scale. He has led the company’s rise in diamond quantum technology, with a focus on sovereign supply chains and advanced manufacturing across Europe and Asia.

Previously, Mark worked in global private capital at QIC and in technology banking at Credit Suisse, investing in high-growth technology companies. He also served as Venture Growth Manager at CSIRO ON, where he supported the commercialisation of over 50 deep-tech startups, now valued at more than A$1 billion.

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