Quantum.Tech World Crowns the Industry's Power 10 as Quantum Enters the Era of Commercial Deployment
Boston, MA – June 25 2026 – As quantum computing moves beyond scientific discovery and towards commercial deployment, the leaders driving that transformation have been recognized at the 2026 Quantum.Tech World Power 10 Awards.
Presented before more than 1,000 leaders from enterprise, government, academia and the global quantum ecosystem, the awards celebrate the people accelerating the next generation of quantum innovation across research, hardware and software.
More than an industry awards programme, the Power 10 Awards provide a snapshot of where quantum is heading. This year's winners reflect the technologies, partnerships and leadership shaping the future of computing, from scalable hardware and quantum-safe software to groundbreaking research and enterprise adoption.
Thirty of the industry's most influential leaders were shortlisted across three categories: Enterprise, Government & Academia, Quantum Hardware, and Quantum Software. Finalists were selected by Quantum.Tech World's international Advisory Board, representing the breadth and maturity of today's global quantum ecosystem. The shortlist featured leaders from organizations including Microsoft, IBM, Harvard University, Verizon, SAP, Accenture, Nestlé, AT&T, IQM, EvolutionQ and more.
"The Power 10 Awards recognize the people turning quantum from promise into practical reality. This year's winners are building the hardware, software and enterprise capabilities that will define the next decade of computing. They represent the very best of an industry rapidly moving from research to real-world deployment." Said Laurence Coldicott, Senior Content Director, Quantum.Tech World.
Enterprise, Government & Academia
Recognising the individuals accelerating quantum adoption through pioneering research, strategic collaboration and enterprise leadership.
Winner
Mikhail Lukin, Joshua and Beth Friedman University Professor and Co-Director of the Quantum Science and Engineering Initiative, Harvard University
Runner Up
Aleena Taufiq, Senior AI Product Manager, Verizon
Quantum Hardware
Celebrating the innovators developing the scalable, high-performance hardware that will underpin the future of fault-tolerant quantum computing.
Winner
Chetan Nayak, Technical Fellow, Microsoft
Runner Up
Jerry Chow CTO, Quantum-Centric Supercomputing, IBM
Quantum Software
Recognising the innovators developing the software, algorithms and security capabilities enabling organisations to unlock real-world quantum advantage.
Winner
Sarah Sheldon Head of Applied Quantum Science and Principal Research Scientist, IBM
Runner Up
Garfield Jones SVP Global Strategy & Research, QuSecure
Together, this year's winners reflect the three defining themes shaping quantum's future: world-leading research, scalable hardware and enterprise-ready software. As governments and enterprises accelerate investment in quantum technologies, these individuals are helping define what commercial success looks like for the industry.
"The achievements we celebrate tonight are the result of global ecosystem working across every layer of the quantum stack. The nominees and winners represent the scientists, engineers, business leaders, investors, educators and visionaries who are helping transform quantum from a scientific ambition into a technological reality." said Brian Nash, Global Head of Marketing, Qblox, sponsor of the Power 10 Awards.
The Power 10 Awards concluded the opening day of Quantum.Tech World 2026, North America's leading enterprise quantum event, bringing together more than 1,300 attendees, 150 speakers and 100 exhibitors to explore the convergence of quantum computing, AI and high performance computing.
As organisations increasingly shift their focus from experimentation to deployment, the 2026 Power 10 winners provide a powerful snapshot of the people shaping the future of quantum computing.
