The welcomed the future of financial innovation as Lord Mayor Alastair King held the final of the Quantum Computing Hackathon at Mansion House, in collaboration with IBM and supported by NayaOne.
This pioneering event brought together some of the brightest minds in quantum computing, finance, and technology to explore how quantum solutions can transform the UK financial services sector. Over the course of the Hackathon, cross-disciplinary teams tackled high-value challenges in:
- Portfolio optimisation & risk
- Market simulation
- Fraud detection
- Post-trade innovation
Participants were granted exclusive cloud access to IBM quantum computers, using Qiskit software, alongside expert mentoring and educational resources. Finalists also received industry exposure and support from quantum specialists and the Corporation. Their projects were evaluated by a distinguished judging panel.
Celebrating innovation
Congratulations to the winning team, WarwiQC, whose project focused on AI-assisted Quantum Portfolio Optimisation. The team brought together talent from NatWest, ETH Zurich, University of Warwick, University of Surrey, the National Quantum Computing Centre, and University College London
Other finalists included:
- French Qubits – Ecole Normale Supérieure – PSL / Ecole Polytechnique
Theme: Quantum portfolio optimisation - Quantum Buddies – Sheffield University / Leeds University / Imperial College London
Theme: Market simulation with quantum - Touaregs
Theme: Post-trade innovation
A platform for the future
The Hackathon marks a significant milestone in the UK’s journey toward quantum-enabled financial services. By fostering collaboration between academia, industry, and government, the event showcased the potential of quantum computing to address complex financial challenges and drive innovation.
The is globally recognised as the leading centre for financial and professional services, it is also Europe’s top tech hub – home to the second-highest number of quantum start-ups worldwide and twice as many AI-based companies as any other European country.
The Lord Mayor of London, Alastair King, said:
“As we look to capitalise on high value financial use cases, my Quantum Hackathon initiative was designed to bring together the brightest minds across finance and technology with a special focus on quantum.
“This Hackathon, in partnership with IBM, supported by NayaOne, has shown what successful collaboration between industry and academia can look like, and I congratulate WarwiQC for their victory in this fierce competition. It is important that quantum finance innovation continues apace, and the and the UK, through collaboration and competition, can play a leading role in advancing quantum technology.”
Chair, IBM UK and Ireland, Dr Nicola Hodson said:
“The finance-focused hackathon that we collaborated on with the is a great example of how we can quickly get experts together to creatively explore how quantum computing could soon impact the industry. At IBM, we are committed to achieving a quantum advantage in 2026. And it’s through collaboration with the broader ecosystem that quantum applications will be able run a computation more accurately, cheaply, or efficiently than a classical computer, alone.”
Science Minister, Lord Vallance, said:
“This hackathon is a great demonstration of what the UK does so well in quantum innovation – bringing together talent from our universities, financial institutions and technology companies to solve real challenges for businesses, like detecting fraud.
“Congratulations to the winning team and all the finalists. Their work shows how quantum computing can transform financial services and drive the high-skilled jobs and growth that will power our quantum-enabled economy.”
Chief executive at NayaOne, Karan Jain, said:
“Quantum may still feel early, but this is exactly how early becomes ready – by giving people the tools, data, and space to experiment together. The is showing what real innovation infrastructure looks like in practice – not just a vision, but a platform that enables progress.”
The winning team, WarwiQC, said:
“We are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to take part in this competition. It has been an inspiring experience to push the boundaries of innovation and creativity in quantum computing.
“Getting to experiment directly on real quantum hardware was both exciting and eye-opening, showing us the power and potential of this emerging field. This experience has deepened our passion for shaping the future of quantum technology and exploring what’s next.”
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