Our management team
Steve Brierley
CEO and Founder
Steve Brierley founded Riverlane in 2016 to build the error correction stack for quantum computers. Driven by his conviction that fault-tolerant quantum computers will accelerate human progress, Riverlane partners with leading quantum hardware companies to make that happen sooner.
Steve has worked in quantum for over 20 years and is an expert advisor to the UK government. He holds a PhD in quantum information, spent a decade in the intelligence community and worked as a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Cambridge leading major research projects in quantum computing. In January 2024, Steve was awarded an OBE for his services to quantum computing.
Marco Ghibaudi
VP Engineering
Marco is an expert in delivering deep-tech prototypes and products. He holds a joint CERN/SSSUP PhD in Innovative Technologies and he specialises on highly constrained systems. Marco innovation track-record comprises the first smart-city testbed in Europe, a key component in large-scale optical networks, the CERN largest electronics upgrade and the first commercial wireless VR Headset.
From small scale software solutions to multi-million units per year hardware chips, Marco has always focused on quality, reliability and time to market. Marco brings Industry best-practices into Research and ingenuity into Development.
Bek Simmons
Chief Operating Officer
Bek is responsible for building world-class teams and scaling company operations to enable Riverlane to reach its strategic goals. Bek enjoys supporting and empowering high-performing teams and has a supreme talent for driving work to completion.
Bek has 18 years' experience within leading health, research and higher education organisations. She co-founded THIS Institute, a £42m healthcare research institute at the University of Cambridge, building a team of 35 people in one year. Bek also has experience in fundraising and stakeholder management across a range of sectors and countries as Chief of Staff at the University of Cambridge.
Bek holds a PhD in Epidemiology from the University of Cambridge and an MBA from the Open University.
Glenn Manoff
Chief Marketing Officer
Glenn brings over 25 years’ experience in C-level Marketing roles in high-growth technology companies. He was a key member of the management teams that scaled Trustpilot from startup to global market leader and unicorn IPO. At O2 he helped the company deliver the consistently highest share of commercial growth and build one of Europe’s most iconic brands. He led the launch of the iPhone, The O2 and built Think Big, one of Europe’s leading social impact and sustainability programmes.
Maria Maragkou
VP Product & Partnerships
Maria has over a decade of experience in quantum technology. As Head of Business Development at Riverlane, she built a network of global partners and a deep understanding of the global quantum computing ecosystem. As VP Product & Partnerships, she is developing solutions that address those needs.
Maria has a PhD in Physics from the University of Southampton and an MBA from Kedge business school. After 4 years of post-doctoral research on single photon sources, she worked in science publishing as a Senior Editor at Nature Materials.
Earl Campbell
VP Quantum Science
Earl is a world expert in quantum error correction with nearly two decades of experience in creating fresh design concepts for fault-tolerant quantum computing architectures. During his career, Earl has made significant contributions to quantum error correction, fault-tolerant quantum logic and compilation, and quantum algorithms--with 80+ publications and authoring the premier review on quantum error correction in Nature.
Andreas Hansson
VP Strategic Projects
Andreas is responsible for growth acceleration and fundraising at Riverlane. He is an investor and advisor with experience across the entire company life cycle. Andreas serves on the Board of several private and public companies. He has 12+ years' experience in R&D, business development, IP management, and product definition in segments such as IoT, robotics, cloud, AI/machine learning and cybersecurity. Andreas holds a PhD in electrical engineering from Eindhoven University of Technology, the Netherlands.
Amelia Copas
Chief Financial Officer
Amelia has 10+ years of experience within and leading finance teams. Originally qualifying as a Chartered Accountant with Deloitte, Cambridge and subsequently going on to hold positions in both US and UK listed companies. Most recently Amelia spent 6 years building, developing and leading the finance and operations (Co Sec, HR, IT, Legal, Office) functions in a Cambridge Biotech, during which time she was heavily involved in several fundraises involving raising significant amounts of external funding.
Amelia Armour
Partner - Amadeus Capital Partners
Amelia is a Principal in the Early Stage Fund at Amadeus Capital Partners with an investment focus of autonomous systems, AI and machine learning, cloud computing, digital health and medical technology.
As well as sitting on the board of Riverlane she is Director at other technology companies including Paragraf, delivering the capabilities of graphene to the real world; Immense Simulations, an intelligent mobility enabling software company and SLAMcore, a spin-out from Imperial College, developing spatial intelligence for autonomous robotics and drones.
Amelia holds a BSc in Chemistry and Biology from Durham University and is a mentor on the Judge Business School's Accelerate Programme.
Stuart Chapman
Managing Partner and Founder - Molten Ventures
Stuart was a Director of 3i Ventures in London before he co-founded Molten Ventures. He has over 25 years of venture capital experience in Europe and the US - including founding 3i US in Menlo Park, CA. Stuart was responsible for Molten's investments in Lagan Technology (sold to Verint), Redkite (sold to Nice) and Kiadis (sold to Sanofi). Stuart serves as a director with Netronome, Aircall, Resolver, Realeyes, Riverlane and Conversocial; and as observer with Graphcore and Crate.
Before 3i, Stuart was involved in software and systems implementations for Midland Bank. He is a graduate of Loughborough University and currently serves on the Strategic Advisory Board for the Loughborough School of Business.
Hermann Hauser
Venture Partner - Amadeus Capital Partners
In 2015 Hermann was awarded an KBE for services to Engineering and Industry.
Serial Entrepreneur and Co-founder of Amadeus Capital Partners, Dr Hermann Hauser KBE has wide experience in developing and financing companies in the information technology sector. He co-founded a number of high-tech companies including Acorn Computers which spun out ARM, E-trade UK, Virata and Cambridge Network. Subsequently Hermann became vice president of research at Olivetti. During his tenure at Olivetti, he established a global network of research laboratories. Since leaving Olivetti, Hermann has founded over 20 technology companies. In 1997, he co-founded Amadeus Capital Partners. At Amadeus he invested in CSR, Solexa, Icera, Xmos and Cambridge Broadband.
Hermann is a Fellow of the Royal Society, the Institute of Physics, the Royal Society of Chemistry and of the Royal Academy of Engineering, as well as an Honorary Fellow of King's College, Cambridge. In 2001 he was awarded an Honorary CBE for 'innovative service to the UK enterprise sector'. In 2004 he was made a member of the Government's Council for Science and Technology and in 2013 he was made a Distinguished Fellow of BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT.
Hermann has honorary doctorates from the Universities of Loughborough, Bath, Anglia Ruskin, Strathclyde, Glasgow and York.
James Scapa
Founder, Chairman & CEO - Altair
Jim Scapa brings nearly 40 years of business growth, innovation, and cultural stewardship to his role as founder, chairman, and CEO of Altair (Nasdaq: ALTR), a global leader in computational science and artificial intelligence.
In 1985, Jim and two partners formed Altair with a focus on the then-new field of simulation using HPC. Today, through Jim’s leadership, the company serves more than 13,000 customers and employs more than 3,000 employees across 25 countries. Altair software – used across a broad range of industry sectors – enables customers to enhance product performance, compress development time, reduce costs, and make smarter decisions. Growth has been achieved both through long-term nurturing of internal technology development, and by strategic acquisitions of complementary technologies which have been successfully integrated into Altair’s offerings.
Jim holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Columbia University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Michigan.
Andrew Williamson
Managing Partner - Cambridge Innovation Capital
Andrew Williamson is the Managing Partner and specialises in technology investments. He has hands on experience of building technology businesses, coupled with a venture investing background and an understanding of Cambridge and its academic institutes.
Prior to joining CIC, he was at True North Venture Partners in Chicago where he was a partner in its $300 million venture fund. Before this Andrew spent ten years leading materials science and semiconductor research in US government research laboratories, followed by managing director positions at venture capital funds Physic Ventures in San Francisco and MalibuIQ in Los Angeles.
Andrew studied at the University of Cambridge as both an undergraduate and a graduate, receiving an MA in Natural Sciences and a PhD in Physics. He also holds an MBA from the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley.
Andrew manages CIC's investments in Audio Analytic, AudioTelligence, Imagen, Origami Energy, PervasID, PragmatIC, Prowler.io, Riverlane, Swim.ai and Undo.
Featured experts
Nicole Gillett
Software Engineer
Nicole completed her Physics MSci at UCL, and was captivated by quantum computing during one of her final modules. She then started her career as a software engineer, gaining experience across a variety of sectors, before joining Riverlane in October 2023.
“I’m thrilled to have found my way back to quantum computing at such an exciting time. I’m passionate about bringing engineering best practices to this rapidly evolving industry, bridging the gap between science and engineering.”
Tell me about your role at Riverlane.
I am part of the team that is responsible for decoding the output of an error corrected quantum computer, using our proprietary algorithms to analyse the results. We build hardware indicative models in software to optimise the accuracy of our decoders for quantum error correction, and work closely with FPGA engineers on the designs, so they can ultimately be implemented in hardware to enable real-time decoding. Our tightly coupled processes ensure rich collaboration between hardware and software engineers.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
The people! Quantum computing brings together people from many different backgrounds, including physics, computer science and mathematics, and we each bring our own perspectives. It’s fascinating to see where these disciplines intersect. We share a common goal and have a clear company mission that we are determined to implement.
What excites you about Riverlane?
There are lots of exciting collaborations happening across the quantum computing ecosystem. Riverlane’s Quantum Error Correction Stack is being developed to work with all qubit types, which means we get to learn about different qubit technologies. Learning is a big part of Riverlane’s culture: we regularly dissect quantum computing concepts and often have external speakers come and talk about their research. The tech scene in Cambridge is thriving and it's a great place to be!
Aniket Datta
Senior FPGA Design Engineer
Aniket achieved his master's degree in power electronics, before working on system architecture and digital design at Texas Instruments. He joined Riverlane in October 2021.
"I am continually inspired by the uncharted territory my work explores."
Tell me about your background.
I have always had a thing for tinkering and building stuff. It all started when I was a kid, working on Arduino projects like turning toy cars into mini marvels. After completing my master's degree in power electronics from Indian Institute of Science, I embarked on a rewarding 7-year journey at Texas Instruments, where I wore many hats, from system architecture to hands-on hardware debugging for hard real-time applications. At Riverlane, I continue to explore my passion for engineering, specifically in FPGA design, mixed-signal, and RF (Radio Frequency).
What attracted you to join Riverlane?
What immediately drew me in was their pioneering work in making quantum computing a reality. Though my background is primarily in digital design, the idea of contributing to such a futuristic and transformative technology was incredibly appealing. Even though I had limited knowledge of quantum computing at the time, I saw this as a unique opportunity to apply my skills in a new and exciting way. Joining Riverlane aligned with my passion for pushing the boundaries of technology and making a meaningful impact on the future.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
I am continually inspired by the uncharted territory my work explores. The undefined problem space and multidisciplinary collaboration make things exceptionally dynamic. Every day, I engage with experts from various domains, fostering continuous learning and innovation. My team’s focus is on developing solutions for precise qubit control, especially for those with low coherence times. The challenge lies in achieving critical time-determinism and ultra-low latency. This quest for technical excellence is what I find most enjoyable. The ever-evolving landscape, collaborative spirit, and the pursuit of cutting-edge solutions make every day an exhilarating journey.
Nick Johnson
Quantum Control Engineer
Nick achieved his PhD in trapped-ion quantum computing from the University of Sussex, where his research focused on the challenges of scalability. As a post-doc, he was part of the team that successfully connected two ion-trap microchips by shuttling ions between them. Nick joined Riverlane as Quantum Control Engineer in February 2022.
“I really enjoy working in a team that’s developing a powerful product using cutting edge technology, and then getting to see it being used in world leading labs.”
Tell me about your role at Riverlane.
As a Quantum Control Engineer, I work closely with quantum computing labs around the world, to understand their research challenges and find solutions to support and enhance their experiments. My experience as an experimental physicist helps to inform and shape the development of Riverlane’s FPGA-based qubit control product, Deltaflow.Control.
The goal is to make the most useful product possible to our customers. This means having a deep understanding of user requirements, and then communicating these back to the Deltaflow.Control team at Riverlane. As a result, I learn a lot about many different fields, from qubits to FPGAs and software development, to what makes a good product.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
I really enjoy being a part of a close-knit team, working together on a powerful product built with cutting edge technology, and then getting to see it being used in world leading labs. I love being a member of the quantum computing community, working with so many great researchers in an exciting field.
What excites you about Riverlane?
I’m motivated by Riverlane’s ambitious goals to develop scalable quantum control technologies and solve the challenge of quantum error correction. The working environment is fast-paced and people-focused, with a wonderful mix of experts in different disciplines working together.