Quantum computing is moving beyond academic labs and early theory. This year’s City of London Quantum Computing Hackathon has selected its 16 teams – multidisciplinary groups that will tackle real financial services challenges using quantum computing resources and industry guidance. This event underscores London’s role as a global hub for deep tech and financial innovation.
Multidisciplinary Teams Ready to Tackle Complex Financial Challenges
The City of London Corporation, in partnership with IBM Quantum and supported by NayaOne, has confirmed the teams selected for this year’s hackathon. The cohort comprises engineers, researchers, quantitative analysts, and innovators from leading universities and financial institutions across Europe.
Selected Teams
| Team Name | Affiliation |
|---|---|
| Bloch Swan | University of Warwick |
| FF Quartic | University of Lorraine |
| French Qubits | Ecole Normale Supérieure - PSL / Ecole Polytechnique |
| Jetix | EFPL |
| Qbyte | Technical University of Munich |
| Q-Risk | Corporate University Baden |
| Quantum Buddies | Sheffield University / Leeds University / Imperial College London |
| QuIntegra | INTEGRA |
| Schrodinger's Horse | |
| Socgen Singularity | Societe Generale |
| Technical University of Munich | Technical University of Munich |
| Touraregs | |
| Unisys Next Generation Research Group | Unisys |
| WarwiQC | Natwest / ETH / Warwick / Surrey / NQCC / UCL |
| X-Quant | Ecole polytechnique |
| Zurich UK Data Science | Zurich Insurance |
What Teams Will Be Working On
Across the coming weeks, these teams will explore how quantum computing can be applied to pressing problems in financial services, including:
- Portfolio optimisation and risk - addressing problems that classical computing struggles to solve at scale.
- Market simulation - testing complex scenarios with higher speed and accuracy.
- Fraud detection - applying hybrid quantum-classical approaches to anomaly detection.
- Post-trade innovation - rethinking back-office processes with new levels of efficiency and security.
This hackathon bridges the gap between theory and practice by giving teams hands-on access to quantum simulators and hardware as they build tangible prototypes
Why This Hackathon Matters for Finance and Tech
Events like the City of London Quantum Computing Hackathon are more than competitions; they are ecosystem accelerators.
London is already a leading centre for quantum start-ups and deep technology initiatives, with a rich mix of financial services, research institutions, and technology firms. The hackathon reflects that strength and the UK’s broader momentum in quantum and AI technologies.
By bringing together cross-disciplinary teams, real rather than hypothetical problem statements, and industry mentors, the event creates early visibility into what quantum-enabled solutions could look like in practice – long before widespread production use.
NayaOne's Role in Supporting Innovation at Scale
NayaOne is proud to support the Hackathon as part of its commitment to accelerating responsible innovation in financial services. As organisations increasingly seek to validate new technologies ahead of integration, structured environments like this help surface value, performance, and risk early — enabling better decisions about technology adoption and deployment.
Just as NayaOne’s Vendor Delivery Infrastructure helps enterprises test and scale new technology safely, this Hackathon demonstrates how emerging technologies can be exercised under realistic conditions with expert input.
Looking Ahead: From Prototype to Practical Insight
The next phase of the Hackathon will culminate in a final showcase later this autumn at Mansion House in London, where teams will present their solutions to industry leaders, sponsors, and policy makers. The event highlights not just the promise of quantum technology, but the importance of practical experimentation, cross-sector collaboration, and skill development in building real-world solutions.
