QWC 2025 -- All About Accelerating Growth
HKA Marketing Communications
HKA is the global PR and marketing headquarters for quantum technology.
I entered the quantum tech space in 2021, the year before Quantum World Congress launched its first gathering at the Reagan Building in DC, so the event holds special meaning for me. At QWC 2022, I recall wondering if “quantum tech” would really take off and was pleasantly surprised when local tech reporters attended. Last week, I saw that many of those same reporters had carved out quantum tech beats with their publications and are now proficient in moderating extremely complex discussions with SMEs.
Media are an important part of every industry, and I suspect that many journalists who cover quantum will agree that there’s no more dynamic place to be. Over the six weeks prior to the event, the quantum computing industry saw an unprecedented flood of private and public investments -- totaling more than $2.5 billion. This rivals the total investment made over the entire year of previous years in quantum.
Accelerating growth was the resounding message coming from top officials and leading quantum executives on the main stage at QWC 2025. Over the three days of the conference, industry milestones were announced, virtually nonstop, by companies in attendance.
Although I was the only HKA’er with boots on the ground at QWC 2025, my team was busy working behind the scenes to break news, monitor headlines, and chart the exponential growth of the quantum technology industry.
Among the many companies proclaiming wins, whether financial or technological, were: Aliro , EPB Quantum, evolutionQ , Infleqtion , IonQ , Microsoft , NVIDIA , Photonic Inc. , QuSecure , Rigetti Computing and Riverlane .
I began my path in the quantum tech field after 20+ years in cybersecurity. There was something new – yet familiar – about it. After just a few years, the quantum field has taken off quicker than cybersecurity did after 9/11. Interestingly, the PR challenges I faced in the early years of cybersecurity are the same:
At HKA, our sole focus is the many-faceted quantum industry. We have faced these challenges – and others – head on. I’m proud to say, the PR profession is also an important part of the industry and is accelerating right along with it.
On that note, last week my colleague and HKA EVP Mike Kilroy shared his strategies for overcoming these challenges to secure coverage in top-tier media such as the New York Times, Forbes, and The Wall Street Journal. If you missed it, I’m glad to share it again here. It’s valuable for anyone in the quantum industry who wants to raise the profile of their company.
Editor’s Note: For those interested in a snapshot of the top announcements at QWC2025:
In Case You Missed It
Mike Kilroy and Veronica Combs delivered a powerful webinar on Sept. 25, providing insights to help quantum companies gain both visibility and credibility. In “Capturing Top-Tier Media for Your Quantum Company,” Mike and Veronica explained how and why even smaller quantum companies can earn exposure in media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, Forbes and ABC-TV. Designed to help both C-Suite and communications teams learn how to break through to the top tier, this free webinar was created by HKA to give back to the quantum tech community during IYQ 2025. Don’t worry if you missed it, you can watch the replay: https://hkamarcom.com/hka-webinars/capturing-top-tier-media-for-your-quantum-company/
Steve Suarez® sees innovation as the best way to expand opportunities and knowledge for everyone. During episode 34 of The Quantum Spin by HKA podcast, Steve discussed the need to balance short-term improvements with long-term, future business strategies. Steve provides consulting via his HorizonX consultancy, as well as serving as senior advisor with McKinsey & Company and teaching an MIT Pro course. Podcast listeners are eligible to receive his HORIZONX discount code for all MIT Pro classes. Listen here: https://hkamarcom.com/podcast/setting-sail-toward-the-quantum-horizon/
In Episode #33 of The Quantum Spin by HKA, Yuval Boger moves to the guest microphone to discuss the quantum tech industry with host Veronica Combs. Known for his The Superposition Guy podcast, Yuval talked about his experiences as a quantum podcaster, fueled by his own curiosity, as well as his role as Chief Marketing Officer at QuEra Computing Inc. . Yuval and Veronica also tackled the challenge of explaining the promise of quantum tech without overpromising. Hear the full episode here: https://hkamarcom.com/podcast/podcaster-follows-his-curiosity-to-explore-quantum/
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3wThis is excellent, Courtney!! The former PR professor in me thinks your description of the 3 challenges you faced and how you met those challenges should be discussed at length and taught in future Strategic Comm/PR classes.