Founding Members

Araceli Venegas-Gomez
Founder and CEO – QURECA

Dr. Araceli Venegas-Gomez spent several years working for Airbus in Germany and France as an aerospace engineer, before falling in love with quantum mechanics. She then decided to follow her passion for physics, and moved to Scotland to pursue a PhD in quantum simulation at the University of Strathclyde. Following discussions with the different quantum stakeholders she had over the last years, Araceli identified the need to bridge the gap between businesses and academia, as well as to raise the quantum awareness to the general public. Continuing her work on outreach advocating quantum technologies, she was named the “quantum ambassador”, after winning the Optical Society Milton and Rosalind Chang Pivoting fellowship in 2019. Araceli founded her own company called QURECA (Quantum Resources and Careers) to create a link between the different stakeholders in the quantum community through a common language, and to generate global opportunities with quantum technologies. QURECA provides a range of professional services, business development, and the solution to the quantum workforce skills bottleneck: the first online platform for quantum training and resourcing, to support individuals and businesses to be part of the quantum revolution.

Martin Machin
Managing Partner – ZirconTech

Martin is a computer science engineer from the University of the Republic (Uruguay) with more than 30 years of international professional experience in the information technology, financial services, telecommunications, retail and dairy industry services sectors. He completed an MBA at IEEM at the University of Montevideo (Uruguay) and the Delivering Information Services program at Harvard Business School (Boston, MA). He is a mentor, investor and advisor to companies in information and emerging technologies, including ZirconTech in blockchain and Naxon Labs in neurotechnology; and develops business for Championsys. He was co-founder of Quantum-South and a director of Pyxis where he promoted international business and in the financial services sector. Previously, he was Head of the Global Delivery Center of Tata Consultancy Services in Montevideo and Director of the Banking, Financial Services and Insurance Area of the operation. He also worked at IBM, Conaprole, and Banco Comercial which was later acquired by Scotiabank.

Rafael Sotelo
Dean of Engineering – Universidad de Montevideo

Rafael Sotelo is PhD from University of Vigo, Electrical Engineer (Universidad de la República) and MBA (Universidad de Montevideo). He is Director of Research at the School of Engineering, Universidad de Montevideo, and professor at Universidad de la República. He worked for more than 20 years at Broadcast, Telecommunications and IT companies. Consultant for the Ministry of Industry (2011-2020) and Laboratorio Tecnológico de Uruguay (2018-2020). Member of the National Research System, Fellow of the National Academy of Engineering of Uruguay ANIU and Senior Member of the IEEE. He currently is Regional Director (Latin America) of the IEEE Consumer Technology Society and member of the Board of Governors. He is also an elected member of the Administrative Committee of the IEEE Broadcast Technology Society (2016-18 and 2019-21). Rafael is co-founder of the start-up Quantum-South. His research areas are: Quantum Computing, Video Experience Quality, Industrial and social applications of artificial intelligence and technology.

Enrique Solano
Founder and CEO – Kipu Quantum

Prof. Enrique Solano obtained his Bachelor and Master degrees in Physics at Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Lima, Perú. He got his PhD in Physics at Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He was a researcher at Max-Planck Institute for Quantum Optics, Garching, Germany, and Ludwig-Maximilia University, Munich, Germany. In 2000 he was appointed Professor of Physics at Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Lima, Peru. In 2008, after several years of international research experience, he accepted the prestigious position of Ikerbasque Professor at University of the Basque Country, Bilbao, Spain. Since then, he is director of the international center Quantum Computing and Quantum Technologies (QUTIS). In 2018, he accepted the position of Distinguished Professor of Physics at Shanghai University, Shanghai, China, where he is director of the international center «Quantum Artificial Intelligence for Science and Technology (QuArtist)». During 2019, he was Chief Scientific Officer in Quantum Technologies at the AI company DeepBlue Technology based in Shanghai, China. During 2020, Prof. Solano was CEO of IQM Germany, where his vision on innovative Co-Design Quantum Computers was used. Since 2021, Prof. Solano is founder and CEO of Kipu Quantum, Munich, Germany, for designing and productizing Multiplatform Modular Co-Design Quantum Computers with the mission of Useful Quantum Computers Now. Prof. Solano is an influential world-class leader and visionary in interdisciplinary fields related to quantum computing, quantum simulation, quantum artificial intelligence, and quantum technologies, where his unique perspectives in arts, science, technology, and entrepreneurship flourish.

Salvador E. Venegas-Andraca
Quantum Engineer, Scientist, Professor, Senior Consultant

Salvador E. Venegas-Andraca is a scientist, consultant, and entrepreneur devoted to scientific research, technology development, technology transfer, and teaching. Salvador’s work is aimed at understanding scientific and societal aspects of computation as well as contributing towards the economic development of modern society based on science and technology.

Salvador is the founder of quantum computing in Mexico. He is also the founder and Principal Investigator of the Unconventional Computing Lab (est. 2004), a professor of Computer Science at Tecnologico de Monterrey, and adjunct professor at the Faculty of Sciences of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). Also, Salvador is an Associate Editor of the Quantum Information Processing journal (Springer) as well as a member of the Quantum Computing Network of the World Economic Forum.

Salvador holds a DPhil in Physics and an MSc by research in Computer Vision, both degrees awarded by the University of Oxford, as well as an MBA (Hon) and a BSc (Hon) in Digital Electronics and Computer Science, these two last degrees awarded by Tecnologico de Monterrey. In 2008, Salvador was a postdoctoral fellow at the Faculty of Arts and Sciences of Harvard University.

Salvador has received several awards for his scientific achievements, among them: fellow of the Mexican Academy of Sciences, Senior Member and Distinguished Speaker of the Association for Computing Machinery, fellow of the Mexican Academy of Computer Science, member of the Mexican Society for the Public Communication of Science, Level 3 (physics and mathematics) at Mexico’s National Network of Researchers (SNII), Oxford University Chancellor Fund’s Award, Romulo Garza Award (2015), Outstanding Professor Award at Tecnologico de Monterrey (2021, 2022, 2024,2025), and Silver Medal at the British Council International Students Awards (2005).