Jake holds multiple positions, including:
- Chief Executive at Light Trace Photonics, a Bristol-based start-up that pioneers integrated photonic componentry.
- Secretariat of the Future Photonics Leaders, a committee dedicated to amplifying the voices of early-career professionals in the photonics community.
- A member of Innovate UK’s Young Innovators course (2023), a program awarded in recognition of disruptive and impactful innovation from the younger generation.
Jake earned an MSc in quantum physics at the University of Bristol, and then worked as a Data Scientist for a private insurance company in Bristol. Although he enjoyed life in industry, he lacked any passion for insurance leading him to returned to Bristol University to attend a course at the Quantum Engineering Centre for Doctoral Training. The course was specifically designed to support the development and commercialization of emerging quantum technologies. Within this course, Jake undertook a PhD in integrated quantum photonics at the Quantum Engineering Technology Labs, a pioneer of Silicon photonics for quantum computing. During his PhD, Jake worked towards a fully integrated, quantum-enhanced gas sensor for trace detection of greenhouse gases.
After finishing his PhD, Jake joined Siloton, a photonics start-up that leverages integrated photonics to improve the global populations’ health. As Siloton’s first employee, Jake gained exposure to the skills required to launch a photonics start-up while helping to develop their technology for market.
Having gained the skills and confidence to start his own venture, Jake teamed up with co-founder Dominic Sulway to launch Light Trace Photonics, a company specialising in the development and supply of integrated photonic components for the wider optics community.
“I have always been passionate about delivering technology to end-users where it can have a real, positive impact on society,” says Jake. “At Light Trace, we believe we can aid the commercialisation of photonics technologies by pioneering the transition to integrated photonics as a stable, mass-producible platform for photonic componentry. Integrated optics has the power to bring about a revolution in component capabilities, just like fibre optics did in late 20th century. However, currently, there is a shortfall in integrated photonic designers, and researchers cannot access the benefits of integrated components without designing and packaging them themselves. It is Light Trace Photonics’ aim to bridge this gap.”
