Sparrow Quantum names founder Peter Lodahl Chief Executive

Sparrow Quantum has appointed founder Professor Peter Lodahl as Chief Executive Officer, completing a planned leadership transition at the Danish quantum photonics company.

Lodahl succeeds Kurt Stokbro, who will become Executive Advisor and remain on the board. The change comes as Sparrow Quantum shifts from delivering its photonic chip technology to integrating, controlling and connecting quantum light within larger computing systems.

The appointment also marks the end of a broader effort to strengthen the leadership team. Anne-Marie Engtoft Meldgaard joined in May as Chief Commercial Officer, Andreas Olesen is Vice President of Finance, and Larissa Vertchenko has been promoted to Chief Technology & Operations Officer.

Sparrow Quantum has also established a Scientific Advisory Board to provide external guidance on its technical roadmap. The board is intended to support work on photonic architectures for future quantum computing systems and quantum interconnects.

The Copenhagen-based company develops photonic chips and related systems designed to produce single photons on demand. It emerged from research at the Niels Bohr Institute at the University of Copenhagen and has worked to turn that research into commercial products for quantum technology developers.

Niels Christian Nielsen, Chair of the Board at Sparrow Quantum, outlined the rationale for the leadership change.

"Kurt has been instrumental in turning Sparrow's scientific foundations into a growing technology company. He helped build the organisation, secure its financial foundation and bring its first products to customers," said Niels Christian Nielsen, Chair of the Board at Sparrow Quantum.

"Peter brings the scientific vision behind Sparrow and a deep understanding of the technical milestones that will shape its next phase. Supported by a strengthened leadership team, he is well positioned to lead that work. We are pleased that Kurt will continue contributing his experience as Executive Advisor."

The handover puts a founder with a research background at the helm of a company operating in a part of the quantum sector where engineering and manufacturing remain central challenges. Photonic quantum computing relies on photons rather than trapped ions or superconducting circuits, and companies in the field are trying to solve problems of reliable photon generation, control and scaling.

Lodahl said Sparrow Quantum's next stage will focus on integrating its existing technology into systems designed for fault-tolerant quantum computing.

"We founded Sparrow to tackle one of the fundamental challenges in photonic quantum computing: producing high-quality quantum light reliably and on demand," said Professor Peter Lodahl, Chief Executive Officer of Sparrow Quantum.

"With our technology now in customers' hands, our next task is to bring these capabilities into architectures designed for fault-tolerant quantum computing. That means addressing how photons are generated, controlled and connected without an explosion in hardware requirements. Kurt has helped build the company that makes this next step possible. I look forward to working with our team and partners to turn our roadmap into working systems."

Stokbro led Sparrow Quantum through its early commercial phase after joining as an investor and executive. His new role keeps him involved as the business moves into a more technically demanding stage of development.

"I am proud of what we have built together: a company bringing exceptional research into products used by quantum technology teams around the world," said Kurt Stokbro, Executive Advisor at Sparrow Quantum.

"Peter has shaped Sparrow's technology and ambition from the beginning, and I am pleased to hand over to him as the company takes its next steps. I look forward to supporting him and the team as Executive Advisor."

The company is backed by Novo Holdings and PensionDanmark. That support has helped fund a business that sits within a broader European push to build domestic quantum hardware groups with commercial potential.

Rune Gade Holm, Head of Private Markets at PensionDanmark and a board member at Sparrow Quantum, said the company reflects the commercial potential of Danish research.

"Sparrow Quantum is an example of how Danish research can grow into a company with global relevance. PensionDanmark invested because we believe the company will make photonic quantum technology accessible for industrial applications. We are pleased to see Peter Lodahl take on the leadership role; his scientific insight and long-term vision will be invaluable on the exciting road ahead," said Rune Gade Holm, Head of Private Markets at PensionDanmark and Board Member at Sparrow Quantum.

Advisory support

The new Scientific Advisory Board adds external scientific input as Sparrow Quantum works on what it describes as scalable quantum systems through deterministic photonics. The company said the group brings expertise in integrated photonics, quantum computing architectures and fault tolerance.

One board member, Professor Mark Saffman, pointed to Lodahl's long record in the field.

"Having collaborated with and known Peter for nearly three decades, it has been a thrill to see his scientific vision and leadership in academia, and now also in the rapidly expanding quantum industry. I'm excited to support him and the whole team at Sparrow as they advance the frontiers of scalable photonic technologies," said Professor Mark Saffman, Johannes Rydberg Professor of Physics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Chief Scientist for Quantum Information at Infleqtion.