When Jason Gibson received his doctorate from the University of Florida’s Department of Materials Science & Engineering, or MSE, in 2024, it was the culmination of years of work at the intersection of superconductors and artificial intelligence.
Perhaps it’s no surprise that he went on to co-found Quantum Formatics, a company focused on using AI to build reliable and manufacturable superconductors.
His colleagues have noticed. Gibson was recently included in Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list in the Energy & Green Tech category, illustrating his influence in the clean energy sector.
Quantum Formatics was spun off from research conducted at UF. After completing his doctorate, Gibson and co-founder Patrick Taylor, Ph.D., licensed the technology from UF and relocated to The Engine at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Through high-impact journal publications and venture capital funding, the two were able to build a laboratory and computing infrastructure.
Now worth more than $6 million, Quantum Formatics identifies and develops market-ready superconductors by coupling AI and quantum mechanics to accelerate development. They hope their superconducting technology will enable technologies such as accessible MRI machines and scalable fusion energy.
Gibson looks back on his time at UF as formative.
“During my time at UF, I was able to give talks on a monthly basis, which refined my public speaking skills,” he remembered. “The extensive computational resource available through HiPerGator gave me the tools to build the foundational IP of Quantum Formatics.”
Interim MSE Department Chair Michael Tonks, Ph.D., agreed that Gibson benefited greatly from the resources provided by UF and MSE.
“Dr. Gibson’s inclusion in Forbes’ 30 Under 30 is a testament to both his exceptional work and the environment we strive to create in our department — one where doctoral students have access to world-class resources like HiPerGator and the freedom to pursue transformative research,” he said.
Gibson’s addition to the prestigious list alongside other luminaries in the energy and green technology sector is an understandable source of pride for the entrepreneur and researcher.
I’m proud to receive this award. It signifies years of work and it honors those willing to take the risk of charting their own path.
– Jason Gibson, MSE Alumnus