Community Spotlight: Sahar Hejazi
Sahar Hejazi
Sahar Hejazi has sat in plenty of rooms where her presence was questioned before she even uttered a word. As a quantum physicist from Iran whose educational and career journeys have spanned the UK, Japan, and Sweden, she has frequently confronted barriers that had nothing to do with her skills and everything to do with her nationality or gender.
Yet, she is still here, working harder than ever, and rewriting the rules of the room. Today, she wears an array of hats: she is the co-founder and CEO of the Swedish startup Bridge Quantum AB, and the head of hardware for the Netherlands-based MagiQware BV. She also represents Sweden at a global body focused on setting standards for quantum technologies.
In this interview for our Community Spotlight series, Sahar shares what sparked her journey into tech, the barriers she has encountered, the resilience that kept her moving forward, and the mentors who lifted her up, inspiring her to do the same for other women. Most importantly, she talks about why she refuses to ever shrink herself to fit a space that belongs to everyone.
Tell us about yourself and your current role.
My name is Sahar and I am originally from Iran. I am a quantum physicist and entrepreneur with about a decade of experience in quantum optics, photonics, and quantum technologies. My journey has taken me across countries, from the UK and Japan to Sweden.
Today, I wear several hats. I am the co-founder and CEO of Bridge Quantum AB, a Swedish quantum tech startup that seeks to translate deep research into real-world solutions. I am also the Head of Hardware at MagiQware BV, a startup in Delft, the Netherlands, where I connect software and hardware quantum platforms.
In addition, I joined SEK (Swedish Institute for Standards) as an expert in quantum technology standardisation, and I represent Sweden at an international working group dedicated to setting global standards for quantum technologies. I also co-host QCanada, a community working to advance quantum ecosystems across borders.
What first sparked your interest in tech? A specific moment, a mentor, or a problem that you felt keen to tackle?
I have loved learning, especially mathematics and physics from high school, not because someone told me to care about them, but because they felt like languages that could explain the world.
What did shape my path enormously, though, were the people who recognised that curiosity and nurtured it. I have been fortunate to have exceptional mentors at key moments in my journey - Síle Nic Chormaic, and Thomas Busch at Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST in Japan), who supervised my PhD and pushed me to think boldly; Gail Tripp, whose belief in me went beyond the science; and Karin Forsberg at Business Region Göteborg (Sweden), who helped me get in touch with other female entrepreneurs to support them in their journey. Each of them, in their own way, helped me become not just a better scientist, but a more confident one.
What challenges have you faced in your journey so far, and how have you navigated them?
I have faced so many challenges in my career. As a woman who grew up in Iran and has built her career across four countries, I have rarely walked into a room and felt welcome, except when I was student at OIST. OIST is an inclusive research institute and I wish more universities were like it.
Some barriers were impossible to ignore. There were moments when I was told, directly, that certain doors were closed to me, not because of anything I had done or failed to do, but simply because of my nationality. I have sat across from people who decided, before I even opened my mouth, that I did not belong in the room. That kind of rejection cuts differently. It is not about your work or skills. It is about your existence.
Looking back at your career so far, what is the one thing you are most unapologetically proud of?
If I am honest, it is my resilience. I have been underestimated, excluded, and told no so many times, but I am still here and working harder than before.
What best captures your approach to life and tech?
I never made myself smaller to fit spaces that were not designed for me or other women. I either made the spaces bigger or left.
Have there been moments where you’ve considered leaving tech? If so, what made you stay?
Yes. I do not know why I stayed!
Who are the 'champions' in your life who helped you see your own potential when you might have doubted it?
My parents and partner.
How do you strive to lift others up as you progress in your career?
I try to be the person I needed to talk to me when I was struggling. I have been with women who were ready to quit, not because they were not good enough, but because they were exhausted from constantly proving themselves. I just listen to them, ask them to look back at everything they have already achieved, and remind them that they will overcome this challenge too.
I also tell them that a closed door is not the end of the world. Try a different one and it may be better for you in the end.
What change(s) would you like to see in the tech industry?
Be more inclusive towards women and non-local people.