Interview with an ITSA Member – Quantum Base

This month, we have a new entry in our ongoing interview series revealing the industry insider insights of International Tax Stamp Association (ITSA) members.

We’re speaking to Tom Taylor, CEO of new ITSA member Quantum Base. Quantum Base combines traditional printing techniques with a world-first quantum approach to counterfeit prevention for tax stamps. Starting out as a software engineer, Tom has built a career in growing and running technology and science companies, joining Quantum Base as Chief Commercial Officer in January 2024 and becoming CEO in August 2024.

Tom Taylor.

Q: Please would you introduce your company?

A: Quantum Base was founded in 2013 by Prof Rob Young of Lancaster University, UK. As a quantum physicist, his ambition was to find practical applications for his theoretical research that would ultimately deliver real-world change.

Around seven years ago, he invented a small atomic fingerprint that can be printed on anything using standard inks and then authenticated with any smartphone. We call this technology a Quantum Identity, or Q-ID. Since the technology uses the flash of a smartphone camera and quantum physics to uniquely identify each Q-ID at the atomic level, it truly cannot be counterfeited.