Zero Point Motion is a member of the University of Bristol’s Quantum Technologies Innovation Centre (QTIC), the cutting-edge innovation hub at the heart of Bristol’s celebrated quantum ecosystem. QTIC is currently at pilot stage with a full-scale facility set to open as part of the new Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus in Autumn 2026.
The company was founded by Dr Lia Li, whose breakthrough technology could potentially have significant benefits for the defence, aerospace and autonomous systems industries, where precision and reliability are critical.
At the core of the innovation is a radical fusion of silicon photonics and micro-electrical-mechanical systems (MEMS), inspired by gravitational wave detection principles.
This approach enables low-cost, ultra-low noise sensors that are 100x more sensitive than conventional MEMS sensors, delivering unprecedented performance and resilience in environments where there is no GPS.
“Our mission is to harness light to redefine the future of sensing,” says Dr Lia Li, founder and CEO of Zero Point Motion. “We’re working with two of the world’s leading foundries to push MEMS performance beyond its limits. With top-tier investors and partners behind us, we’re laser-focused on delivering our inertial sensors to customers who demand the highest precision and reliability.”
Zero Point Motion have been backed by SCVC (the official funding arm of Bristol’s deep-tech ecosystem Science Creates) Foresight Group and Verve Ventures, with seed round investor u-blox AG remaining a key strategic partner and customer.
Harry Destecroix MBE, founder of Science Creates, and cofounder/ managing partner of SCVC, says: “We’re thrilled to back Zero Point Motion as they develop a truly category-defining technology. By applying cutting-edge quantum approaches to motion sensing, Lia and the team are unlocking massive potential for industries like autonomous vehicles, robotics, and consumer electronics.
“Lia is an exceptional founder—her technical brilliance, vision, and leadership make her exactly the kind of entrepreneur we love to support.”
Dr Li, who grew up in Bristol, became an Executive Fellow of the University of Bristol’s quantum pre-incubation programme QTEC in 2019.
Professor Ruth Oulton, Professor of Quantum Photonics at the University of Bristol and academic lead for QTIC, said: “Zero Point Motion is a fantastic example of the pioneering technology being developed at QTIC. Our mission is to support academic researchers, early-stage entrepreneurs and startup companies to become commercially viable, and it is great to see Zero Point Motion progressing so successfully.
“QTIC builds on the University of Bristol’s world-leading reputation for research and support in quantum technologies. The University of Bristol is home to the renowned Bristol Quantum Information Institute and our QTEC entrepreneurship training programme has supported 1 in 3 of the quantum start-ups in the UK.”
With this funding and industry validation, Zero Point Motion is now scaling to set a new global standard in precision motion sensing. Recognised as one of Sifted’s ‘16 Bristol-based Startups to Watch’, Zero Point Motion has also secured major government and EU funding, including £1.3M from the UK’s Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV) in 2023, followed by a €2.4M grant from the European Innovation Council Accelerator program.