Spencer Topel
Mary Elspeth Moore 2019
Spencer Topel — is a technologist with a background in quantum computing, robotics, and music. He is currently CTO of Moth Quantum, where he leads a team building the first cloud-based consumer quantum applications for the consumers. Topel is also Co-founder of Electron Robotics, where he and his father Robert Toppel are deploying advanced adaptive manufacturing robots in food and electronics, applying AI-driven robotics to high-value industrial tasks.
Previously, he founded Physical Synthesis, where he designed and launched groundbreaking products—including the world’s first acoustic synthesizer—while consulting across consumer technology and product design. Topel’s journey into quantum began in 2019 during a residency at the Yale Quantum Institute, where his team built the world’s first quantum musical synthesizer using qubits. He has since expanded this work through collaborations with institutions such as Virginia Tech, applying quantum simulation to immersive sound environments. Across ventures, Topel’s work bridges frontier technologies—quantum, AI, and robotics—with real-world applications, pioneering the next generation of tools for industry and creativity alike.
As an artist, Topel explores the relationship between music, sculpture and technology, creating a wide range of works that reveal the unique voice of objects and sound. His work has been showcased at prestigious institutions such as the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Barnes Foundation in Pennsylvania, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, and the DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park in Boston.
His work has been performed by renowned ensembles like the Minnesota Orchestra, the Juilliard Symphony, the FLUX Quartet, Aspen Contemporary Ensemble, String Noise, with notable collaborations: Seth Parker Woods (Iced Bodies), Pauline Kim Harris (Ambient Chaconne), and Hana Kassem (Ensemble).