The program provides startups with
Partner matchmaking
Education on the mechanisms for working with large companies (insurance, contracting, accounting requirements as well as IP considerations and protection)
The Quantum Startup Foundry (QSF) at the University of Maryland brings together the resources needed—physical and virtual—to support entrepreneurs and startups in accelerating quantum technologies’ time to market. QSF will bring entrepreneurs together with industry and government customers, investors, technical mentors, leading-edge research and IP, and quantum-specific infrastructure (equipment, tools, facilities). Located in the Washington, DC metro area, QSF offers the perfect landing and launch spot for quantum companies.
Read about IonQ's LaunchOur startup would not likely have been possible at other universities.
Navigating Quantum
Connecting entrepreneurial companies with the best type of capital: paying customers.
TraQtion is a market accelerator program that leverages UMD quantum centers, the Mid-Atlantic Quantum Alliance (MQA) and other partnerships to connect companies with large government contractors for technology validation and potential customers looking for quantum and quantum-enabling technologies.
Join the TraQtion programBy partnering with prime contractors and directly accessing customer needs through regional TechBridge programs, TraQtion:
Supports early-stage companies in working with larger companies and partners
Connects startups with partners and customers for market feedback and, ultimately, confirmation of product market fit and technology readiness for deployment
Solidifies customer requirements and quantum’s unique value proposition to meet those needs
Provides partners with access to a pipeline of promising technology startups
The program provides startups with
Partner matchmaking
Education on the mechanisms for working with large companies (insurance, contracting, accounting requirements as well as IP considerations and protection)
Navigating Quantum
For earlier-stage quantum and enabling technology startups who are looking for grant funding opportunities.
The Pre-TraQtion program helps navigate the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs for specific topics related to quantum technologies.
The Pre-TraQtion cohort 2022 concluded on Oct 19, 2022 with an internal pitch day. All 10 participating startups pitched their companies to a group of investors.
QSF will be hosting the next cohort in 2023.
Register for 2023 cohortEvery year, eleven federal agencies fund a total of $4 billion in SBIR/STTR. In recent years quantum-related SBIR/STTR funding has grown 19% annually. 60 to 80 quantum-related projects are funded each year, primarily by DoD, NSF, NASA, and DoE.
The Quantum Startup Foundry is conveniently located adjacent to the University of Maryland campus. This space has a combination of offices, conference rooms, and dry labs. It is also connected to the Mid-Atlantic Crossroads(MAX), which provides secure internet connections suitable for large research projects with high bandwidth needs, such as those in quantum. The Quantum Startup Foundry will eventually move to a new development taking place at the gateway to the Discovery District directly across from the main campus entrance at Campus Drive and Baltimore Avenue.
Mid-Atlantic Quantum Alliance
Quantum Technology Center
Potomac Quantum Innovation Center
DC I-Corps
ionQ
$300M, mixed use development announced in UMD's Discovery District, to become the home of quantum.
Read more on bizjournals.com
DMV leaders came together to formally launch the Steering Committee of the Potomac Quantum Innovation Center (PQIC) with the goal of accelerating Greater Washington’s path to becoming a regional quantum innovation hub.
Read the press release
IonQ closed business combination with dMY Technology Group III and listed on public market to begin trading on NYSE under ticker “IONQ” on October 1, 2021.
Read more on ionq.com
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The University of Maryland (UMD) is widely recognized as one of the top global quantum powerhouses, as well as a leading driver of innovation and entrepreneurship. As the organizers of the Mid-Atlantic Quantum Alliance (MQA), UMD has created the largest regional quantum expertise collective in the world.
Quantum at Maryland