Research News

The Cleveland Clinic Quantum Innovation Catalyzer Program welcomes its second class of start-up companies to explore quantum computing applications in healthcare and life sciences.  

The competitive program selected three early- and venture-stage companies from around the world that are using quantum computing to advance research aiming to revolutionize patient care. Cleveland Clinic will help these companies develop their technology by providing guidance from our world-class researchers and access to IBM Quantum System One at Cleveland Clinic’s main campus, the first quantum computer dedicated to healthcare and life sciences research. 

“This unique program helps us connect with companies that have the potential to shape the future of healthcare through advanced computational methods,” says Lara Jehi, MD, Cleveland Clinic’s Chief Research Information Officer and the Sondra J. And Stephen R. Hardis Endowed Chair for Research and Technology. “By collaborating with local and international start-up companies, we are building a quantum computing ecosystem that will help advance biomedical research and improve the lives of patients everywhere.”  

Beyond a 12-month immersive program integrating within the Cleveland Clinic growing quantum ecosystem, the selected companies will also receive an investment of up to $250,000 from K5 Tokyo Black Fund with an in-kind match from Cleveland Clinic. 

“These companies represent the kind of ambitious, forward-looking innovation that can unlock meaningful advances in healthcare, and we are excited to support them through the Quantum Innovation Catalyzer Program,” says Keenan Rice, General Partner at K5 Global. “We are proud to work alongside the Cleveland Clinic to help accelerate the next generation of quantum-enabled healthcare solutions.” 

2026 Quantum Innovation Catalyzer Program Winners 

EntangleBio 

About: EntangleBio is building a new computational approach to understanding disease by combining network medicine with quantum computing. The company is based in the United States and operates as an internationally distributed team with its founders and collaborators based across the U.S. and Europe, allowing them to work closely with leading academic institutions and research centers. 

Project: Quantum network medicine for rare genetic disease diagnosis and treatment 

EntangleBio plans to discover the root cause of rare diseases by exploring genetic variants that are not harmful on their own, but cause disease when they interact. By uncovering the root causes, the team aims to identify new therapeutic targets and improve drug repurposing.  

Polaris Quantum Biotech  

About: Polaris Quantum Biotech is working to revolutionize drug design through advanced computing and personalized medicine. The company, based in North Carolina, built the first drug-discovery platform using quantum computers. 

Project: Quantum ML for accurate toxicity prediction  

This team plans to develop a Quantum Machine Learning (QML) suite to significantly enhance AI models for predicting Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion, and Toxicity properties, a critical bottleneck in modern drug discovery. 

Singularity Quantum  

About: Singularity Quantum Inc. develops quantum-enhanced biomechanical modeling technologies to support precision treatment decisions. Singularity Quantum maintains an international presence, with operations in Seoul, South Korea; California; and the University of Maryland’s Quantum Startup Foundry, as well as collaborations with leading academic and clinical institutions across the United States. 

Project: Quantum algorithms for cardiovascular fractional flow reserve simulation and tumor microcirculation modeling  

This project will focus on building quantum-enhanced simulations that will create real-time cardiovascular risk prediction directly from imaging data. This will transform cardiovascular care by providing non-invasive coronary insights and creating a scalable platform for personalized medicine. The same modeling framework may also be extended to tumor microcirculation and drug-delivery dynamics to support future precision oncology applications. 

Accomplishments of Past Quantum Innovation Catalyzer Program Awardees: 

The inaugural class of Cleveland Clinic’s Quantum Innovation Catalyzer Program in 2024-2025 included Ohio-based Qradle and Finland-based Algorithmiq. Both organizations have continued to collaborate with Cleveland Clinic on groundbreaking research with quantum technologies. 

Algorithmiq 

Algorithmiq led a project in collaboration with Cleveland Clinic and IBM to create a set of computational tools that aims to explore how quantum computing could assist in the development of photon-activated drugs for cancer. The project was selected as one of only six teams worldwide – from an initial pool of more than 200. The project has secured funding across all three phases of Wellcome Leap’s Quantum for Bio Challenge, a competitive global initiative advancing quantum computing applications for healthcare and life sciences. 

Qradle 

Qiang Guan, PhD, from Qradle Inc., collaborated with Feixiong Cheng, PhD, Cleveland Clinic, to predict protein folding structures. The results have outperformed the accuracy of AlphaFold 3. 

 

Disclaimer from K5 Tokyo Black Fund: This material is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice or an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy any securities. Companies referenced are participants in the Quantum Innovation Catalyzer Program. Statements regarding future outcomes are forward-looking and are not guarantees of future results. References to third-party organizations do not constitute endorsements.