Cleveland Clinic Launches 2026 Quantum Innovation Cohort
Cleveland Clinic has announced the three newest startups selected for its 2026 Quantum Innovation Catalyzer Program. The chosen companies — EntangleBio, Polaris Quantum Biotech, and Singularity Quantum — will spend the next 12 months developing quantum computing solutions in healthcare and life sciences. Together, they bring fresh ideas to some of medicine’s most complex challenges.
The program draws early- and venture-stage companies from around the world. This year’s cohort was selected through a competitive global process. Each company focuses on a distinct problem, from diagnosing rare genetic diseases to predicting cardiovascular risk directly from imaging data.
What the Program Offers Selected Companies
Funding, Mentorship, and Quantum Access
Participation in the Catalyzer Program comes with significant support. Each company receives up to $250,000 in investment from the K5 Tokyo Black Fund, matched in-kind by Cleveland Clinic. Beyond funding, companies gain direct collaboration with Cleveland Clinic’s quantum and biomedical researchers.
Crucially, selected startups also access IBM Quantum System One, located on Cleveland Clinic’s Main Campus. This is the first quantum computer dedicated exclusively to healthcare and life sciences research. Launched in 2023, the system gives startups rare access to cutting-edge hardware within a clinical research environment.
A Powerful Ecosystem Behind the Program
The Catalyzer Program operates within the Cleveland Clinic-IBM Discovery Accelerator, a 10-year strategic partnership. This partnership aims to push the boundaries of biomedical research using quantum and advanced computing. For startups, this ecosystem means more than just tools — it means access to world-class expertise and institutional credibility.
Lara Jehi, M.D., Cleveland Clinic’s Chief Research Information Officer, highlighted the program’s broader mission: connecting innovative companies with the resources needed to reshape healthcare through advanced computation.
Meet the 2026 Quantum Innovation Catalyzer Awardees
EntangleBio: Tackling Rare Genetic Diseases
EntangleBio combines network medicine with quantum computing to better understand how diseases develop. The U.S.-based company works with academic institutions across America and Europe. Its project focuses on rare genetic disease diagnosis and treatment.
Specifically, EntangleBio will study genetic variants that are harmless individually but cause disease when they interact. This approach could uncover new therapeutic targets. Furthermore, it may improve drug repurposing — finding existing medicines that work for new conditions.
Polaris Quantum Biotech: Smarter Drug Toxicity Prediction
North Carolina-based Polaris Quantum Biotech built the first drug-discovery platform powered by quantum computers. Its 2026 project develops a Quantum Machine Learning suite to improve AI predictions of drug behavior in the human body.
More precisely, the suite targets ADMET properties — Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion, and Toxicity — a major bottleneck in modern drug development. Better toxicity prediction means safer drugs reach clinical trials faster. This advancement could reduce time and cost across the pharmaceutical pipeline.
Singularity Quantum: Real-Time Cardiovascular Risk Modeling
Singularity Quantum Inc. operates across Seoul, California, and the University of Maryland’s Quantum Startup Foundry. The company develops quantum-enhanced biomechanical models to support precision treatment decisions.
Its project builds real-time cardiovascular risk simulations derived directly from imaging data. This non-invasive approach provides coronary insights without traditional testing burdens. Additionally, the same modeling platform may extend to tumor microcirculation and drug-delivery dynamics, supporting future precision oncology work.
Lessons From the Inaugural Cohort
Strong Results From the First Class
The 2024–25 cohort featured Algorithmiq (Finland) and Qradle (Ohio). Both companies have continued their work with Cleveland Clinic following the program’s conclusion.
Algorithmiq collaborated with Cleveland Clinic and IBM to develop tools exploring quantum computing for photon-activated cancer drugs. Notably, their project earned selection among only six worldwide from more than 200 applicants for Wellcome Leap’s Quantum for Bio Challenge — securing funding across all three phases.
Meanwhile, Qradle demonstrated a complete end-to-end pipeline for protein structure prediction on real quantum hardware. Their results outperformed AlphaFold 3 in accuracy, marking a meaningful milestone for quantum advantage in biomedical applications.
Why This Program Matters for Healthcare
Quantum computing is moving steadily from theory to clinical relevance. Programs like the Cleveland Clinic Quantum Innovation Catalyzer accelerate this transition. They bring together funding, hardware access, and expert mentorship in a structure built specifically for healthcare innovation.
Keenan Rice, General Partner at K5 Global, described the selected companies as ambitious and forward-looking — precisely the kind of innovators capable of unlocking real advances in patient care. As quantum hardware matures and algorithms improve, partnerships like these will determine how quickly healthcare benefits from the quantum era.
