Program empowers start-up companies to conduct breakthrough quantum computing research with access to Cleveland Clinic’s IBM Quantum System One The Cleveland Clinic Quantum Innovation Catalyzer Program announced its newest cohort of start-up company awardees advancing 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 and patient care. The awards support a wide array of research goals, including investigating how genetic variants cause rare diseases; enhancing AI to predict drug toxicity; and building quantum-enhanced simulations to predict real-time cardiovascular risk. Cleveland Clinic researchers will support the companies by providing expert guidance and access to IBM Quantum System One at Cleveland Clinic Main Campus, the first quantum computer dedicated to healthcare and life sciences research. Launched in 2023, the Cleveland Clinic Quantum Innovation Catalyzer Program provides early- and venture-stage companies with a 12-month immersive experience to explore quantum computing applications in biomedical research. “This unique program helps us connect with companies that have the potential to shape the future of healthcare through advanced computational methods,” said Lara Jehi, M.D., 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.” Through the program, the companies can collaborate and consult with Cleveland Clinic quantum and biomedical researchers in a growing quantum ecosystem catalyzed by the Cleveland Clinic-IBM Discovery Accelerator, a 10-year partnership aimed at advancing biomedical research through pioneering applications of quantum and advanced computing. This year’s selected companies will also receive an investment of up to $250,000 from K5 Tokyo Black Fund with an in-kind