Quantum materials startup staC12, which spun out of a lab at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, has joined the Chicago Quantum Exchange as a corporate partner. staC12, which began in the lab of Associate Professor Alex High, develops integrated single-crystal diamond materials for next-generation quantum and semiconductor technologies.
“We’re excited to join the Chicago Quantum Exchange and collaborate with its world-class network,” said Avery Linder, co-founder and CEO of staC12. “Our goal is to unlock the potential of diamond in quantum and semiconductor applications, and we are excited to advance that mission in an ecosystem that challenges it to reach its full potential.”
Diamond’s exceptional thermal, optical, and electronic properties make it a highly attractive material for quantum information systems, advanced sensors, and next-generation semiconductors. However, widespread adoption has been slowed by the difficulty of integrating diamond with other materials at scale.
staC12’s innovative process bonds thin-film single-crystal diamond to substrates such as silicon, sapphire, fused silica, and lithium niobate. This breakthrough enables manufacturers to more efficiently harness the unique properties of diamond while overcoming key challenges in quality, scalability, and integration—barriers that have historically limited diamond’s widespread use in advanced technologies. The company won funding earlier this year from the George Shultz Innovation Fund, managed by the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
“staC12 represents the kind of innovation we aim to foster within the CQE,” said David Awschalom, the Liew Family Professor of Molecular Engineering and Physics at the University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering. “Their pioneering work in diamond integration has the potential to transform quantum technologies and strengthen Chicago’s position as a leader in this rapidly evolving field.”
As a CQE corporate partner, staC12 will engage with the CQE Founder Platform to accelerate its growth, including raising funds for manufacturing facilities and operations, hiring top technical talent, and exploring collaborative research opportunities focused on materials fabrication and quantum sensing.
About the CQE: The CQE is based at the University of Chicago and anchored by the US Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory and Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the University of Wisconsin–Madison, Northwestern University, and Purdue University. The CQE includes more than 50 corporate, international, nonprofit, and regional partners.
About staC12: staC12 is at the forefront of diamond integration technology. By providing diamond in an integrated format, staC12 seeks to provide quantum and semiconductor device-makers an easy solution to leverage the potential of diamond for next generation technologies. staC12’s founding team has over 50 years of combined expertise in diamond growth, integration, and applications.