Duality, the nation’s first accelerator focused exclusively on supporting quantum science and technology companies, has announced that Amazon Web Services (AWS) is among its first corporate supporters, along with Caruso Ventures, Lathrop GPM LLP, McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff (MBHB), Silicon Valley Bank, and Toptica Photonics to support its inaugural cohort of six startups, and help fuel quantum innovation in Chicago and the region.
Corporate supporters will provide a combination of financial support, mentorship, and other professional services and resources for Duality and its startups. The move comes at a time when nations around the world are racing to unlock the potential of quantum information science, and when researchers and corporations are looking for ways to collaborate more closely and narrow the gap between the laboratory and the marketplace.
“The rapidly evolving field of quantum information science can benefit enormously from strategic partnerships which bring together complementary expertise,” said Paul Alivisatos, president of the University of Chicago and the John D. MacArthur Distinguished Service Professor of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering. “Today’s announcement enhances the support for Duality companies and further strengthens Chicago—and the state of Illinois—as a global center for quantum innovation.”