INAUGURAL AFFILIATES INCLUDE CANARIE, ACET, AND QUANTACET, ENHANCING COLLABORATIVE GROWTH
Quantum Industry Canada (QIC), the national consortium dedicated to advancing the country’s quantum technology sector, is excited to announce the launch of its affiliate program, welcoming CANARIE, ACET, and Quantacet as its inaugural affiliates. This initiative seeks to foster greater coordination and collaboration across Canada’s quantum ecosystem, reinforcing the country’s leadership in this critical technology area that is pivotal for economic advancement and national security.
As a growing industry-driven coalition of over 45 quantum companies and allied organizations, QIC’s mission is to transform Canada’s quantum capabilities and strengths into business success and economic prosperity. The affiliate program supports QIC’s mission by integrating a diverse array of organizations into the fold. These include technology adopters, business accelerators, funding organizations, academic and research institutions, among others, all vital in propelling quantum innovation and commercial success across Canada.
While QIC membership is specifically tailored for industrial entities directly engaged in the development and commercialization of quantum and enabling technologies, the affiliate program seeks to broaden the consortium’s impact. It does so by including organizations that contribute to the quantum sector’s growth without directly developing commercial-ready quantum technologies.
Among the first to join as affiliates are CANARIE, the federal partner in the National Research and Education Network whose programs equip Canada’s researchers, students, and startups to excel on the global stage; ACET, a technology business incubator-accelerator that helps entrepreneurs by propelling innovative technologies that have a positive impact on society, and offers a program tailored for quantum startups; and Quantacet, a Canadian venture capital fund and one of the very few funds dedicated to the quantum technology market around the globe. These affiliations underscore the vital role diverse organizations play in enhancing the quantum technology landscape in Canada.
“By welcoming leading organizations like CANARIE, ACET, and Quantacet as QIC’s first affiliates, we’re laying the foundation for a united Canadian quantum technology ecosystem that’s poised for unprecedented growth and value creation,” explains Lisa Lambert, QIC’s Chief Executive Officer. “QIC’s affiliate program is a testament to our belief in the power of coordination and collaboration. Together, we’re advancing the country’s quantum sector and, by extension, Canada’s economy.”
Organizations interested in contributing to the growth of Canada’s quantum technology ecosystem are invited to apply to join QIC as affiliates. This opportunity offers a platform for strategic connections, knowledge sharing, and collective efforts to address the quantum sector’s unique challenges and opportunities.
Quotes:
“We are excited to join QIC as an Affiliate and for the opportunity to connect and collaborate with Canada’s leaders in the quantum technology sector.”
- Kathryn Anthonisen, President and CEO, CANARIE
“Collaboration and partnerships have always been core values for the ACET accelerator. We are glad to expand this collaboration in the quantum industry throughout Canada with QIC, a national organization that shares the same vision.”
- Michel Brouillette, Director of Quantum Business Development at ACET
“QIC is a leading force for the quantum industry. Quantacet is thrilled to join this dynamic community which promises exciting opportunities for collaboration.”
- Chloé Archambault, partner at Quantacet
About CANARIE
CANARIE connects Canada to the world. Our programs equip researchers, students, and startups in Canada to excel on the global stage. Together with our 13 provincial and territorial partners, we form Canada’s National Research and Education Network (NREN). This ultra-high-speed network connects Canada’s researchers, educators, and innovators to each other and to global data, technology, and colleagues. To strengthen the security of Canada’s research and education sector, we collaborate with our partners in the NREN, government, academia, and the private sector to fund, implement, and support cybersecurity initiatives. We also provide identity management services to the academic community and boost Canada’s startups with cloud resources and expertise in emerging technologies. Established in 1993, CANARIE is a non-profit corporation, with most of our funding provided by the Government of Canada.
About ACET
Accélérateur de Création d’Entreprises Technologiques (ACET)’s mission is to identify innovative and ambitious technology startups, to support entrepreneurs and to propel innovative companies that have a positive impact on society. Supported by a highly committed business community, ACET offers personalized coaching, from the earliest stages all the way to internationalization, access to various sources of funding including its own investment funds, services from its own market intelligence firm and the full power of its network so that entrepreneurs can transform their passion, vision, and innovations into a successful business.
About Quantacet
Quantacet is the first Quebec-based venture capital fund dedicated to early-stage companies working in the field of quantum technologies. Located at the heart of DistriQ, Sherbrooke’s Quantum Innovation Zone, Quantacet invests in the most promising young quantum companies that will have a major transformative impact on a wide range of applications in healthcare, cybersecurity, energy, transportation, and many other areas of society. By being an active player in Quebec’s venture capital ecosystem, notably through its presence at Espace CDPQ, the largest community dedicated to venture capital in Canada, Quantacet aims to facilitate access to venture capital for quantum startups in order to support their growth.