The Company Lab has launched CO.LAB Q, a 12-month commercialization studio designed to help quantum startups and research teams turn advanced technologies into market-ready businesses.
Applications are now open for the programme, which is scheduled to begin in November 2026. The initiative will focus on helping companies move beyond technical development towards customer validation, pilot projects and investment readiness.
CO.LAB said the programme will provide participating teams with access to quantum infrastructure, technical experts, potential industry and public-sector customers, pilot opportunities and capital pathways. The programme is being built around Chattanooga and the wider Tennessee Valley, where an existing ecosystem spans energy, mobility, logistics and defence.
The initiative targets startups and research teams working across quantum computing and algorithms, networking and communications, cybersecurity, sensing and imaging, enabling hardware and control systems. It will also support applications involving energy, mobility, logistics and defence.
CO.LAB said the programme is intended to address a gap between a technical breakthrough and a commercially viable product. Rather than following a fixed curriculum, participating companies will receive individual commercialisation roadmaps based on their technology, market readiness and business objectives.
The programme will focus on validating customer problems, identifying use cases, connecting teams with research institutions and quantum infrastructure, designing pilots and building evidence for investors.
Chattanooga already has an established quantum technology ecosystem. EPB launched the EPB Quantum Network in partnership with Qubitekk as a commercially available quantum network designed for companies, government agencies and university researchers.
The region also includes the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the Chattanooga Quantum Collaborative and companies working in energy, mobility, cybersecurity and advanced manufacturing. A 2026 regional initiative involving CO.LAB, UTC and EPB has focused on developing pathways from quantum research to commercial applications.
Quantinuum has joined CO.LAB Q as its founding compute partner. According to the programme announcement, participating companies will receive access to Quantinuum's quantum computing resources, cloud platform, programming tools, simulation capabilities and technical expertise.
Davidson Technologies is the founding defence-track sponsor. Its role will include helping participating companies understand defence customer requirements, acquisition and contracting processes, cybersecurity, data rights and potential pilot routes.
EPB Quantum is also expected to provide access to its quantum network, giving participating companies an environment to explore applications involving quantum communications and networking.
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga will serve as the founding academic partner. The university is expected to connect participating teams with quantum researchers, students and specialised facilities.
The programme's focus on commercialisation reflects a broader challenge for the quantum industry. Many quantum technologies remain at an early stage, and companies need access to customers and infrastructure to determine whether research breakthroughs can solve commercially relevant problems.
Chattanooga has been building that ecosystem for several years. EPB's earlier quantum initiative positioned the city around quantum networking, while CO.LAB has increasingly incorporated quantum technology into its entrepreneurship and mobility programmes.
The Chattanooga Quantum Collaborative said in March that the region was working on a coordinated quantum innovation and talent pipeline, with one track focused on talent and another on applications. The initiative is supported by a $1.3 million National Science Foundation planning grant led by the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, with CO.LAB and EPB as partners.
For startups, CO.LAB Q's stated objective is to produce commercial evidence rather than simply complete an accelerator curriculum. That means teams will be expected to demonstrate customer demand, validate applications and develop credible pathways towards pilots and investment.
The programme will begin in November, with applications currently open. Its progress will offer an early test of whether Chattanooga's quantum infrastructure and industry partnerships can help move more quantum technologies from research and development into commercial deployment.
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