Polaris Quantum Biotech

What Polaris Quantum Biotech does

Polaris Quantum Biotech (PolarisQB) is a Durham, North Carolina-based drug discovery company founded in 2020 by Dr. Shahar Keinan (CEO) and Bill Shipman (CTO). The company has built QuADD (Quantum-Aided Drug Design), an end-to-end drug discovery platform powered by D-Wave's Advantage annealing quantum computer that searches chemical spaces of approximately 10^30 molecules — over 20 orders of magnitude larger than traditional high-throughput screening — and performs multi-objective optimization across binding affinity, drug-likeness, synthetic feasibility, solubility, blood-brain barrier permeability, metabolic stability, and toxicity risk. In April 2026 PolarisQB released a quantum-inspired Hamiltonian feature-extraction module for ADMET prediction that improved over classical baselines on 8 of 10 Therapeutic Data Commons benchmarks, and the platform has been demonstrated to outperform a classical generative AI diffusion model (BInD) on lead identification. PolarisQB also retains the legacy Tachyon engine and a De Novo Digital Drug Design Platform originally co-developed with Fujitsu. Integration paths span D-Wave Advantage (primary), IBM Quantum System One (via the Cleveland Clinic Catalyzer Program), and Amazon Braket access to Rigetti and IonQ hardware.

The company monetizes through three primary channels: subscription-based SaaS access to the QuADD platform (annual billing, quote-based enterprise pricing with free trials), unit-priced QuADD Hits (1,000–5,000 lead-like molecules) and QuADD Select (20–200 optimized molecules deliverable in 90 days) services, and collaborative joint development engagements for novel protein targets. Named customers are early-stage biotechnology firms — Auransa (triple-negative breast cancer and women's health), Allosteric Bioscience (aging and longevity), and PhoreMost (next-generation cancer therapies against undruggable sites). Distribution combines direct enterprise sales, a Scientist.com marketplace listing for mid-market buyers, self-serve trials, and, as of June 2026, an exclusive representation agreement with PolarisQB Technologies Group (PTG) covering Greater China and ASEAN.

PolarisQB has raised approximately $2.35 million across a 2020 equity round and a September 2021 $2.1 million seed led by OurCrowd with Infinity Medical participation, supplemented by an undisclosed December 2024 Triangle Tweener Fund investment and up to $250,000 of non-dilutive funding via the 2026 Cleveland Clinic Quantum Innovation Catalyzer Program. Headcount is stated at 1–10 employees; revenue is not publicly disclosed. The company is Delaware-incorporated, privately held, and operates from Durham, NC with a wholly-owned Singapore subsidiary (PTG) for APAC commercialization.

Name

Polaris Quantum Biotech

Legal name

Polaris Quantum Biotech, Inc.

Website

https://polarisqb.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Polaris Quantum Biotech, founded in 2020 in Durham, NC, operates QuADD, a quantum computing-powered drug discovery platform exploring 10^30-molecule chemical spaces for pharmaceutical and biotechnology clients via enterprise SaaS subscriptions, unit-priced lead-discovery services, and collaborative joint development engagements.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Quantum Drug Discovery Software

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Pharmaceutical & Biotech R&D Simulation (drug discovery, protein/ligand) (HDAGAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

AI/ML Platforms for Drug Discovery & Experiment Optimization (HLAGAJAO)

Keywords

• Quantum drug discovery
• Computational drug design
• Molecular optimization platform
• Quantum annealing services
• ADMET prediction software

Headquarters

HQ city

Durham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. QuADD SaaS Subscription: Subscription-based SaaS platform providing quantum-aided drug design services. Customers pay for access to the QuADD platform which identifies lead molecules from large chemical spaces. Pricing is quote-based for enterprise deployments.
2. Joint Development Partnerships: Collaborative drug development agreements where PolarisQB works directly with partners to develop best-fit molecules for new protein targets. These are typically milestone-based arrangements.
3. Lead Discovery Services: QuADD Hits & Leads service delivering 1-5k top-quality lead-like molecules or 20-200 optimized molecules ready for purchase or synthesis within 90 days.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Polaris Quantum Biotech offers the QuADD (Quantum-Aided Drug Design) SaaS platform, which uses quantum annealing and quantum-inspired algorithms to explore chemical spaces of 10^30 molecules for accelerated drug lead identification and multi-objective molecular optimization. The company delivers standardized lead generation packages (Hits & Leads, Select) as well as collaborative joint development services for pharmaceutical, biotechnology, agricultural, and CRO customers.

Product overview

PolarisQB offers QuADD (Quantum-Aided Drug Design), the first end-to-end drug discovery platform built directly around quantum computing. The platform combines quantum annealing and quantum-inspired algorithms to explore ultra-large chemical spaces (10^30 molecules) and perform multi-objective molecular optimization for binding affinity, drug-likeness, and synthetic feasibility in hours rather than months. The core QuADD platform includes specialized modules: QuADD Hits & Leads for initial lead identification (1,000–5,000 molecules), QuADD Select for optimized candidate selection (20–200 molecules), and QuADD Joint Development for collaborative target engagement. A quantum-inspired Hamiltonian ADMET Scoring module was added in 2026 to enhance toxicity prediction. The platform is accessible as a SaaS subscription or through collaborative engagement, and powers drug discovery for biopharma partners across therapeutic areas including oncology, women's health, aging/longevity, and infectious diseases.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• QuADD Quantum-Aided Drug Design Platform End-to-end drug discovery platform built directly around quantum computing (D-Wave Advantage annealing system) that explores chemical spaces of 10^30 molecules and optimizes multi-parameter objectives (binding affinity, drug-likeness, synthetic feasibility, solubility, BBB permeability, metabolic stability, toxicity risk) in hours instead of months. Sold as subscription SaaS to pharma, biotech, agricultural companies, and CROs.
• QuADD Hits & Leads Rapid lead identification service delivering 1,000-5,000 top-quality lead-like molecules for a customer-defined target protein binding pocket, using quantum optimization to explore ultra-large chemical spaces.
• QuADD Select Optimized lead selection service delivering 20-200 molecules optimized for a specific target protein, ready in 90 days for purchase or synthesis, with multi-parameter optimization for drug-like properties.
• QuADD Joint Development Collaborative drug development engagement where PolarisQB works directly with partners to jointly develop best-fit molecules for new protein targets, typically structured as multi-year milestone-based arrangements.
• De Novo Digital Drug Design Platform (Tachyon) Initial quantum-inspired drug discovery platform developed in partnership with Fujitsu combining Digital Annealer technology with machine learning and hybrid QM/MM simulations for de novo lead molecule discovery. The foundational platform underlying current QuADD capabilities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2 Days vs 2 Months - Lead identification timeline reduced by 97%
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability6 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• PolarisQB Technologies Group (PTG)flagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 18 June 2026Exclusive representation agreement covering Greater China and Southeast Asia. PTG identifies, develops, and facilitates commercial opportunities with pharmaceutical companies, R&D organizations, and CROs across Mainland China, Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR, Taiwan, and ASEAN member states.
• Cleveland ClinicflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 April 2026Selected for the 2026 Cleveland Clinic Quantum Innovation Catalyzer Program with up to $250,000 in funding matched in-kind by Cleveland Clinic. Access to IBM Quantum System One - the first quantum computer dedicated to healthcare research. Collaboration with Cleveland Clinic researchers through a 12-month immersive program for quantum machine learning approaches to enhance toxicity prediction.
• OpenFold AI ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 September 2024Joined OpenFold AI Consortium alongside Biogen, Congruence Therapeutics, Psivant Therapeutics, SandboxAQ, and others. Contributes to developing free and open-source AI tools for biology and drug discovery.
• Scientist.comminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 16 January 2024Partnership to offer online access to Quantum-Aided Drug Design (QuADD), the first quantum-enabled drug discovery platform through Scientist.com's marketplace.
• SyntekabioflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 September 2023MOU for collaborative AI and quantum-powered drug development service combining PolarisQB's QuADD platform with Syntekabio's DeepMatcher AI platform and cloud supercomputing infrastructure for global market offerings.
• Allosteric BiosciencecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 February 2022Collaboration targeting improved human aging and longevity using quantum computing and advanced AI. Joint program involves inhibitor development for key aging/longevity protein with equity investment from Allosteric Bioscience.
• PhoreMostcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 January 2022Multi-target collaboration for next-generation cancer therapies. PolarisQB's Tachyon quantum platform scans billions of molecules against targets identified by PhoreMost's SITESEEKER phenotypic screening platform.
• AuransacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 June 2021Research collaboration combining Auransa's AI-driven biology (SMarTR Engine) with PolarisQB's quantum-based chemistry (Tachyon platform) to discover treatments for neglected diseases affecting women including endometriosis, triple-negative breast cancer, and ovarian cancer.
• FujitsucoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 March 2020Pilot partnership using Fujitsu's quantum-inspired Digital Annealer technology for drug discovery. The platform combined quantum-inspired technology, machine learning, and hybrid QM/MM simulations. First collaboration targeted dengue fever drug discovery.
• D-Wave SystemscoreTechnology or IntegrationUses D-Wave's Advantage annealing quantum computer for molecular optimization. The Advantage features 5000 connected qubits capable of handling up to 1 million independent variables. PolarisQB built the first drug discovery platform for D-Wave's annealing quantum computer.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Schrödinger: Public computational drug discovery platform combining physics-based simulation, ML, and a SaaS delivery model. Directly comparable to PolarisQB as an enterprise SaaS solution for pharma lead identification and optimization, though Schrödinger uses classical HPC rather than quantum annealing.
• XtalPi: AI- and quantum-physics-driven drug discovery company offering ID4 platform for crystal structure prediction and molecular generation. Closest peer to PolarisQB in combining quantum computing with AI for pharma R&D, with significant scale (NASDAQ-listed, hundreds of millions raised).
• Atomwise: AI-first small molecule discovery platform using convolutional neural networks for hit identification. Direct competitor in computational lead generation with multi-target pharma collaborations and similar SaaS/partnership revenue model.
• Isomorphic Labs: Alphabet-owned drug discovery company extending DeepMind's AlphaFold into end-to-end pharma partnerships. Competes with PolarisQB for enterprise pharma deals and represents the most capitalized AI/quantum drug discovery entrant.
• SandboxAQ: Quantum-AI company spun out of Alphabet focused on drug discovery, materials, and sensing; co-member of OpenFold Consortium with PolarisQB. Direct competitor in quantum-augmented pharma R&D with far greater funding and enterprise footprint.

Broad incumbents

• Recursion Pharmaceuticals: Public AI-driven drug discovery platform combining high-throughput biology with ML for hit identification. Comparable in targeting computational/AI acceleration of pharma R&D, with broader pipeline ambitions and significantly more capital.
• Insitro: ML-driven drug discovery company combining cellular genomics, CRISPR, and ML models. Overlaps with PolarisQB on computational/AI pharma R&D but operates a biology-first rather than chemistry-first discovery model.
• BenevolentAI: AI drug discovery company using knowledge graphs and ML for target identification and molecule design. Comparable SaaS-like delivery to pharma partners and direct competition for enterprise computational discovery contracts.

Others

• Cloud Pharmaceuticals: AI-driven drug design company co-founded by PolarisQB CEO Shahar Keinan before PolarisQB. Closely related through founder lineage and overlapping drug discovery approaches; effectively a predecessor entity providing relevant historical context.
• D-Wave Systems: Quantum annealing hardware provider whose Advantage system powers PolarisQB's QuADD platform. Critical infrastructure partner rather than competitor, but represents both a strategic dependency and a benchmark for industry quantum capability.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/polarisqb

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors5 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Polaris Quantum Biotech