What Quantum Economic Development Consortium does

The Quantum Economic Development Consortium (QED-C) is a U.S.-based public-private partnership consortium established under the National Quantum Initiative Act of 2018 and administered by SRI International. Headquartered at 1100 Wilson Blvd., Suite 2700, Arlington, VA, QED-C functions as a membership-based industry association coordinating the quantum technology ecosystem across government agencies (NIST, DARPA, congressional offices), academic and research institutions, and private-sector quantum companies. As of 2025 it claims 270+ member organizations across 39 countries, operating through six Technical Advisory Committees covering enabling technologies, law and policy, quantum for national security, standards and performance metrics, commercialization and use cases, and workforce development.

QED-C does not develop proprietary technology; instead it orchestrates a platform-plus-services model of member resources including the Quantum Marketplace (supplier/partner directory and Talent Showcase), Quantum Business Edge (member business resources), the open-source App-Oriented Benchmarks hosted on GitHub, a Standards Database, Quantum Jobs, the Qubits & Pieces blog, and the Been There Done That podcast. It publishes the annual State of the Global Quantum Industry report and convenes the annual QED-C Quantum Summit plus quarterly TAC meetings and congressional engagement events. Its revenue model is subscription/recurring membership dues, with pricing not publicly disclosed; the consortium also administers grant pass-throughs such as the 2022 $1.4 million NIST-funded program that disbursed matching funds to members Rigetti Computing, Amphenol RF, Maybell Quantum Industries, and XMA for quantum control and readout electronics research. Executive Director Dr. Celia Merzbacher leads the organization, which was recognized with a 2025 Quantum 100 designation from the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology.

Name

Quantum Economic Development Consortium

Legal name

Quantum Economic Development Consortium

Website

https://quantumconsortium.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Public-private quantum industry consortium established under the U.S. National Quantum Initiative Act of 2018, coordinating 270+ member organizations across 39 countries through membership dues, technical advisory committees, standards development, and workforce programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Quantum Industry Consortium

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392)

akta.pro primary industry

Quantum Community, Developer Relations & Ecosystem Programs (HDAGALAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Multi-Provider Quantum Aggregators & Marketplaces (HDAGAIAC), Quantum Open-Source Ecosystems, Package Managers & Interoperability Standards (HDAGACAO), Quantum Workshops, Bootcamps & Events Providers (HDAGALAM)

Keywords

• Quantum industry consortium
• Quantum technology ecosystem
• Quantum industry standards
• Quantum workforce development
• Quantum commercialization

Headquarters

HQ city

Arlington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: QED-C operates as a consortium with member organizations from government, academia, and private sector. Members pay dues to participate and access exclusive resources including the Quantum Business Edge, App-Oriented Benchmarks, Standards Database, and member networking forums.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

QED-C operates a membership-based consortium that brings together government agencies, universities, and private-sector companies to advance the quantum technology ecosystem. Its core deliverables include exclusive member resources (Quantum Business Edge, App-Oriented Benchmarks, Standards Database, funding opportunities), the Quantum Marketplace platform connecting suppliers with buyers, the annual QED-C Quantum Summit and TAC meetings, the State of the Global Quantum Industry report, and the Quantum Jobs talent platform, all coordinated to accelerate commercialization and workforce development in quantum computing, communications, and sensing.

Product overview

The Quantum Economic Development Consortium (QED-C) is a consortium organization, not a single unified product. It operates a platform-plus-services model consisting of member resources (Quantum Business Edge), a supplier/partner marketplace (Quantum Marketplace), open-source technical resources (App-Oriented Benchmarks), industry research publications (State of the Global Quantum Industry Report), workforce development tools (Quantum Jobs, Talent Showcase), standards databases, technical advisory committee structures, and content publications (Qubits & Pieces Blog, Been There Done That Podcast). The consortium coordinates quantum industry advancement through six Technical Advisory Committees covering technology, policy, national security, standards, commercialization, and workforce priorities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Quantum Business Edge: Exclusive member resources for scaling quantum businesses including funding opportunities, forum, Quantum Business Edge, App-Oriented Benchmarks, Standards Database, and discounts.
• Quantum Marketplace
• QED-C Quantum Summit
• State of the Global Quantum Industry Report

Products and services

• QED-C Membership Paid consortium membership program granting organizations exclusive access to Quantum Business Edge resources, App-Oriented Benchmarks, Standards Database, funding opportunities, forums, member networking across 39 countries, and discounts. Designed for quantum technology companies, government agencies, and academic institutions.
• Quantum Marketplace An online marketplace platform for finding suppliers and partners for quantum technology needs, including a Talent Showcase for recruiting quantum professionals. Targets quantum buyers and suppliers across the ecosystem.
• QED-C Quantum Summit Annual flagship conference bringing together quantum industry stakeholders, including members, government officials, and researchers, for collaboration, working group sessions, and knowledge sharing.
• State of the Global Quantum Industry Report Annual research publication providing data and analysis on quantum technology market size, workforce, investment trends, and commercial progress, referenced as the 2026 State of the Global Quantum Industry Report.
• Quantum Business Edge Exclusive member-tier resource bundle for scaling quantum businesses, providing funding opportunities, forum access, App-Oriented Benchmarks, Standards Database, and discounts. Available to QED-C member organizations and their employees.
• Standards Database Database of quantum technology standards accessible to QED-C members, supporting standards development and performance measurement activities across the quantum ecosystem.
• Quantum Jobs Talent platform connecting employers with quantum technology professionals, supporting workforce development across the quantum industry as part of QED-C's Workforce TAC initiatives.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 6,000 organizations now working on quantum technologies including 513 pure-play companies
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• Amphenol RFmajorTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2022Member company that participated in a NIST-funded research program ($1.4M government matching funds) to enhance quantum control and readout electronics. Achieved advances in making control electronics more compact, manufacturable, and scalable.
• Maybell Quantum IndustriesmajorTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2022Member company that participated in the NIST-funded quantum control electronics research program. Contributed advances in integrated cabling solutions and on-chip temperature measurement capabilities.
• Rigetti ComputingmajorTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2022Member company participating in the NIST-funded research program to enhance control and readout electronics for quantum hardware. Achieved advances in making control electronics more compact, manufacturable, and scalable across multiple qubit modalities.
• XMAmajorTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2022Member company that participated in the NIST-funded quantum control electronics research program achieving improvements in size and performance across several qubit modalities.
• SRI InternationalcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2018SRI International administers, operates, and manages QED-C under the direction and advice of the QED-C Steering Committee. SRI is a non-profit organization that performs R&D for a broad range of clients and is headquartered at 333 Ravenswood Avenue, Menlo Park, California.
• National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerQED-C was brought together by SRI in connection with NIST as part of the U.S. National Quantum Initiative Act of 2018. QED-C supports agencies in research, development, and application of quantum technologies.
• National Quantum Initiative Consortium (270+ members)coreOthersQED-C represents approximately 260-270 member organizations across the quantum ecosystem including government agencies, universities, and private sector companies. The consortium coordinates investment in priority areas including technology, workforce, standards, and use cases for quantum computing, communications, and sensing.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Quantum Industry Coalition: U.S.-based industry advocacy coalition representing quantum technology companies. It is a direct peer as a national-level membership body pursuing policy influence and industry coordination for quantum, with significant overlap in member companies and stakeholder base with QED-C.

Regional players

• European Quantum Industry Consortium (QuIC): European industry consortium representing quantum technology stakeholders across the EU. It is a regional peer operating the same consortium model in a different geography, competing for member companies and standards-setting influence outside the U.S.
• Quantum Flagship: EU's €1B flagship research initiative coordinating quantum R&D across European member states. Comparable to QED-C as a large-scale, government-backed quantum coordination program, but geographically focused on Europe and structured as a funded research program rather than a dues-based consortium.
• Quantum Industry Canada: Canadian industry consortium advancing the country's quantum technology sector. It is a regional peer employing the same consortium/association model with overlapping private-sector members and a focus on commercialization and policy advocacy in Canada.
• UK National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC): UK government-backed national center coordinating quantum computing research, access programs, and industry partnerships. Comparable as a government-funded convening body for the UK's quantum ecosystem with overlapping workforce and commercialization mandates.

Others

• IEEE Quantum Initiative: IEEE's cross-cutting quantum program covering standards, education, conferences (QCE), and publications. It is an adjacent peer in the quantum ecosystem that overlaps with QED-C's standards and workforce mandates but operates as a global professional society rather than a U.S.-anchored industry consortium.
• Chicago Quantum Exchange: U.S. regional consortium led by the University of Chicago and Argonne/Fermilab connecting industry, government, and academia in the Midwest quantum corridor. Overlaps with QED-C in convening and workforce development but is geographically anchored and academia-led rather than federally chartered.
• Q-NEXT (DOE Quantum Information Science Research Center): U.S. Department of Energy QIS Research Center led by Argonne National Laboratory with industry and academic partners. Comparable in convening national quantum stakeholders and developing standards/benchmarks, but funded as a DOE research center rather than a membership consortium.

Broad incumbents

• Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA): U.S. trade association representing the semiconductor industry. Comparable as an established U.S. industry-association model that coordinates R&D, workforce, and policy advocacy; QED-C is effectively building a similar structure for the nascent quantum industry.

Emerging players

• Quantum Software Consortium: Consortium focused on quantum software ecosystems, middleware, and developer tools. It is an emerging player with overlapping quantum software and standards interests to QED-C, but narrower in scope (software-only) and smaller in member base.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• GitHubgithub.com/SRI-International/QC-App-Oriented-Benchmarks
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/qedc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Quantum Economic Development Consortium