Q-Next

What Q-Next does

Q-NEXT is a U.S. Department of Energy National Quantum Information Science Research Center established in 2020 and led by Argonne National Laboratory in partnership with SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. It brings together approximately 80 researchers from 19 organizations—two national laboratories, 11 universities, and six technology companies spanning nine U.S. states—to develop the science and technology for controlling and distributing quantum information. The center pursues three interconnected scientific thrusts: networked integration of entanglement, enhanced sensing through entanglement, and physical integration of entanglement. Its tangible infrastructure includes the 6,000-square-foot Argonne Quantum Foundry for scalable semiconductor quantum systems, the 5,500-square-foot SLAC Superconducting Quantum Foundry cleanroom, and the Chicago Quantum Computing Testbed built with Intel—the first full-stack, solid-state-qubit testbed at a national laboratory. Notable technical milestones include a record 5-second qubit lifetime in silicon carbide and the publication of a National Roadmap for Quantum Networks authored by 39 researchers at 15 institutions.

Q-NEXT operates exclusively on federal funding rather than commercial revenue. The DOE renewed its commitment in November 2025 with $125 million over five years (with $25 million in FY2026 contingent on congressional appropriations), positioning the center as an instrument of U.S. national policy to maintain leadership in quantum information science against international competition. Its industry partners—IBM, Intel, IonQ, PsiQuantum, Applied Materials, HRL Laboratories, AWS, and JPMorgan Chase—are research collaborators that gain access to the center's foundries, testbeds, and scientific output rather than paying customers. Workforce development is a stated priority, with 150+ students and postdocs trained through programs tied to the Chicago Quantum Exchange and the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park. Leadership is anchored by Chief Science Officer David Awschalom, Deputy Director Jennifer Dionne, CTO Supratik Guha (ex-IBM Research), COO Dena Reetz, and large-scale effort leads at Stanford, UIUC, and UW-Madison.

Name

Q-Next

Legal name

Q-NEXT National Quantum Information Science Research Center

Website

https://q-next.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Q-NEXT is a federally funded DOE National Quantum Information Science Research Center led by Argonne National Laboratory in partnership with SLAC, uniting 80 researchers across 19 labs, universities, and technology companies to advance quantum communication, sensing, and materials.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Quantum Information Science Research

NAICS

Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) (541715)

SIC

Semiconductors & Related Devices (3674)

akta.pro primary industry

Quantum Standards, Testbeds & Open Research Infrastructure (HDAGAMAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Quantum Communications, Networking & Quantum Internet Research (HDAGAMAH)

Keywords

• Quantum information science
• Quantum communication networks
• Quantum sensing research
• Quantum materials development
• National quantum foundries

Headquarters

HQ city

Lemont

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. DOE Federal Funding: Q-NEXT is a U.S. Department of Energy National Quantum Information Science Research Center funded by federal appropriations. The center was renewed for five years with a $125 million commitment from the DOE, with $25 million in fiscal year 2026 contingent on congressional appropriations.
2. DOE National Quantum Information Science Research Centers Funding: The Department of Energy allocates $625 million in federal funding to five National Quantum Information Science Research Centers for up to five years to expand quantum information technology research and develop applications.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Q-NEXT is a U.S. Department of Energy National Quantum Information Science Research Center that develops the science and technology for controlling and distributing quantum information. Its core offerings are collaborative research programs across quantum communication, quantum sensing, and quantum materials, supported by two national quantum foundries (Argonne Quantum Foundry and SLAC Superconducting Quantum Foundry) and the Chicago Quantum Computing Testbed.

Product overview

Q-Next is a U.S. Department of Energy National Quantum Information Science Research Center led by Argonne National Laboratory in partnership with SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. It is not a product company but a collaborative research center comprising approximately 80 researchers from 19 organizations (2 national labs, 11 universities, and 6 technology companies). The center's offerings consist of research programs and national quantum foundries rather than commercial products. Its main tangible offerings are the Argonne Quantum Foundry (6,000-sq-ft facility for scalable semiconductor quantum systems) and the SLAC Superconducting Quantum Foundry (5,500-sq-ft cleanroom for superconducting quantum devices). Research programs focus on networked integration of entanglement (quantum communication), enhanced sensing through entanglement, and physical integration of entanglement (quantum materials). The center also operates the Chicago Quantum Computing Testbed for testing quantum dot-based processors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Argonne Quantum Foundry: A 6,000-square-foot facility at Argonne National Laboratory focused on developing scalable semiconductor quantum systems.
• SLAC Superconducting Quantum Foundry

Products and services

• Argonne Quantum Foundry A 6,000-square-foot facility at Argonne National Laboratory focused on developing scalable semiconductor quantum systems, including a quantum computing test bed, tools for growing qubits and their host materials, environment-controlled annealing furnaces, and equipment for integrating qubits with other devices. Available to Q-NEXT partner researchers and external users.
• SLAC Superconducting Quantum Foundry A 5,500-square-foot class-100 cleanroom at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory that houses advanced equipment and metrology tools for superconducting processes supporting devices and sensors on 150-millimeter wafers, including design, fabrication, and cryogenic device characterization.
• Chicago Quantum Computing Testbed A full-stack, solid-state-qubit testbed built in collaboration with Intel at Argonne National Laboratory for testing industry-developed quantum processors based on quantum dots.
• Quantum Network Research Program Development of technologies enabling the robust distribution of quantum information across distances from chip-to-chip to citywide networks, including quantum repeaters and entanglement purification protocols.
• Quantum Sensing Research Program Development of sensors that leverage entanglement to achieve ultraprecise measurements surpassing classical sensor capabilities, with applications in medical imaging, timekeeping, navigation, and fundamental physics.
• Quantum Materials Development Program Development and standardization of foundational high-quality quantum materials through the Argonne Quantum Foundry and SLAC Superconducting Quantum Foundry, including heterogeneous integration of different material systems within single components.

Quantifiable outcome

• Record 5-second qubit lifetime achieved in silicon carbide
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered core and key.

• Argonne National LaboratorycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Q-NEXT is led by Argonne National Laboratory. The center leverages Argonne's world-class research facilities including the Advanced Photon Source, Center for Nanoscale Materials, Argonne Leadership Computing Facility, and the Argonne Quantum Foundry. Argonne provides the primary institutional home and leadership for the Q-NEXT collaboration.
• SLAC National Accelerator LaboratorycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Q-NEXT operates in partnership with SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, which hosts the SLAC Superconducting Quantum Foundry. SLAC brings expertise in superconducting quantum systems and provides the 5,500-square-foot cleanroom facility for quantum device fabrication.
• IBMkeyStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020IBM collaborates with Q-NEXT as one of six industry partners, providing access to state-of-the-art commercial prototypes, chip packaging and design guidance for systems and algorithm development. IBM Quantum provides an industry perspective on quantum simulation research.
• IntelkeyStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Intel partners with Q-NEXT on quantum computing research, including building the first full-stack, solid-state-qubit testbed at a national lab: the Chicago Quantum Computing Testbed. Scientists use it to test industry-developed quantum processors based on quantum dots.
• IonQkeyStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020IonQ participates in Q-NEXT as an industry partner, contributing expertise in trapped-ion quantum computing to advance the center's quantum information science objectives.
• PsiQuantumkeyStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020PsiQuantum collaborates with Q-NEXT, bringing expertise in photonic quantum computing to advance quantum communication and information processing research.
• Applied MaterialskeyStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Applied Materials partners with Q-NEXT to contribute to quantum materials development, leveraging their expertise in materials processing and fabrication for scalable quantum devices.
• Quantum OpuskeyStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Quantum Opus participates as an industry partner in Q-NEXT, contributing to the center's quantum technology development ecosystem.
• HRL LaboratorieskeyStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020HRL Laboratories collaborates on quantum communication research, including silicon carbide photonics for quantum interconnects. Thaddeus Ladd serves as co-design engineer for Q-NEXT's Quantum Communication Thrust.
• Amazon Web Services (AWS)keyStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020AWS collaborates on quantum networking research, with Antia Lamas-Linares working to link the globe through quantum networks and exploring how to store, control, compute and transmit photon-encoded information.
• JPMorgan ChasekeyStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020JPMorgan Chase collaborates through Marco Pistoia who leads a team advancing quantum information technologies to improve financial portfolios and protect finance customers from cyberattacks.
• CaltechkeyStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020California Institute of Technology is one of 11 university partners contributing targeted expertise in discovery science for novel qubit platforms, quantum sensing, quantum communications and quantum transduction.
• Cornell UniversitykeyStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Cornell University participates as a university collaborator contributing expertise in quantum research, including hosting workshops and contributing to quantum materials development.
• MITkeyStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a university partner providing expertise in quantum science and engineering, including contributions to the Science and Technology Advisory Board.
• Penn StatekeyStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Pennsylvania State University contributes expertise in quantum materials and is helping grow the capabilities of the Argonne Quantum Foundry while building a library of atom-scale materials for quantum technologies.
• Stanford UniversitykeyStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Stanford University is a key partner with Jennifer Dionne serving as Deputy Director. Stanford contributes expertise in nanophotonics, quantum materials, and hosts the SLAC facility. Will Oliver serves on the Science and Technology Advisory Board.
• UC BerkeleykeyStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020University of California, Berkeley participates as a university partner contributing expertise in quantum information science and technology.
• UC Santa BarbarakeyStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020University of California, Santa Barbara contributes expertise in quantum research as part of the Q-NEXT university partner network.
• University of ChicagokeyStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020University of Chicago is a core partner hosting David Awschalom as Chief Science Officer and founding director of the Chicago Quantum Exchange. The university contributes extensively to quantum engineering, algorithms, and materials research.
• University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignkeyStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020University of Illinois contributes expertise in quantum optics, quantum communication and quantum information, with Paul Kwiat leading the Large Scale Effort on Network-Distributed Information and Processing.
• University of IowakeyStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020University of Iowa contributes to quantum research including work on reducing noise in diamond sensors.
• University of Wisconsin-MadisonkeyStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020University of Wisconsin-Madison contributes expertise in semiconductor-based quantum dot qubits, with Mark Eriksson leading the Large Scale Effort on Heterogeneous Integration for Entanglement Scaling.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Superconducting Quantum Materials and Systems Center (SQMS): One of the other four DOE National Quantum Information Science Research Centers, led by Fermilab. SQMS pursues superconducting quantum systems and materials at scale under the same DOE center-scale funding model, making it the closest direct peer to Q-NEXT in mission, structure, and funding mechanism.
• Quantum Systems through Entangled Science and Engineering (Q-SEnSE): DOE National QIS Research Center led by NIST and University of Colorado Boulder. Q-SEnSE focuses on quantum sensing and networked entanglement under the same DOE center-scale model, directly comparable to Q-NEXT in funding structure and scientific scope.
• Co-design Center for Quantum Advantage (C2QA): DOE National QIS Research Center led by Brookhaven National Laboratory. C2QA focuses on co-design of quantum hardware and software, sharing Q-NEXT's federal funding structure and consortium-based operating model across national labs, universities, and industry.

Emerging players

• NSF Quantum Leap Challenge Institutes: NSF-funded quantum research institutes (e.g., Q-SEnSE-adjacent and others at UIUC, Caltech, Harvard) that operate under a similar multi-institution, federally-funded model focused on quantum information science and engineering. Comparable in research-center model and workforce development, though funded by NSF rather than DOE.
• Institute for Quantum Information and Matter (IQIM) at Caltech: Caltech-based quantum research institute pursuing foundational quantum information science. Q-NEXT lists Caltech as a partner institution, and IQIM operates a similar fundamental-research-and-workforce-development mission, though as an academic institute rather than a DOE-funded center.

Regional players

• Chicago Quantum Exchange (CQE): Regional quantum consortium led by University of Chicago and Argonne National Laboratory (Q-NEXT's own founding director David Awschalom founded CQE). Operates in the same geography and shares talent/institutional overlap with Q-NEXT, but functions as a regional networking and ecosystem body rather than a federally-funded R&D center.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/qnextquantum
• Facebookfacebook.com/qnextquantum
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/q-next

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Q-Next