Insider Brief
- VC-funded accelerator and IP-driven venture builder targets the US$250 billion QuantumAI market, as AI begins its critical shift to quantum computing.
- Launch follows the opening of QAI Venture’s Asia HQ in October 2025; company looking to launch new venture building program in 2026, targeting seven new Asia-based ventures by 2027.
- The company also announces Quantum Kitties, represented by Siddhant Dutta and Pavana P. Karanth, as the winners of its Global GenQ Hackathon at SWITCH in Singapore, the first successful activation to scout talent for the Accelerator Program.
PRESS RELEASE — QAI Ventures today announces the launch of its VC-funded accelerator and IP-driven venture builder dedicated to QuantumAI startups and Advanced Computing. In partnership with Enterprise Singapore, the programs harness QAI Venture’s expertise as a global investor and leading QuantumAI ecosystem builder. Coinciding with the Singapore Week of Innovation & Technology (SWITCH) 2025, QAI Ventures announces the winners of its Global Quantum Hackathon Series, GenQ, and officially opens applications for the QAI Ventures Accelerator Program in Singapore, launching mid-2026.
The winning team, Quantum Kitties, represented by Siddhant Dutta, PhD student at NTU Singapore’s College of Computing & Data Science, and Pavana P. Karant, undergraduate CSE student at GSSS Institute of Engineering and Technology for Women, has been awarded a Golden Ticket: granting them direct access to the final pre-selection round of the Accelerator Program and a chance to join the very first QAI Ventures cohort in Singapore.
The accelerator launch follows from QAI Ventures’ successful programs rolled out in Europe and North America, which have seen over 20 companies incubated over the last three years, with an overall portfolio of 27 companies.
Alexandra Beckstein, CEO & Founder of QAI Ventures, shares, “Through our VC-funded Accelerator, Venture Building programs, and deep industry collaborations, QAI Ventures is building the Future of QuantumAI in Asia backed by Enterprise Singapore. Our model fosters entrepreneurial dynamism, drives economic growth, and empowers innovators to translate QuantumAI breakthroughs into real-world impact. The GenQ Hackathon already exemplifies this vision, bringing together leading partners such as Microsoft, DBS Bank, SoftBank, and Eraneos to build the global QuantumAI ecosystem.”
Nobushige Oguri, Deputy Director, Digital Infrastructure Solutions Development Division and Data Platform Strategy Design, SoftBank Corp. explains: “At SoftBank Corp., we see QuantumAI as a transformative force that will redefine the future of computing, enabling innovators to accelerate real-world breakthroughs.”
Siddhant Dutta, PhD student at NTU Singapore’s College of Computing & Data Science and part of the winning team Quantum Kitties shared: “We’re especially grateful for the opportunity to step into the world of entrepreneurship – that’s a huge milestone for us. Winning the challenge track and the overall prize made the experience even more rewarding. A heartfelt thank-you to all the sponsors and partners who made this possible. We’re proud to be part of GenQ and so appreciative of how well we were supported by QAI Ventures throughout this journey.”
QAI Ventures’ QuantumAI Accelerator and Venture Builder: Turning Science into Business
AI is moving to Quantum, defining the future of computing at the intersection of both technologies, known as QuantumAI. QAI Venture’s Singapore accelerator targets this emerging opportunity with a dedicated QuantumAI accelerator in Asia. Quantum could unlock US$250 billion of market value across industries like pharmaceuticals, finance, logistics, and materials science, according to Bain & Company.; Quantum computers are 13,000x faster than supercomputers, per Google.
The QAI Ventures Accelerator is an intensive five-month program designed to empower early-stage founders, helping them translate scientific breakthroughs into scalable, investment-ready businesses. Participants benefit from direct mentorship by a global network of leading quantum technologists, VCs, and industry executives, while engaging in masterclasses on everything from IP strategy and product-market fit to fundraising and corporate governance. The program culminates in a high-profile Demo Day, where startups present to an international audience of investors and partners to secure their next stage of growth.
Applications for the inaugural cohort are open from October 29, 2025, to March 2, 2026. The program, which kicks off mid-2026, is open to incorporated startups with teams of at least two founders who have passed a due diligence process. Startups interested in the QuantumAI Accelerator Program can apply now.
Complementing the Accelerator, QAI Ventures will also start a dedicated Venture Building Program in 2026, focusing on translating Singapore’s world-class research and IP into market-ready ventures. The company will also leverage its proprietary database of over 2,000 relevant patents to create and spin off new companies in Singapore, further driving job creation and innovation. The Venture Building approach targets scientists with strong intellectual property and the ambition to found a company, as well as serial entrepreneurs eager to enter the Deep Tech and Quantum space. QAI Ventures aims to register seven new ventures in Singapore by 2027 – three in the first year and four in the second.
“Beyond breakthrough research, there is a need to build the bridge from laboratory to market for the quantum revolution to take off. Our partnership with QAI Ventures to venture-build and accelerate growth of quantum startups provides that critical pathway, strengthening Singapore’s position as both a launchpad for homegrown quantum ventures and a regional gateway for global startups scaling across Asia. This is a pivotal step in strengthening the quantum readiness among corporates in Singapore, as these startups can help address real industry challenges while benefiting from accelerated go-to-market development,” said Sophia Ng, Executive Director, Startup Ecosystem, EnterpriseSG.
Global GenQ Hackathon: Showcasing first applications and support from leading industry
QAI Ventures announced the winner of its global GenQ Hackathon at SWITCH 2025: Siddhant Dutta and Pavana P. Karant tackled the challenge of Fraud Detection, presented by DBS Bank. The duo impressed the jury with their novel approach to post-hoc credit card fraud detection using Interpretable Quantum Graph Neural Networks. Their quantum model effectively captured the underlying data manifold, leading to greater interpretability and improved performance – a standout example of how QuantumAI can unlock new frontiers in financial innovation. The team was awarded a “Golden Ticket,” granting them direct entry into the final selection round for the accelerator’s first cohort in mid-2026.
The GenQ Hackathon marked the successful completion of QAI Ventures’ first collaboration with Enterprise Singapore, a global initiative spanning Europe, North America, and Asia. The program focused on applying QuantumAI to address the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Each global edition focused on a distinct challenge area: Geneva on Life Sciences, Calgary on Energy, and the Singapore edition on Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth. In Singapore, participants tackled real-world financial sector problems in Counterparty Credit Risk, Fraud Detection, and Portfolio Optimization, areas where QuantumAI can have immediate industry impact.
Supported by leading sponsors Microsoft, SoftBank, DBS Bank, and Eraneos, as well as quantum hardware partners Microsoft, IonQ, Quantinuum, and IQM, the competition showcased the application of QuantumAI to real-world finance problems.
