Insider Brief
- Qubits Ventures is hosting Quantum Day Pasadena on April 14, 2026 at Caltech to connect the local quantum ecosystem across academia, startups, and investors.
- The event features panels, discussions, and networking focused on commercialization, funding, and ecosystem building in quantum technologies.
- It aims to increase accessibility to quantum technology and strengthen collaboration within Southern California’s growing deep tech community.
PRESS RELEASE — As part of World Quantum Day and Innovate Pasadena’s Connect Week, Qubits Ventures, a venture capital firm investing in early-stage quantum and future of computing tech startups across the globe, is hosting Quantum Day Pasadena on April 14, 2026 at the California Institute of Technology (Cal Tech).
Quantum Day aims to demystify quantum technology for the local Los Angeles innovation community while fostering new connections among students, early-stage founders, and local talent. The public is invited to attend the complementary afternoon event which will serve as an entry point into the deep tech ecosystem, creating opportunities to link funders with quantum startups and skilled professionals.
The event, at the Cahill Center on campus, will feature a panel discussion, “From Lab to Market, Accelerating Commercialization and Securing Funding,” moderated by Doug Finke, Managing Editor of the Quantum Computer Report and Chief Content Officer of Global Quantum Intelligence, LLC, and a fireside chat, “Building a Quantum Ecosystem,” with JPL physicist Lin Yi and Qubits Ventures Managing Partner Nardo Manaloto.
“With so many leading academic programs in the area, including Cal Tech, USC, UCSB, UCLA and UCI, as well as the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and a growing quantum technology startup community, an event like this is long overdue,” said Manaloto. “Quantum Day Pasadena will bring together students and academics, founders, scientists, researchers and investors and serve as a catalyst for growth for the Southern California tech community.”
Other speakers include:
- Alan Ho, CEO of Qolab
- Farzaneh Afshinmanesh, CEO of PINC Technologies (CalTech Spin-off)
- Hooman Mohseni, Professor at Northwestern University
- David Liebrandt, Quantum Physicists, UCLA
- Beth Kuchar, Founding Partner at Embroaden and Board Member at Innovate Pasadena
In addition to the panels, several companies and organizations, including local startups and academic institutions, will be exhibiting their quantum devices, projects, and applications and there will be dedicated time for networking.
Quantum technology, a rapidly advancing sector of deep tech, takes advantage of the unique properties of quantum mechanics. Quantum computers use qubits, quantumly entangled particles capable of multiple states at once, instead of bits, and are expected to lead to breakthroughs in drug discovery, machine learning, encryption and other areas that would take current classical computers years to solve.
