Following Quantum World Congress (QWC) 2026, four South Korean quantum startups expanded their U.S. commercial strategy through the Global Bridge Program across Wisconsin and Illinois. Spearheaded by the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), the delegation engaged with venture accelerators, research institutions, economic development boards, and hard-tech manufacturing hubs to establish cross-border technology partnerships and market entry pathways.
The initiative forms part of South Korea’s Deeptech Incubator Project for Startups (DIPS), overseen by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and administered by the Korea Institute of Startup & Entrepreneurship Development, with KIST directing the quantum technology domain. In Milwaukee, the delegation conducted pitch sessions with venture platform gener8tor and met with the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) to prepare for an official Wisconsin trade delegation visit to South Korea.
| [ KIST Global Bridge Program Participating Startups & Technical Scope ] | ||
|---|---|---|
| Startup Name | Core Technology & Hardware/Software Stack | Primary Industrial Applications |
| • TruPixel | • Single-Photon Avalanche Diode (SPAD) sensors | • Quantum key distribution (QKD), advanced quantum sensing, and high-precision optical imaging |
| • OptiQ-Labs | • Ultra-narrow-linewidth lasers & ion-trap hardware | • Atomic clock optical distribution, trapped-ion QPU control, and laser stabilization systems |
| • QRENS | • QubitSquare AI framework & Q-Vista simulator | • Digital-twin simulation, quantum algorithm compilation, and AI-driven circuit optimization |
| • Elixir | • Hybrid quantum-classical computational platform | • Genomic data analytics, biomarker discovery, and drug candidate optimization |
In Chicago, the delegation met with ecosystem leaders at the Chicago Quantum Exchange (CQE), the Bloch Quantum Tech Hub, hard-tech innovation center mHUB, and the 128-acre Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park (IQMP). Startup executives presented their technical frameworks to Dr. David Awschalom, Founding Director of the CQE, while coordinating with the Illinois Economic Development Corporation to leverage regional microelectronics packaging and manufacturing infrastructure.
Review the full release on PR Newswire here and read our previous coverage on KIST’s delegation at Quantum World Congress 2026 here.
In GQI Portal
The players behind the news
The team that writes QCR tracks every company, deal and technology in the GQI Factory, GQI's verified database of the quantum industry. Next up: every story linked to its players, coming to QCR's paid plans.
- Players Companies and institutions across the quantum industry, by segment.
- Scorecards How the players compare on hardware, software, funding and more.
Newsletter
QCR Alerts in your inbox
The latest reporting and analysis from Quantum Computing Report. Free, unsubscribe any time.