Q2B Conference

Q2B Conference
Name	Q2B Conference
Status	Active
Genre	Technology conference
Frequency	Annual
First	2010
Next	2026
Country	United States

Q2B Conference is an annual technology conference focused on quantum computing, startup acceleration, and investor engagement. The meeting brings together researchers, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, and engineers to discuss quantum hardware, quantum software, and commercialization pathways. The conference acts as a nexus between academic institutions, national laboratories, and private companies, facilitating cross-pollination among leading figures from universities, corporations, and funding organizations.

Overview

Q2B convenes participants from institutions such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, Harvard University, University of California, Berkeley, and University of Oxford alongside companies like IBM, Google, Microsoft, Intel, and Amazon. The forum regularly features representatives from national laboratories including Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory as well as startups backed by firms such as Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, Accel Partners, GV (company), and Kleiner Perkins. Attendees commonly include executives from Rigetti Computing, IonQ, D-Wave Systems, PsiQuantum, and Quantinuum in addition to policymakers and program managers from National Science Foundation, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and Department of Energy. The conference location has alternated among venues in San Francisco, Palo Alto, and San Jose.

History and Development

Q2B began in the early 2010s amid rising interest in quantum technologies, coinciding with milestones like Google Quantum Supremacy claims and investments by Intel Labs and IBM Research. Early editions drew keynote speakers linked to projects funded by European Research Council, Japan Science and Technology Agency, and Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, and later editions expanded to include venture panels influenced by trends marked at meetings such as TechCrunch Disrupt, Web Summit, and CES. Over time Q2B attracted collaborations with academic consortia including Quantum Information Science and Technology (QIST), partnerships with standards bodies like IEEE, and ties to initiatives such as Quantum Economic Development Consortium and National Quantum Initiative. Milestones in the conference timeline mirror breakthroughs reported in journals like Nature, Science (journal), and Physical Review Letters.

Conference Format and Events

Typical programs combine keynote addresses, technical talks, investor panels, poster sessions, and live demonstrations. Keynotes often reference work from groups at Caltech, University of Chicago, Yale University, Princeton University, and University of Maryland (College Park). Panels feature investors from firms such as Battery Ventures, Bessemer Venture Partners, and Benchmark (venture capital) alongside founders from ColdQuanta, Xanadu (company), and Zapata Computing. Workshops may be co-organized with research centers like Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, Max Planck Institute for Quantum Optics, and CERN. The conference also hosts startup pitch competitions resembling formats used at Y Combinator demo days and accelerator programs like MassChallenge.

Topics and Themes

Sessions cover hardware modalities including superconducting qubits showcased by Google Quantum AI and IBM Quantum, trapped-ion platforms from Honeywell (company) and IonQ, photonic approaches pursued by Xanadu (company) and PsiQuantum, and annealing exemplified by D-Wave Systems. Software and algorithm tracks address topics connected to research at University of Waterloo, MIT Lincoln Laboratory, and Columbia University and reference algorithms such as those developed from Shor's algorithm and Grover's algorithm paradigms. Commercialization themes draw on case studies involving Honeywell Aerospace, Boeing, Siemens, Goldman Sachs, and JP Morgan Chase. Security and cryptography discussions reference frameworks from National Institute of Standards and Technology and research following reports by European Telecommunications Standards Institute.

Keynote Speakers and Notable Participants

Keynotes and panels have included leaders affiliated with Scott Aaronson, John Preskill, Michelle Simmons, Peter Shor, David Deutsch, Nate Barzilai, and executives from Charlie Myer, Benedict Evans, and founders from Rigetti Computing and IonQ. Frequent participants hail from institutions such as Google Research, IBM Research, Microsoft Research, Amazon Web Services, Xanadu, PsiQuantum, Rigetti, and D-Wave Systems. Venture capital voices often come from Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, GV (company), NEA (New Enterprise Associates), and Founders Fund. Academic panelists are drawn from University of Oxford, Harvard University, Stanford University, Yale University, and Princeton University.

Impact and Industry Contributions

Q2B has influenced funding flows between venture capitalists and quantum startups, informed roadmaps at IBM Quantum and Google Quantum AI, and fostered collaborations between laboratories such as Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and companies like Rigetti Computing and IonQ. Presentations at the conference have preceded announcements of partnerships involving Microsoft Azure, Amazon Braket, IBM Cloud, and consortia such as Quantum Economic Development Consortium. The conference contributed to talent pipelines connecting graduates from MIT, Stanford University, and University of California, Berkeley with employers including Honeywell, Intel, Google, and IBM. Policy discussions held at Q2B have echoed recommendations from National Science Foundation reports and National Quantum Initiative Act debates.

Organization and Sponsorship

The event is organized by industry-focused teams with advisory boards including representatives from IBM, Google, Microsoft, Intel, Rigetti, and academic partners from MIT, Stanford University, and Harvard University. Sponsors have included corporations and institutions such as AWS, IBM, Google, Microsoft, Intel, Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan Chase, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics. Venue partnerships and media collaborations have involved outlets like IEEE Spectrum, Nature (journal), Scientific American, and Wired (magazine).

Category:Technology conferences