Quantum launchpad

Venture Studio dedicated to quantum technologies, from the lab to seed round

From deep tech quantum projects to the first seed round, we provide expertise, network, infrastructure, and funding to build the unicorns of tomorrow.

About

We are entering the era of Fault-Tolerant Quantum Computing, unlocking a wide range of applications across numerous industries.

The pharmaceutical industry, material design, space, finance, engineering, and, at the core, the energy and climate sector—all these fields will benefit in the medium to long term from major advancements in the broader quantum domain.

Europe, and France in particular, boast a world-class academic ecosystem and strong financial support, positioning them among the global leaders in disruptive physics in general, and quantum technologies in particular.

It all starts at the beginning! Providing the right tools for technology transfer from academic labs to private industry will pave the way for future ‘Made in France’ unicorns in the coming decade.

We believe that Quantum Launchpad is one of those tools!

From the lab to the first seed round, a grey area persists where everything remains to be done. This level of maturity requires specific human and financial resources.

Quantum Launchpad is a venture studio aimed at bridging this gap by promoting and funding deep tech projects focused on quantum technologies and disruptive physics.

Quantum Launchpad is an initiative of Quantonation, Zaz Ventures, IXCAMPUS, Deeptech Founders, and BPI. Through a dense network of partners (CNRS Innovation, Les Maisons du Quantique, Agence du Programme Numérique, INRIA, and others), we offer a 2-year program to support projects towards a seed funding round. These services are fully funded by Quantum Launchpad and are structured around three key areas:

Infrastructure

Provides access to offices, physics and optics laboratories, clean rooms, as well as clusters for high-performance computing (HPC) and AI.

Mentoring & Training

A pool of accomplished resident entrepreneurs to oversee and develop projects, and to become the future CEOs of the incubated startups. The training sessions provide a toolbox for deep tech startups: intellectual property, market, business use cases, communication, and interface with VCs.

Pre-seed fundraising

We invest in pre-seed companies with ticket sizes ranging from €200K to €500K.

Your project deserves the best seed round. Come onboard at the Quantum Launchpad!

What make the Quantum Launchpad a highly differentiating actor in the ecosystem is our scientific, technological and entrepreneurial background.

We challenge the science

This is what shall make the Quantum Lauchpad a different startup studio compared to others. The team is composed of entrepreneurs with strong scientific background, this will allow speaking the same language as the project holders and challenge the technology.

We are pragmatic

The studio must provide actionable feedback. No ground statements! Instead, the messages are customized to each project so that each team is able to move forward.

We believe in people

Deep tech startups emerge thanks to the science but they last thanks to the people leading the technology and the teams.

Team

Maëlle Riondet

Chief of staff

« Supporting deeptech startups inspired me to take action where it all begins: at their creation. The quantum industry today represents a major scientific, industrial, and strategic challenge. Joining Quantum Launchpad means contributing to building a new generation of startups in a rapidly growing field with unprecedented potential. »

Virginie Horlaville

Administrative and finance manager

« With 20 years’ experience in the ESN world, where I’ve held various positions in Back Office teams, I decided to launch my own freelance business to support entrepreneurial projects that are close to my heart. I choose my assignments carefully, driven by the desire to discover new environments and take on stimulating challenges. When Jérôme Foret, Managing Director of Quantum Launchpad, asked me to join him, I didn’t hesitate for a second. I enthusiastically accepted this great mission in a sector that was still unknown to me – complex, demanding, but exciting. I’m delighted to be accompanying the team on this new adventure. »

Guillaume Bernard (PhD)

Head of dealflow

« I joined the Quantum Launchpad to help transform Europe’s leadership in quantum science into globally impactful ventures. It is a rare platform where deeptech ambition meets the practical tools to build the next generation of quantum companies. »

Guillaume Berteloot (PhD)

Operating Partner Deeptech Founders

« Deeptech Founders is the leading training and support program for scientists looking to transition into startup creation. Having worked with thousands of academics across Europe, Quantum Launchpad is an opportunity to take proven methodologies even further, creating a deeper impact on the quantum industry and its beneficiaries. »

Jérôme Foret (PhD)

General Manager

25 years of experience in deep tech entrepreneurship and scientific software development (HPC/Quantum Computing).

« When Quantonation proposed the creation of Quantum Launchpad, I immediately understood the great ambition of the quantum ecosystem to foster unicorns in cutting-edge fields. It is with unwavering enthusiasm that I accepted the role of CEO! »

Clarisse Thibault

Entrepreneuse in Residence

« After several years supporting early-stage deeptech startups from CNRS laboratories, I felt the itch to step to the other side of the mirror and take a more operational role in building promising ventures. The quantum field is incredibly exciting, and the Quantum Launchpad offers the perfect opportunity to actively contribute to the rise of the next generation of impactful quantum startups. »

Jérémie Franc de Ferrière

Entrepreneur in Residence

« The Quantum Launchpad is a unique opportunity to experience an entrepreneurial adventure while contributing to the development of the deeptech innovation ecosystem on a technology critical to French and European sovereignty. »

Pierre Campredon

Entrepreneur in Residence

« After founding and operating several life sciences and deep-tech startups, I am excited to join QLP and reconnect with the scientific fields (optics/quantum physics) I loved studying at Institut d'Optique. As an Entrepreneur-in-Residence with the QLP team, I am thrilled to actively support the promising quantum projects and help transform their research breakthroughs into fast-growing ventures addressing the world's biggest challenges. »

Olivier Tonneau

Directeur général Quantonation

A graduate of ESSEC, Olivier is the founder and partner of Quantonation, the venture capital fund dedicated to quantum technologies.
« Quantum Launchpad is, for Quantonation, the gateway to the gems of tomorrow. This unique tool brings together all the resources that deep tech projects in physics and quantum computing need: infrastructure, support, and funding. »

Guillaume Aubard

Head of hard tech accelerator at IXcampus

« To help bring forth the next generation of startups in the quantum sector. »

Julien Lalanne

CEO IXcampus

A graduate of Paris Sorbonne University in marketing strategy and finance, he was the marketing director at EXail. Today, he is the CEO of IXcampus and Deputy CEO of the IXCORE group.

Xavier Aubry

Founder Zaz Ventures

Zaz Ventures is a top-tier pan-European boutique consulting firm, specializing in securing public and private funding for cutting-edge deep tech startups.
« As the first generation of European quantum technology startups are now competing on a global scale, our priority is to support the emergence of a second wave of quantum champions, particularly in areas such as software and applications, that can make use of the considerable progress that quantum hardware has made over the past few years. This is a matter of strategic sovereignty for Europe. »

Programme

Promote science and technology by putting people at the heart of our concerns. Integrate feedback and agility into daily best practices. Support projects through our partners and resident entrepreneurs.

The project support program is structured over a 24-month period. The pace will be set by the investment committees, whose role is to ensure the proper progress of each startup within this program. Support for the projects will be provided in line with the values of Quantum Launchpad.

Academic research…

KICK-OFF

Deeptech Founders training to challenge your ideas and learn how to present them.

INVESTMENT
COMMITTEE

T0+3M

Launch of the programme with an entrepreneur in residence and registration of the company at the appropriate time.

PRE-SEED
200/500K€

T0+18M

Preparing for a fundraising roadshow.

SEED
1-5M€

T0+24M

… Market

Academic research…

T0
KICK OFF

Deeptech Founders training to challenge your ideas and learn how to present them.

T0+3M
INVESTMENT COMMITTEE

Launch of the programme with an entrepreneur in residence and registration of the company at the appropriate time.

T0+18M
PRE-SEED 200/500K€

Preparing for a fundraising roadshow.

T0+24M
1-5 M€

…Market

We expect project teams to be highly committed and respectful of the moral contract that will bind us. Quantum Launchpad contributes to ensuring that France and Europe have their rightful place in the global ecosystem of disruptive physics and quantum computing. This effort is financed half by BPI, and every Euro spent on a project belongs, in equal part, to French taxpayers. This entails great responsibility on our part, but also on the part of the project leaders, and we must ensure the effectiveness of this investment. On this foundation, the support plan is structured around 4 key areas:

Become an entrepreneur

In this area, we will cover all aspects of business management, project management, and team management. This program will be conducted in collaboration with our partners from ESSEC and Deeptech Founders.

Design and prototype impactful solutions

Learn how to establish technical and scientific roadmaps by relying on best practices: technological monitoring, IP strategy, and business use cases. Learn how to position yourself relative to the competition.

Finance and scalability

Get accustomed to the financial aspects with best practices for building a business plan, creating a roadmap for non-dilutive fundraising. Connect with the right partners for the preparation of competition dossiers, etc.