Quantum Startup Founders (Venture Building with QAI Ventures)

Job description

About the Opportunity This is an opportunity to build a VC-backed venture with QAI Ventures from the ground up, not an employment role . We are looking for Founders with a PhD or Postdoc (or founder teams) in Quantum / Physics who want to build a company**,** based on their own scientific work (publication or IP) . The venture-building process is anchored in Basel (Switzerland) and integrated into QAI’s global ecosystem. This opportunity starts with a 2.5 month Discovery phase (part-time possible) and can evolve into full-time venture building if validation milestones are met. About QAI Ventures QAI Ventures is the world’s most active Quantum investor and builder focused on Quantum Tech, Quantum AI, and Advanced Computing , supporting founders through structured execution across product, management, and growth . We work with founders to transform scientific breakthroughs into validated, investable ventures , with early access to corporates, partners, and real market demand. Tasks The Venture Building Path We operate a systematic venture-building framework based on maturity progression and validated fit layers, where each stage is unlocked through demonstrated validation. Discovery 50 (2.5 months | Part-time possible) Identifies market use cases with quantum potential A 2.5-month validation program focused on validating customer–problem fit by aligning early founder ideas with QAI’s corporate challenges, industry needs, and real-world use cases prior to PoC execution. This phase focuses on: Translate your scientific work (paper / IP) into a clear, application-driven use case Define a specific use case and relevant industry problem Validate problem relevance through engagement with industry stakeholders Develop a structured quantum advantage hypothesis Explore PoC opportunities Assess IP positioning and technical feasibility Support: Structured venture-building process Access to QAI ecosystem and industry cluster for faster validation Compensation: up to 15’000 CHF for 2.5 months (team-level) If successful, the venture progresses into the Validate 125 phase (ca. 4 months) , where execution shifts to full-time (with at least one founder fully committed), focusing on building and validating a working PoC with real customers, testing willingness to pay, and defining the business model and venture setup to achieve early traction. In the subsequent MVP 350 phase (ca. 9 months) , the company is incorporated, a customer-ready MVP is developed, PoCs are converted into first revenues, and go-to-market as well as fundraising activities are executed to scale the venture. Each phase is milestone-based . Progression is not guaranteed; it depends on real validation and traction. Requirements We are looking for founders, not applicants . Hard Requirements PhD or Postdoc in Quantum / Physics A scientific publication, research output, or IP (can be in progress) that can serve as the foundation of a venture A clearly identified problem you want to solve (not just a technology) Founder & Team Expectations Ideally, a team of 2+ people (not mandatory, but strongly preferred) Strong ability to understand and lead the technical core Willingness to transition into full-time commitment from Validate phase Financial ability to support yourself long-term (venture building is not a salary substitute beyond program structure) Mindset & Execution See yourself as a founder , not only a researcher Want to build a scalable company , not extend academic work You value structured execution and actively engage with feedback and iteration Move fast: test, iterate, and engage with the market committed for the long term Benefits You are supported by QAI Ventures across key venture-building areas, including venture execution, technical development, product, scientific/IP strategy, and commercialization . This support is delivered by experienced venture builders who work hands-on with you to translate your science into a validated product, enable customer access and PoC execution, ensure technical feasibility and IP positioning, and drive commercialization and investor readiness; complementing your capabilities where it matters most. This senior team complements your capabilities to ensure execution speed, validation quality, and investor readiness . Please share: Your background (PhD / Postdoc, field, institution) Your scientific work (paper, IP, or research direction) The problem you want to solve and why it matters now Your team setup (if applicable) Your availability (Discovery vs. full-time later)