QuantumLeap AI Founder Dr. Sarah Chen Selected for Prestigious Activate Global Fellowship
PALO ALTO, Calif., November 25, 2025 – QuantumLeap AI, a pioneering quantum computing startup revolutionizing drug discovery through machine learning, announced today that its founder and CEO Dr. Sarah Chen has been selected for the highly competitive Activate Global Fellowship, a prestigious international program supporting top science entrepreneurs tackling humanity’s biggest challenges.
Dr. Chen earned one of just 24 spots worldwide in the 2026 cohort from a pool of over 800 applicants, marking the first time a quantum computing venture focused on pharmaceutical applications has been accepted into the program. The fellowship provides $1 million in funding, intensive business training, and access to a network of leading scientists, engineers, and investors over a two-year period. Since its inception in 2015, Activate has supported 296 fellows representing 236 companies, whose startups have collectively raised more than $4 billion in follow-on funding and created nearly 3,000 new jobs in the U.S.
“The Activate program provides more than the typical support one would think of with a fellowship,” Dr. Chen said. “It helps us to grow our company by bringing us into a supportive community of scientific innovators who aim to improve our world, one in which I have already made lasting friendships and growing partnerships.”
QuantumLeap AI’s proprietary platform combines quantum annealing with deep neural networks to simulate molecular interactions at unprecedented speed, reducing drug development timelines from 5-7 years to 18-24 months. The company has already secured pilot partnerships with two Fortune 500 pharmaceutical companies and published three peer-reviewed papers in Nature Quantum Information and Science Advances. The global quantum computing market in drug discovery is projected to reach $4.2 billion by 2028, growing at a compound annual rate of 42.5%, according to recent market analysis from McKinsey Global Institute.
The Activate Fellowship’s rigorous selection process evaluates candidates on scientific merit, market potential, and scalability of impact. Dr. Chen’s selection recognizes both her technical leadership—she holds a Ph.D. in Quantum Physics from Stanford and previously led research teams at Google Quantum AI—and QuantumLeap AI’s demonstrated traction. The company’s technology has shown 300-fold improvement in molecular simulation accuracy compared to classical computing methods, with early validation showing successful prediction binding rates for 87% of target proteins in Phase I trials.
“Science entrepreneurship is the origin story of tomorrow’s industries,” said Cyrus Wadia, CEO of Activate. “The U.S. has long been a world center for science leadership and technological advancement. When it comes to solving the world’s biggest challenges, Start-Up Founder Selected for Prestigious International Fellowship Program hard-tech innovation is how we unlock the best solutions. From infrastructure to energy to agriculture, these Activate Fellows are the bold thinkers who are building the next generation of science-focused companies to lead us into the future.”
Industry experts note that representation of women founders in deep-tech fellowships remains critically low, with female scientists comprising just 18% of hard-tech fellowship recipients globally in 2024, according to data from the National Science Foundation. Dr. Chen’s selection highlights a growing push to diversify leadership in emerging technology sectors. QuantumLeap AI’s leadership team is 60% women, and its advisory board includes Nobel laureate Dr. Frances Arnold and former FDA Commissioner Dr. Peggy Hamburg.
About QuantumLeap AI
Founded in 2023 and headquartered in Palo Alto, QuantumLeap AI develops quantum-classical hybrid algorithms to accelerate pharmaceutical research and development. The company’s platform integrates with existing laboratory infrastructure, enabling pharmaceutical companies to optimize small-molecule drug design, predict toxicity profiles, and model protein folding with quantum-enhanced precision. QuantumLeap AI has raised $8.5 million in seed funding from prominent investors including DCVC Bio and The Engine at MIT, and was named a 2025 Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum. For more information,
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