CO.LAB Picks Four Quantum Startups for Chattanooga Cohort
The yearlong CO.LAB Q program aims to draw quantum computing teams to Chattanooga, starting the week of November 2, 2026.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Quantum Computing
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CO.LAB has selected four startups for the first cohort of its CO.LAB Q program, a yearlong effort launched in August 2026 to draw quantum computing teams to Chattanooga. The cohort begins the week of November 2, 2026.
Why it matters
The program is intended to build a quantum computing presence in Chattanooga by bringing in companies working across security, software and sensing. Quantum computing is expected to bring advancements in commercial, security and medical applications.
The announcement reflects a selection of four companies for the inaugural CO.LAB Q cohort, which runs for one year. The extraction does not specify the total number of applicants or the funding involved.
The players
CO.LAB
CO.LAB is the Chattanooga-based innovation program that selected the four startups and runs the CO.LAB Q cohort.
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Oak Ridge National Laboratory is a U.S. Department of Energy research facility whose technology Ridge Quantum has licensed.
EPB
EPB is the Chattanooga electric utility whose fiber and quantum network Ridge Quantum plans to test on.
The details
Ridge Quantum is developing communications-security technology licensed from Oak Ridge National Laboratory and plans to test deployment on EPB's fiber and quantum network. The other selected companies are Superquantum, which builds software for planning and running tasks on error-corrected quantum computers, esoteriq, which is developing a resource-estimation tool called Rune, and Kottackal, which plans a pilot with regional energy and industrial partners.
Timeline
August 2026: CO.LAB Q program launched.
October 2026: EPB spoke at the Quantum in Business conference in Chattanooga.
November 2, 2026: CO.LAB Q cohort starts this week.
Big Picture
The cohort extends research developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory into a commercial pilot on EPB's Chattanooga network. It positions the city as a testing ground for quantum communications security outside the national lab itself.
Residents and businesses in Chattanooga may see quantum computing pilots on the EPB network if the Ridge Quantum testing proceeds as planned. The extraction does not indicate any direct effect on consumer services or pricing.
The takeaway
Watch for pilot results from the EPB network testing to see whether quantum security tools move from research into local infrastructure. The yearlong cohort timeline makes it a useful marker for the program's progress.
Further reading
Explore more on Quantum Computing developments shaping research and industry.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Timesfreepress.
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