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New Report Highlights Mountain West's Strategic Position in Quantum Sensing
Fort Collins, CO, May 21, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Innosphere and the U.S. National Science Foundation ASCEND Engine today released a new research report revealing that Colorado, Wyoming, and New Mexico—collectively the Mountain West—are uniquely positioned to advance the rapidly growing quantum industry to commercialization.
The report, authored by Denizens LLC, was commissioned in collaboration with the Economic Development Administration-Funded Elevate Quantum, as the ASCEND technology stack and quantum sensing have significant areas of overlap. The goal of the report was to identify areas of competitive advantage and collaborative potential in the region, and to situate the ASCEND technology stack (advanced sensing, computation, environmental decision-making) within quantum technologies development.
“What excites me about this report is the documentation that the Mountain West region is leading in quantum-related technologies, and the linkages between the NSF ASCEND Engine and Elevate Quantum,” said Mike Freeman, CEO of Innosphere and the NSF ASCEND Engine. “The region's strengths in photonics, instrumentation, and measurement sit at the interface where quantum technologies intersect with ASCEND technologies and have to prove themselves in the real world. That's where our region focuses its energy, and it's where we believe the most meaningful work still needs to happen."
The final report is based on a structured analysis of global quantum patent data spanning 2010 to the present. It examines where quantum technologies are headed globally and why the Mountain West is credibly positioned to compete. The report outlines how quantum sensing connects to the broader NSF ASCEND Engine mission of advancing sensing and computation for environmental decision-making and environmental intelligence.
Key findings include:
- The Mountain West has a genuine foothold in quantum sensing. With roughly 600 quantum inventions since 2010 and regional specialization nearly three times the national average, the region has built real depth—particularly in photonics, lasers, magnetometry, and quantum gyroscopes.
- Colorado and New Mexico play complementary roles. Colorado leads in research scale, entrepreneurial activity, and platform development. New Mexico contributes mission-oriented engineering, federal laboratory infrastructure, and real-world qualification environments. The combination of these strengths is a strategic asset for the region.
- Investment momentum is real but still concentrated. Mountain West quantum startups attracted $1.9 billion in growth capital between 2010 and 2025—three-quarters of it in 2024 and 2025 alone. Integration, qualification, and repeatable deployment remain the real tests ahead.
- Global quantum competition is about system positioning, not invention volume. China leads in raw patent counts but innovates largely in isolation. The U.S. and its allies hold the advantage in multinational collaboration and control of the shared platforms—photonics, calibration, standards—that the rest of the quantum field depends on.
- Sensing progress is a leading indicator for the broader quantum stack. Because quantum sensing must perform under real-world conditions earlier than other quantum domains, advances here strengthen the foundations on which quantum computing and communications also rely.
- Quantum sensing belongs in the ASCEND technologies conversation, though environmental applications are still emerging. The underlying capabilities—measurement, instrumentation, optics, photonics—are increasingly relevant to environmental intelligence, infrastructure monitoring, and geospatial awareness as the technology matures.
“Elevate Quantum and the NSF ASCEND Engine are aligned around the same fundamental goal: accelerating the path from quantum innovation to commercial applications,” said Elevate Quantum CEO Jessi Olsen. “With the world’s largest concentration of quantum companies already located in Colorado, the Mountain West is uniquely positioned to lead the next phase of the industry’s growth. Together, we are building the ecosystem that helps promising technologies scale into real-world products and companies.”
The report was commissioned by Innosphere and supported by funding from Colorado's Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT), which has supported both the NSF ASCEND Engine and Elevate Quantum throughout their work to secure federal recognition and funding as well as Colorado initiatives.
"Colorado is a global leader in the quantum race, and this vital report solidifies the strategic advantage of our Mountain West ecosystem in quantum sensing. The collaboration highlighted here is the essential connective tissue that moves world-class research toward real-world deployment. We are proud to partner with the ASCEND Engine and Elevate Quantum, supporting Colorado's continued leadership in this critical technology of tomorrow,” said Eve Lieberman, OEDIT Executive Director
The full report is available here. An executive summary of the report can be found here.
About the NSF ASCEND Engine
Led by Innosphere and funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), with support from the State of Colorado and the State of Wyoming, the NSF ASCEND Engine is a collaborative initiative focused on driving innovation in environmental sensing and analytics across the Colorado-Wyoming region. The NSF ASCEND Engine brings together a diverse network of partners to develop and commercialize technologies that address critical resilience challenges, foster economic growth and enhance community well-being. Visit www.innosphere.org/nsf-engine for more information.
About Innosphere:
Innosphere accelerates the success of start-up founders building and commercializing technology and science-based companies, using comprehensive incubation programs, modern office and lab spaces, workforce initiatives, grants, and venture capital. Innosphere is an award-winning 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with a 28-year history of success in its mission to grow the region’s entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem. Visit www.innosphere.org to learn more.
About Elevate Quantum:
Elevate Quantum Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit, is a consortium of private industry, national laboratories, universities, venture capital, and other Quantum Technology stakeholders in the Mountain West Region. They are the only Economic Development Administration (EDA)-designated Quantum Technology TechHub in the nation. The consortium of 120 organizations works to ensure that the region remains the global epicenter for Quantum by helping turn cutting-edge research into world-changing companies, facilitating a vibrant startup and scale-up ecosystem, and building a strong workforce. Elevate Quantum’s mission is simple: Dramatically accelerate the pace of commercialization in quantum.
About Colorado's Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT):
The Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) works to empower all to thrive in Colorado’s economy. Under the leadership of the Governor and in collaboration with economic development partners across the state, we foster a thriving business environment through funding and financial programs, training, consulting and informational resources across industries and regions. We promote economic growth and long-term job creation by recruiting, retaining, and expanding Colorado businesses and providing programs that support entrepreneurs and businesses of all sizes at every stage of growth. Our goal is to protect what makes our state a great place to live, work, start a business, raise a family, visit and retire—and make it accessible to everyone. Learn more about OEDIT.
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Kristen Tatti Innosphere kristen@innosphere.org
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