Quantum, AI and the Next Computing Wave: Where Capital Is Moving and How Breakthrough Companies Get Funded

AI has already transformed how companies build, operate, and compete. Quantum computing and other next-generation technologies may create an even deeper shift—but which opportunities are commercially credible, and where is investment capital actually moving?

Join us for a 90-minute conversation with Nardo Manaloto, Managing Partner at Qubits Ventures, exploring the convergence of quantum technologies, artificial intelligence, advanced computing, data, and intelligent infrastructure.

The first half of the session will examine the investment landscape: how venture capital firms and capital allocators evaluate emerging technologies, where new opportunities are developing, and what makes a breakthrough technology investable before its market is fully established.

The second half will focus on founders: how deep-tech companies can communicate complex innovations clearly, demonstrate commercial potential, reduce perceived technical and market risk, and position themselves to attract the right investors and strategic partners.

This is a moderated, discussion-based event. No presentation is required from the featured speaker.

Agenda

- Welcome and introduction

- Quantum, AI, and the emerging next-computing landscape

- Where investors are currently seeing credible opportunities

- How VCs evaluate highly technical and early-stage innovations

- Balancing scientific breakthroughs with commercial applications

- What deep-tech founders need to demonstrate to become fundable

- Closing insights and key takeaways

Speaker:

Nardo Manaloto — Managing Partner, Qubits Ventures

Nardo Manaloto is a computer scientist, deep-tech thought leader, serial entrepreneur, and investor with more than 25 years of executive leadership experience across emerging technology and healthcare.

As Managing Partner at Qubits Ventures, he leads investments in quantum technologies, next-generation computing, breakthrough AI applications, data innovation, and intelligent infrastructure. His work focuses on identifying transformative technologies and supporting founders as they move from technical innovation toward commercialization and global growth.

Moderators:

- Erdinc Ekinci - Founder, Investment Lead of Co-capital.vc, Co-Founder, CEO of Openfor.co, Managing Director of Founder Institute Japan/Korea/Taiwan

- Yu Li Shein - Venture Scout of Decile Group, Co-Director, Founder Institute Korea/Japan & /Taiwan Co-founder, COO, Openfor.co, Inc

What you will learn:

- A clearer view of how quantum, AI, and next-generation computing are converging

- Insights into where investors see near-term and long-term opportunities

- A practical look at how deep-tech investment decisions are made

- Guidance on translating technical complexity into a compelling investment narrative

- Lessons on reducing scientific, commercial, and market-adoption risk

- Perspectives on building companies in markets that are still taking shape

- Practical considerations for attracting investors and strategic partners

Who should attend:

- LPs and capital allocators exploring emerging technology investment themes

- Venture capital investors and emerging fund managers

- Quantum, AI, deep-tech, and advanced-computing founders

- Researchers preparing to commercialize breakthrough technologies

- Corporate innovation and technology leaders

- Startup ecosystem builders and accelerator operators

- Professionals interested in the future of computing and intelligent infrastructure

Event Designs

- LinkedIn landscape design — Nardo Manaloto and Erdinç Ekinci

- Luma square design — Nardo Manaloto

This is an educational panel discussion and does not include startup pitching or guarantee investment, introductions, or funding opportunities.

Organized by Openfor.co and co-hosted by Founder Institute Japan, Korea & Taiwan.

About Ecosystem Organization:

- Co-Capital: Co-capital is a strategic VC-as-a-Service firm pre-seed to Series A stage, focused on seeking strong partner alignment. Specializing in GTM expansion, venture building, and marketing-led growth, working with elite entrepreneurial talent and scalable startups preparing for global GTM and investment readiness. Powered by a 300+ individual expert network and delivered in close collaboration with Founder Institute and Openfor.co, enabling fast momentum and execution.

- Openfor.co is evolving into the AI-era infrastructure layer for entrepreneurial individuals — an incubator where founders, operators, creators, and professionals can plug into Silicon Valley-grade support without needing to already have a company, funding round, or elite network. Suitable to build and grow both a person as an assets and business assets as well. Through a simple membership, AI-enabled systems, visibility support, events, content, mentorship, collaboration access, and venture-connected opportunities, we help individuals become visible, valuable, commercially real, and opportunity-ready at their own pace. Our future is not just education or community; it is a scalable operating environment for people building their next career, business, startup, or investment-ready path in the AI era.

- Decile Group: Decile Group is a venture capital platform focused on helping emerging managers launch and operate venture capital firms. Through education, infrastructure, and global investor networks, Decile Group supports the next generation of VC fund managers and startup ecosystem leaders worldwide.

- Founder Institute: The Founder Institute is the world's most proven network to turn ideas into fundable startups, and startups into global businesses. Since 2009, our structured accelerator programs have helped over 9,000 entrepreneurs raise over 2BN in funding. Based in Silicon Valley and with chapters across 100 countries, our mission is to empower communities of talented and motivated people to build impactful technology companies worldwide.

- Founder Capital: Founder Capital is a venture capital firm focused on investing in FI's best-performing pre-seed full-time founders who have already demonstrated traction. This layer supports founders who are building full-time, executing consistently, and showing early signs of market validation. It provides capital, strategic guidance.