The world’s first commercial quantum memory honored for laying the groundwork for quantum data centers and scalable quantum networks in cities around the globe

BROOKLYN, N.Y., October 15, 2026 — Qunnect, a leader in quantum networking, today announced that its product Qu-MEM, the world’s first commercial quantum memory, has been named to TIME’s list of the Best Inventions of 2026.

Qunnect’s founders developed the quantum memory in the labs of Stony Brook University and brought it to market in 2021. Quantum memory is the missing piece for scalable communications between quantum computers. It stores and retrieves quantum information reliably by synchronizing the unpredictable timing of entangled photons, laying the foundation for the future quantum internet.

Qunnect’s Qu-MEM, unlike many other quantum memory technologies, works at room temperature. It fits in a standard server rack with no cryogenics or vacuum chamber required.

“Category-defining technologies often start as a bet, and ours was that entanglement-based quantum networks can operate outside of a lab and on real-world fiber,” said Noel Goddard, CEO of Qunnect. “Qu-MEM was our first commercial proofpoint in that journey and we couldn’t be prouder that it is recognized today as one of the industry’s best inventions.”

Qunnect’s Co-Founders, Mael Flament and Mehdi Namazi first invented the quantum memory as graduate students at Stony Brook University. They started Qunnect in 2018 to further develop the technology and take it to market.

Today, Qunnect’s hardware runs live quantum networks on existing telecom fiber, including GothamQ in New York City, BearlinQ in Berlin with Deutsche Telekom’s T-Labs, and ABQ-Net in Albuquerque, the first open-access quantum network in the United States.

Quantum networks use properties such as photon entanglement to connect quantum devices and transmit information in ways that could enable new approaches to secure communications. By helping quantum signals work across fiber-optic networks, technologies such as Qu-MEM contribute to the development of a future quantum internet.

The list features 300 inventions from nominations selected by TIME editors and evaluated on originality, efficacy, ambition, and impact. The full “Best Inventions of 2026” list is available here: https://time.com/collection/best-inventions/2026/.

About Qunnect

Qunnect develops quantum networking hardware that distributes entanglement over existing telecommunications infrastructure. Its Carina platform supports the development of quantum security applications and future networks for distributed quantum computing and sensing. To learn more, visit www.qunnect.inc.

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