Where cutting edge AI research becomes real-world systems
Where research-grade AI becomes real-world systems
Qen Labs is an AI research commercialization studio. We work with universities, labs, and founders to turn federally funded AI research into ventures that improve how cities move, energy flows, healthcare is delivered, and infrastructure is secured. Our team sits between research and markets-designing clear, low-risk paths from prototype to deployment.
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Built around serious, peer-reviewed research
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SBIR/STTR-driven venture creation model
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Deep focus on complex systems: cities, health, energy, defense
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Long-term partner for researchers, not just a funder
Empowering Research That Shapes Real-World Systems
Qen Labs exists to turn serious AI research into systems that matter in the real world. We partner with universities, labs, and founders to design clear, low-risk paths from funded research to deployment in cities, healthcare, energy, and secure infrastructure. Our mission is to be the long-term commercialization partner for researchers-aligning funding, product thinking, and venture building so their work can move from papers and prototypes into resilient, high-impact companies.
Research-grade, systems-focused, mission-driven AI is the future.
Loved by Researchers. Trusted for Critical Systems.
Qen Labs was created around a simple belief: the most important AI of the next decade will live inside critical systems-cities, grids, hospitals, secure compute-not just apps and ad engines. We exist to close the gap between serious research and the infrastructure people rely on every day.
From our base in Minnesota, we partner with universities, labs, and founders to turn federally funded AI into deployable ventures. Through deep collaboration and SBIR/STTR-driven commercialization, we focus on a small number of high-stakes domains where rigorous, mission-driven AI can make a lasting difference.
Qen Labs Founding Team
Whether you’re a researcher, a student, or a mission-driven institution, we’d love to explore how we can build together.
Explore Our Programs Partner with Qen Labs
Core Values
We’re building a studio for research-grade, systems-focused AI, so we keep our principles simple and non-negotiable. These are the filters we use for every project, partnership, and venture we back.
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Research First
We work with serious, peer-reviewed research and evidence. Every venture starts from a real scientific contribution, not a passing trend.
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Systems, Not Features
We think in terms of whole systems-cities, grids, hospitals, secure compute-rather than point solutions. Impact is measured at the system level.
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Shared Skin in the Game
We act as true partners to researchers and founders, sharing risk and upside. If a venture succeeds, it’s because we built it together.
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Integrity & Care
We operate with transparency, respect, and a long-term view. Critical systems demand ethics and reliability, not shortcuts.
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Bias for Deployment
We prioritize work that can realistically ship into the field-through SBIR/STTR, pilots, and production systems-and learn from real-world use.
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Stronger Together
We believe the best ideas come from diverse disciplines and backgrounds. Qen Labs is built as a collaborative network, not a silo.