Joseph Raffa

Executive in Residence, Board Advisor

2024 - Current

Working closely with the Quantum Delta board to help accelerate the commercialization of quantum technologies at the country level. Projects include drug discovery, research commercialization and VC-funded spinouts. In addition, I am personally coaching, mentoring and actively helping 10-12 startups. Based in the SF Bay Area with occasional trips to the Netherlands.

Board of Directors

2023

Board Observer. Ayar Labs develops photonic I/O solutions for applications such as AI datacenters that require high bandwidth and low latency to move data.

Venture Capital - Investing Venture Partner

2020

Investing in Series A companies with differentiated IP in hardware, AI-based science, simulation and decarbonization segments. https://fwt.foresight.group/ Based in the SF Bay Area.

Speaker and Discussion Leader

2024 - 2024

Quantum Computing for Drug Discovery. Speaker and discussion leader on the topic of VC-funded research spinouts and commercialization. The Network on Evolving Quantum Technology (NEQT) is facilitated by Innovation Centre Denmark Silicon Valley. This collaboration brings together distinguished partners from the NNF Quantum Computing Programme (NQCP), Quantum Foundry Copenhagen at the Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Berkeley Lab, BioInnovation Institute (NATO DIANA), and the Novo Nordisk Foundation.

Technical Advisory Board

2020 - 2024

Corporate development, fundraising, R&D partnerships, fabrication partnerships and product strategy. Initiated the partnership (announced December 2023) with the Advanced Quantum Testbed of Berkeley Labs focused on QPU design and fabrication. Based in the SF Bay Area.

Advisor, BCG Tech Ventures

2019 - 2020

Startup company formation based on corporate research projects. Venture capital fund formation.

Director, IBM Ventures (IBM Research focus)

2015 - 2019

Initiated IBM's outreach to quantum computer startups and their VC investors, exploring a variety of partnerships, joint development relationships and corporate direct investments. Additional focus on AI chip and infrastructure startups. Numerous small projects in additional areas, including network virtualization, enterprise AI, enterprise storage and geospatial information systems. Represented IBM as executive speaker at numerous venture capital and quantum computer industry events.

Director, Corporate Development (Yorktown Research spinout)

2015 - 2017

Explored commercialization options for a network virtualization research project in IBM Yorktown Research, include forming a venture capital funded startup spinout.

Patent Acquisition (Tessera)

2013 - 2015

Focused on patent acquisition to fuel Tessera's core business of IP licensing

Corporate Development (FotoNation)

2013 - 2015

M&A focused on startups developing visual processing algorithms, including face/iris/image recognition, automotive visual navigation and biometrics sensors and algorithms.

Venture Advisor

2010 - 2013

Projects include sourcing new deals and conducting due diligence for prospective new investments in information technology, energy and security startups. Paladin Capital is a venture capital firm investing in companies whose commercial products can also be applied to solve homeland security and national security issues, also known as dual-use.

Stategic Advisory Group

2010 - 2012

Venture Consultant

2012 - 2012

Explored spinouts and other strategic opportunities for an advanced computer vision project.

EIR

2012 - 2012