Infleqtion CTO and Co-Founder Pranav Gokhale Receives 2026 IEEE Quantum Technical Community Distinguished Early Career Award

LOUISVILLE, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 15, 2026--

Infleqtion, a global leader in quantum computing and quantum sensing powered by neutral-atom technology, today announced that Pranav Gokhale, Ph.D., Chief Technology Officer and co-founder, has been named a recipient of the 2026 IEEE Quantum Technical Community (QTC) Distinguished Early Career Award.

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Presented annually by the IEEE Quantum Technical Community, the Distinguished Early Career Award recognizes scientists and engineers in the early stages of their careers whose contributions to quantum computing and engineering go above and beyond expectations for their career stage. The award recognizes excellence in technical and scientific contributions, leadership, research impact and the advancement of quantum computing.

“Quantum computing will reach its full potential when we stop treating hardware and software as separate disciplines and instead design them together,” said Pranav Gokhale, CTO and co-founder of Infleqtion. “I’m honored to receive this recognition from the IEEE Quantum Technical Community. I’ve been fortunate to work alongside an extraordinary community of researchers, engineers and collaborators who are turning fundamental advances in quantum science into systems that can solve increasingly meaningful problems.”

Gokhale has built a career focused on connecting the layers of quantum computing, from hardware and control to software, compilation and algorithms, to accelerate the development of practical quantum systems. His research has produced more than a dozen publications and multiple patents, along with three best paper awards. His work has addressed challenges ranging from quantum circuit optimization and benchmarking to error mitigation, quantum algorithms, and hardware-aware compilation.

This dedication to bridging quantum layers was evident in Gokhale's work with Super.tech, the company he co-founded and led as CEO, which pioneered advanced quantum compilation, optimization and benchmarking software. When Infleqtion acquired Super.tech in 2022, Gokhale joined the company and brought that software expertise into Infleqtion’s growing quantum computing platform.

Today, Gokhale leads Infleqtion’s technology strategy as CTO, spanning the company’s quantum computing platform, software and applications. Infleqtion’s Superstaq software uses cross-layer optimization techniques to improve quantum program performance on real devices and supports multiple quantum programming frameworks and hardware backends.

“Pranav represents exactly the kind of technical leadership that is moving quantum computing from research to real-world impact,” said Matt Kinsella, CEO of Infleqtion. “His ability to bridge quantum hardware, software and applications is a defining strength of Infleqtion, and this recognition from IEEE is a tremendous acknowledgement of both his contributions and his leadership in the field.”

Gokhale earned his Ph.D. in computer science from the University of Chicago, where his research focused on quantum computing, and holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science and physics from Princeton University. Prior to co-founding Super.tech, he conducted research at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the University of Chicago and Argonne National Laboratory.

The 2026 IEEE QTC Distinguished Early Career Award will be presented during IEEE Quantum Week 2026, taking place September 13–18 in Toronto, Canada.

Supporting Quotes:

“What stands out about Pranav is his ability to understand the full quantum computing stack and identify where advances in one layer can unlock progress in another,” remarked Dr. Mark Saffman, Chief Scientist for Quantum Information at Infleqtion and Johannes Rydberg Professor of Physics at University of Wisconsin-Madison. “He brings a level of technical curiosity and ambition that is remarkable even among outstanding researchers in the field.”

"Pranav's combination of technical innovation and leadership can be seen throughout Infleqtion – especially the Superstaq compiler; the co-design of hardware, quantum error correction, and applications; and the development of quantum-inspired contextual machine learning," said Fred Chong, Chief Scientist for Quantum Software at Infleqtion and the Seymour Goodman Distinguished Service Professor of Computer Science at the University of Chicago. "These, in turn, have allowed Pranav to personally drive much of Infleqtion’s accelerated progress in quantum computing with results that have had a high impact through traditional scientific publications, as well as actual hardware and software products."

“Pranav has demonstrated vision and leadership in the quantum computing community, both through his research and through his technical and product vision at Infleqtion,” stated Margaret Martonosi, William M. Addy '82 University Professor at Princeton University. “It’s been incredibly rewarding to be able to watch his career progression from his undergraduate work at Princeton to his current quantum computing leadership.”

About Infleqtion

Infleqtion, Inc. (NYSE: INFQ) is a global leader in quantum technology, delivering neutral-atom solutions for quantum computing, networking, sensing, and security. With a product portfolio spanning quantum computers, quantum optical clocks, RF receivers, and inertial sensors, Infleqtion’s full-stack approach combines high-performance hardware with the company’s proprietary Superstaq quantum computing software platform. Infleqtion’s systems are already in use by the U.S. Department of War, NASA, the U.K. government, and in multiple collaborations with NVIDIA. Infleqtion, in collaboration with NVIDIA, published the world’s first demonstration of a materials science application using logical qubits. With operations in the U.S., Europe, and Asia, Infleqtion meets the demands of government and commercial customers across the space, defense, energy, finance and telecommunications sectors. For more information, visit Infleqtion.com or follow Infleqtion on LinkedIn, YouTube, and X.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities laws, including the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements may be identified by words such as “anticipates,” “believe,” “do not believe,” “plans,” “seeks,” “will,” “on track,” “may,” “consider,” “likely,” “assume,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “aim,” “predict,” “project,” “continue,” “potential,” “guidance,” “objective,” “outlook,” “trends,” “future,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “target,” or their negatives or variations, and similar terminology and words of similar import, and generally involve future or forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. These statements are based on Infleqtion's current expectations, assumptions and projections as of the date of this release and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. Such risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, those related to Infleqtion's ability to recognize anticipated benefits of its business combination with Churchill Capital Corp X; the implementation, market acceptance, and success of Infleqtion's business model, growth strategy, and opportunities, and its ability to commercialize its quantum computing and quantum sensing technology; the expected benefits of and ability to maintain and enter into new contracts, awards, and other relationships, partnerships, or collaborations with governments, government entities, universities, or commercial partners; the ability to develop and deploy neutral-atom quantum computing products on anticipated timelines and at anticipated performance levels; the ability to achieve fault-tolerant and utility-scale quantum computing, including anticipated improvements in entangling gate fidelity; the ability of Superstaq to achieve commercial and research adoption; the potential for quantum computing technology to achieve quantum advantage; the ability of Infleqtion’s products to meet government counterparties’ and customers’ technical requirements and compliance and regulatory needs; Infleqtion’s ability to obtain and maintain intellectual property protection and not infringe on the rights of others; and other risks and uncertainties described in Infleqtion's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements except as required by law.

Infleqtion CTO and co-founder Pranav Gokhale receives the 2026 IEEE Quantum Technical Community Distinguished Early Career Award.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Missile explosions struck across Ukraine Saturday, wounding at least nine people, as Kyiv and Moscow prepared for new talks next week with the United States.

Negotiators from Russia, Ukraine and the U.S. are to meet on Tuesday in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, for talks aimed at ending the war. The new round of negotiations would be the fourth brokered by the Trump administration, the most recent having been in Geneva in February.

Western governments backing the peace initiative are seeking a new formula to break the impasse while acknowledging that territorial and security questions remain unresolved.

The Russian missiles that hit the Ukrainian capital Kyiv overnight damaged homes and commercial properties, triggering new power and water outages, national and city authorities said.

Strikes also prompted officials to close Kyiv's Northern Bridge, a major route that allows commuter traffic in the capital to cross the Dnipro River.

“As a result of the enemy’s night attack, energy facilities in the Kyiv and ... Zhytomyr regions were damaged,” Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. “The situation with the capital’s energy supply is extremely difficult, affecting the city’s heating and water supply systems.”

In a statement Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia was preparing for trilateral talks by “launching ballistic missiles at Ukraine’s critical infrastructure.”

The Ukrainian leader said that Russia fired 36 ballistic missiles at Kyiv and the surrounding region overnight. The barrage also involved 172 drones over Kyiv and 12 other regions, wounding nine people, including a child, he said.

“When Russia tries to plunge Kyiv — a city of millions — and the entire country into a blackout, Ukraine must not be left to face this alone,” Zelenskyy said. He urged greater US support and attention from Congress, calling for bipartisan backing for Ukraine and stronger sanctions on Russia.

Russia’s Ministry of Defense confirmed Saturday that it had targeted the Northern Bridge, saying that it facilitated the transport of weaponry, military hardware and specialist equipment for Ukraine’s armed forces.

It also said that it had targeted an industrial facility in the capital producing Flamingo missiles, as well as a power station, an electrical substation, and a plant producing ammunition, explosives and gunpowder in the wider Kyiv region. It also confirmed striking an electrical substation in the Zhytomyr region.

Meanwhile, in southern Ukraine, a recovery operation continued into its sixth day in the village of Komyshuvakha, devastated on Monday when multiple Russian guided bombs slammed into a former school and nearby shelter as residents waited for humanitarian aid.

Emergency services said they had recovered nine more bodies in the previous 24 hours, bringing the death toll early Saturday morning to 55. Dozens of people remain missing.

Village resident Mykola Krasnov, 72, said he was still looking for his wife but had heard no word from rescuers.

“She went to get humanitarian aid, and a three-ton bomb was dropped there. Where is she?” he said. “She didn’t come home, and they didn’t find her body there. She isn’t in the morgue, and she isn’t here alive.”

The village of Komyshuvakha is located near the front line in the Zaporizhzhia region.

A Ukrainian attack killed one person in Russia’s Belgorod region when a drone hit a private home in the town of Grayvoron, local officials said Saturday.

Russia’s Ministry of Defense said Saturday that its forces shot down 411 Ukrainian drones overnight over 10 Russian regions, including Belgorod. Drones were also destroyed over the annexed Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea and the Black and Azov Seas, it said.

The head of Russia’s southwestern Saratov region, Gov. Roman Busargin, wrote on social media that a drone attack damaged “civilian infrastructure” and several residential buildings in the area. Russian media outlets later reported that the Saratov Oil Refinery had been hit and shared images of plumes of smoke over the city.

The head of Russia’s Oryol region, Gov. Andrey Klychkov, also said Saturday that a Ukrainian attack had damaged commercial warehouse and production sites in the regional capital, as cited by state media.

Russian media outlets reported that a Ukrainian attack sparked a blaze at Oryol’s Proton-Electrotex plant, which produces components for military equipment.

Associated Press writers Vasilisa Stepanenko in Komyshuvakha, Ukraine, and Katie Marie Davies in Manchester, England, contributed to this report.

Follow the AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

Rescue workers clear rubble to recover bodies from an underground school destroyed in a Russian airstrike in Komyshuvakha, Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine, Friday, Nov. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)