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EigenQ and Silicon Valley Acquisition Corp. Announce Definitive Business Combination Agreement to Create a Publicly Traded Quantum Technology Company

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Transaction expected to accelerate EigenQ’s mission to develop and commercialize quantum technologies across security, artificial intelligence, communications, sensing, and computing

Transaction Highlights

Transaction values EigenQ at a pro forma enterprise value of approximately $3 billion;Transaction supported by approximately $215 million held in SVAQ’s trust account, prior to shareholder redemptions and transaction expenses;EigenQ is a Quantum Technology Company developing and commercializing foundational technologies across Quantum Security, Quantum AI, Quantum Communications, Quantum Sensing, and Quantum Computing;Driven by government mandate and market demand, EigenQ has developed readily deployable NIST-compliant solutions;Technology adopted and commercialized by strategic alliances and channel partners, including HPE, AMD, WNC, and TD SYNNEX to support platform retrofit and integration, deployment readiness, manufacturing scale, and channel enablement across enterprise and public-sector environments1;Capital from the transaction is expected to support commercialization, manufacturing scale-up, strategic partnerships, and global expansion of EigenQ’s broader technology portfolio;Transaction expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2026, subject to customary approvals and closing conditions.

AUSTIN, Texas, June 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — EigenQ Inc. (“EigenQ” or the “Company”), a quantum technology company, and Silicon Valley Acquisition Corp. (NASDAQ: SVAQ) (“SVAQ”), a publicly traded blank check company, announced today that they have entered into a definitive Business Combination Agreement (“Business Combination Agreement”) that is expected to result in EigenQ becoming a publicly traded company.

Upon closing of the proposed transaction (the “Business Combination”), the combined company will operate under the name “EigenQ Inc.” and is expected to trade on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol “EIGQ.”

The proposed “Business Combination” is expected to support EigenQ’s next phase of growth, including expansion of its quantum-proof trust infrastructure platform, hardware-rooted security technologies, AI security capabilities, strategic partnerships, global commercialization efforts, and continued investment in high-performance computing and sovereign AI futures.

Building the Quantum Era Infrastructure

EigenQ develops quantum technologies designed to address critical challenges spanning cybersecurity, digital trust, AI infrastructure, communications, sensing, and advanced computing. Through a growing portfolio of intellectual property, strategic partnerships, and commercial products, EigenQ is building technologies intended to support multiple segments of the emerging quantum economy.

While the Company’s initial commercialization efforts are focused on quantum-resilient security and trusted infrastructure, EigenQ’s broader vision extends across a range of quantum-enabled technologies expected to shape future government, enterprise, industrial, and national-security systems.

The Significant Market Opportunity

The most significant market demand in quantum technology is for quantum-proofing critical infrastructure. We believe this demand is being accelerated by U.S. government security requirements related to emerging quantum threats, including CNSA 2.0 and NIST standards. We believe these requirements are driving demand for hardware-rooted, quantum-resilient trust infrastructure.

Critical infrastructure operators, defense organizations, and enterprise technology providers are also modernizing legacy environments to support increasingly connected, autonomous, and data-intensive operations. These parallel transformations are driving demand for technologies capable of delivering trust, security, intelligence, and performance at scale.

EigenQ believes that this market demand represents one of the most significant infrastructure modernization cycles in decades, creating opportunities across multiple technology markets rather than within a single product category.

EigenQ Core Quantum Technologies

EigenQ develops the following quantum technologies.

Quantum Security & Cyber Resilience

Focusing on post-quantum cryptography, trusted identity, hardware-rooted security, critical infrastructure protection, and trusted execution environments.

Quantum AI

Enhancing current AI to support trusted artificial intelligence, intelligent optimization, advanced decision systems, AI security, and sovereign AI infrastructure.

Quantum Communications & Networking

Securing and accelerating communications, quantum networking architectures, trusted communications infrastructure, and foundational technologies supporting future quantum internet capabilities.

Quantum Sensing & Intelligence

Advancing sensing technologies designed for defense, industrial, environmental, and strategic applications.

Quantum Computing

Innovating architectures to unlock next-generation computational capabilities.

Commercial Momentum and Anticipated Execution

EigenQ has focused on innovation and commercialization, translating years of research and development into deployable, market-ready solutions that are aligned with current regulatory requirements, customer needs, and procurement frameworks. EigenQ has established strategic collaborations with leading global technology partners including HPE, AMD, WNC, and TD SYNNEX. Importantly, the Company has established pathways for technology integration, manufacturing scale, distribution, and deployment across both public and private sector environments. These technologies are designed to reduce barriers to implementation.

Initial commercialization efforts are focused on government, defense, and critical infrastructure markets, where regulatory requirements and security mandates are creating immediate demand. Subsequently, the Company expects to expand across enterprise infrastructure, artificial intelligence platforms, financial services, telecommunications, healthcare, industrial systems, and international markets.

Management Commentary

Dr. Jesse Van Griensven Thé, Chairman of EigenQ

“The world is entering the early stages of a profound technological transition driven by the convergence of quantum technologies, artificial intelligence, advanced communications, and trusted digital infrastructure. For more than a decade, our team has focused on developing the foundational technologies required to support this transition. We believe EigenQ is uniquely positioned at the intersection of these dynamics.”

Dr. José R. Rosas-Bustos, Chief Executive Officer of EigenQ

“At EigenQ, our focus has always been on translating breakthrough technologies into practical, deployable solutions that address real-world challenges, while building a portfolio of technologies spanning Quantum Security, Quantum AI, Communications, Sensing, and Computing. We believe going public will provide the resources, visibility, and strategic flexibility necessary to accelerate commercialization, expand our technology portfolio, strengthen our global partnerships, and create long-term value for customers, partners, and shareholders.”

Dan Nash, Chief Executive Officer of Silicon Valley Acquisition Corp.

“We were deeply impressed by the leadership team. Dr. Jesse Van Griensven is one of the leading voices in quantum cybersecurity globally, and together with Dr. José R. Rosas-Bustos and the broader EigenQ team, has built what we believe is a category-defining company. When we combine a mandatory market transition, differentiated technology, scalable distribution, a capital-efficient operating model, and compelling unit economics together with the company’s rapid commercialization and potential long-term upside, we believe EigenQ represents one of the most compelling opportunities we have evaluated in years.”

Martin Zinny, Chief Financial Officer of Silicon Valley Acquisition Corp.

“We believe EigenQ is building a category-defining quantum platform. A leader in quantum security today, it is well positioned to extend into Quantum AI, Quantum Internet, and ultimately Quantum Computing in the coming years, with the potential to create meaningful near-term optionality and even greater long-term upside.”

Transaction Overview

The Business Combination Agreement has been unanimously approved by the Board of Directors of SVAQ and the Board of Directors of EigenQ.

The transaction values EigenQ at a pro forma enterprise value of approximately $3 billion. The proposed Business Combination is expected to position EigenQ as a publicly traded company with enhanced access to capital markets and additional resources to support its next phase of growth, including expansion of its post-quantum trust infrastructure platform, hardware-rooted security technologies, AI security capabilities, strategic partnerships, global commercialization efforts, and continued investment in research and development.

Existing EigenQ shareholders intend to roll substantially all of their equity and retain a significant ownership stake in the combined company, subject to the terms of the Business Combination Agreement. No material EigenQ shareholders are expected to sell shares or receive cash consideration as part of the transaction.

Additional information about the proposed transaction, including a copy of the Business Combination Agreement and related investor materials, will be provided in SVAQ’s Current Report on Form 8-K to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and available at www.sec.gov. A registration statement on Form S-4 (the “Form S-4”), which will include a proxy statement / prospectus relating to the proposed Business Combination, is expected to be filed with the SEC.

The proposed Business Combination is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2026, subject to customary closing conditions, including shareholder approval from SVAQ and EigenQ and the Form S-4 being declared effective by the SEC.

Advisors

Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP is representing EigenQ as legal counsel. Greenberg Traurig, LLP is representing SVAQ as legal counsel. Cohen & Company Securities, LLC, Clear Street LLC, and Secure Strategy Group, LLC/Bradley Woods & Co. Ltd are acting as financial advisors in connection with the transaction. Reed Smith LLP is representing Cohen & Company Securities, LLC as legal counsel. The Blueshirt Group is providing investor relations advisory services to EigenQ and AUM Media is providing investor relations advisory services to SVAQ.

About EigenQ

EigenQ is a Quantum Technology Company developing and commercializing foundational technologies for the Quantum Era.

The Company operates at the intersection of Quantum Technologies, Artificial Intelligence, Secure Communications, Advanced Sensing, and Trusted Computing, with a mission to enable the next generation of intelligent, secure, and resilient digital infrastructure.

EigenQ’s technology portfolio spans Quantum Security, Quantum AI, Quantum Communications, Quantum Sensing, and Quantum Computing. Through a combination of proprietary technologies, strategic partnerships, and commercialization-focused execution, the Company develops solutions designed to address emerging challenges across government, defense, critical infrastructure, enterprise, and AI-driven environments.

With market-ready products, validated deployment pathways, strategic ecosystem relationships, and a growing portfolio of intellectual property, EigenQ is positioned to participate in multiple segments of the emerging quantum economy while helping organizations prepare for the transition to a more secure, intelligent, and quantum-enabled future.

For more information, visit www.EigenQ.com

About Silicon Valley Acquisition Corp.

Silicon Valley Acquisition Corp. is a blank check company incorporated as a Cayman Islands exempted company for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, recapitalization, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses. SVAQ closed its initial public offering on December 24, 2025, and is headquartered in Palo Alto, California.

For more information, visit www.svacquisitioncorp.com

Important Information About the Proposed Transaction and Where to Find It

The proposed Business Combination will be submitted to the shareholders of SVAQ for their consideration. A registration statement on Form S-4 (as may be amended, the “Registration Statement”) is expected to be filed with the SEC, which will include preliminary and definitive proxy statements to be distributed to SVAQ’s shareholders in connection with SVAQ’s solicitation for proxies for the vote by SVAQ’s shareholders in connection with the proposed Business Combination and other matters as described in the Registration Statement, as well as a prospectus relating to the securities to be issued in connection with the completion of the proposed Business Combination. After the Registration Statement has been filed and declared effective by the SEC, SVAQ will mail a definitive proxy statement and other relevant documents to its shareholders as of the record date established for voting on the proposed Business Combination.

SVAQ’s shareholders and other interested persons are advised to read, once available, the preliminary proxy statement/prospectus and any amendments thereto and, once available, the definitive proxy statement/prospectus in connection with SVAQ’s solicitation of proxies for its extraordinary general meeting of shareholders to be held to approve, among other things, the proposed Business Combination, because these documents will contain important information about SVAQ, EigenQ and the proposed Business Combination. This press release does not contain all the information that should be considered concerning the Business Combination and other matters and is not intended to provide the basis for any investment decision or any other decision in respect of such matters. SVAQ and EigenQ may also file other documents with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) regarding the Business Combination. Shareholders may also obtain a copy of the preliminary or definitive proxy statement/prospectus, once available, as well as other documents filed with the SEC regarding the proposed Business Combination and other documents filed with the SEC by SVAQ, without charge, at the SEC’s website located at www.sec.gov or by directing a request to Silicon Valley Acquisition Corp., 228 Hamilton Avenue, 3rd Floor, Palo Alto, CA 94301.

INVESTMENT IN ANY SECURITIES DESCRIBED HEREIN HAS NOT BEEN APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED BY THE SEC OR ANY OTHER REGULATORY AUTHORITY, NOR HAS ANY AUTHORITY PASSED UPON OR ENDORSED THE MERITS OF THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION PURSUANT TO WHICH ANY SECURITIES ARE TO BE OFFERED OR THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. federal securities laws with respect to the Proposed Transactions and the parties thereto. All statements contained in this press release other than statements of historical fact, including, without limitation, statements regarding the Proposed Transactions between SVAQ and EigenQ; the anticipated benefits and timing of the Proposed Transactions; expected trading of the combined company’s securities on Nasdaq; the combined company’s future financial performance; the ability of the combined company to execute its business strategy, its market opportunity and positioning; and other statements regarding management’s intentions, beliefs, or expectations with respect to the combined company’s future performance, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as “estimate,” “plan,” “project,” “forecast,” “intend,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “seek,” “target” or other similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters. These statements are based on various assumptions, whether or not identified in this press release, and on the current expectations of EigenQ’s and SVAQ’s management and are not predictions of actual performance.

These forward-looking statements are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to serve as and must not be relied on by any investor as a guarantee, an assurance, a prediction or a definitive statement of fact or probability. Actual events and circumstances are difficult or impossible to predict and will differ from assumptions. Many actual events and circumstances are beyond the control of EigenQ and SVAQ. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including (1) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the proposed Business Combination; (2) the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against EigenQ or SVAQ, the combined company or others following the announcement of the proposed Business Combination; (3) the inability to complete the proposed Business Combination due to the failure to obtain approval of the shareholders of EigenQ or SVAQ or to satisfy other conditions to closing; (4) changes to the proposed structure of the proposed Business Combination that may be required or appropriate as a result of applicable laws or regulations or as a condition to obtaining regulatory approval of the proposed Business Combination; (5) the ability to meet stock exchange listing standards following the consummation of the proposed Business Combination; (6) the risk that the proposed Business Combination disrupts current plans and operations of EigenQ as a result of the announcement and consummation of the proposed Business Combination; (7) EigenQ’s ability to scale and grow its business, and the ability to recognize the anticipated benefits of the proposed Business Combination, which may be affected by, among other things, competition and the ability of the combined company to grow and manage growth profitably, maintain relationships with customers and retain its management and key employees; (8) risks that the Business Combination disrupts current plans and operations of EigenQ; (9) the ability to implement business plans, forecasts, identify and realize additional opportunities, and other expectations; (10) political, social or economic instability in the emerging markets, including the Middle East, and other countries in which EigenQ, the post-combination company, relevant OEMs and other channel participants and customers of some or all of the foregoing operate or plan to operate; (11) risks relating to product development and commercialization timing, OEM integration, customer adoption and strategic partnerships; (12) EigenQ’s ability to maintain and recognize benefits from its existing strategic relationships; (13) costs related to the proposed Business Combination; (14) changes in applicable laws or regulations; (15) changes in government mandates, requirements and standards as they relate to quantum security and infrastructure; (16) EigenQ’s estimates of expenses and profitability and underlying assumptions with respect to shareholder redemptions and purchase price and other adjustments; (17) any downturn or volatility in economic conditions; (18) changes in the competitive environment affecting EigenQ or its customers, including EigenQ’s inability to introduce new products or technologies; (19) the impact of pricing pressure and erosion; (20) supply chain risks; (21) risks to EigenQ’s ability to protect its intellectual property and avoid infringement by others, or claims of infringement against EigenQ; (22) the possibility that EigenQ or SVAQ may be adversely affected by other economic, business and/or competitive factors; (23) EigenQ’s estimates of its financial performance; (24) risks related to the fact that SVAQ is incorporated in the Cayman Islands and governed by Cayman Islands law; (25) and those factors discussed in SVAQ’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 31, 2026, under the heading “Risk Factors,” and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, the Registration Statement and proxy statement/prospectus, or other documents that will be filed with the SEC. If any of these risks materialize or our assumptions prove incorrect, actual results could differ materially from the results implied by these forward-looking statements. There may be additional risks that neither EigenQ nor SVAQ presently knows or that EigenQ and SVAQ currently believe are immaterial that could also cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. In addition, forward-looking statements reflect EigenQ’s and SVAQ’s expectations, plans or forecasts of future events and views as of the date of this press release. EigenQ and SVAQ anticipate that subsequent events and developments will cause EigenQ’s and SVAQ’s assessments to change. However, while EigenQ and SVAQ may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, EigenQ and SVAQ specifically disclaim any obligation to do so. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing EigenQ’s and SVAQ’s assessments as of any date after the date of this press release. Accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed upon the forward-looking statements.

No Offer or Solicitation

This press release does not constitute a solicitation of a proxy, consent, or authorization with respect to any securities or in respect of the proposed Business Combination. This press release also does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or a solicitation of any vote or approval, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. This press release is not, and under no circumstances is to be construed as, a prospectus, an advertisement or a public offering of the securities described herein in the United States or any other jurisdiction. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), or an exemption therefrom. Investors should consult with their counsel as to the applicable requirements for a purchaser to avail itself of any exemption under the Securities Act. 

Participants in Solicitation

SVAQ, EigenQ and certain of their respective directors, executive officers and other members of management and employees may, under SEC rules, be deemed to be participants in the solicitations of proxies from SVAQ’s shareholders in connection with the proposed Business Combination. Information regarding the persons who may, under SEC rules, be deemed participants in the solicitation of SVAQ’s shareholders in connection with the proposed Business Combination will be set forth in SVAQ’s proxy statement/prospectus when it is filed with the SEC. You can find more information about SVAQ’s directors and executive officers in SVAQ’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 31, 2026. Additional information regarding the participants in the proxy solicitation and a description of their direct and indirect interests will be included in the proxy statement/prospectus when it becomes available. Shareholders, potential investors and other interested persons should read the proxy statement/prospectus carefully when it becomes available before making any voting or investment decisions. You may obtain free copies of these documents from the sources indicated above.

_______________________________

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/eigenq-and-wnc-announce-strategic-collaboration-to-deliver-fips-certified-quantum-safe-hardware-at-hpe-discover-2025-302505260.html

https://www.hpe.com/psnow/doc/a00159324enw

https://finance.yahoo.com/sectors/technology/articles/eigenq-announces-collaboration-td-synnex-110000757.html

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/eigenq-announces-collaboration-with-td-synnex-to-advance-post-quantum-security-readiness-for-amd-epyc-cpu-based-server-environments-302800266.html

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Atom Computing and Nu Quantum partner to unlock utility-scale quantum computing

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The collaboration brings together Atom Computing’s leading neutral-atom quantum computers and Nu Quantum’s state-of-the-art quantum networking stack.

By combining complementary expertise, the companies are defining a scalable, modular approach to quantum computing, positioning the industry to move beyond foundational research and toward transformative, real-world applications.

This partnership will accelerate Atom Computing’s long-term roadmap to deliver the most credible path to truly scalable photonically networked quantum computing for the GigaQuOp scale and beyond.

BOULDER, Colo. and CAMBRIDGE, England, June 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Atom Computing and Nu Quantum today announced a strategic collaboration to build the hardware essential to scaling neutral atom quantum computers to utility.

Under the proposed collaboration, formalised via a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), the companies will explore integrating Atom Computing’s neutral-atom quantum computers with Nu Quantum’s dynamically reconfigurable photonic networking hardware, marking an important step toward realizing utility-scale quantum computers.

The work will focus on integrated photonics network switches, qubit-photon entanglement technologies, and the modelling of distributed fault-tolerant computing architectures.

“Nu Quantum is a global innovator in quantum networking technology and a leader in the UK quantum ecosystem,” said Dr. Ben Bloom, CEO and Founder of Atom Computing. “We are pleased to partner with them as we accelerate our path toward scalable, utility-scale quantum computers.”

“The future of quantum computing depends on distributed architectures capable of scaling beyond single QPUs to deliver real-world utility and meaningful commercial impact. We are excited to launch this substantive technical collaboration and solve together some of the most challenging problems on the path to fault tolerance,” said Dr. Carmen Palacios-Berraquero, CEO and Founder of Nu Quantum.

Atom Computing continues to lead the quantum computing industry through its pioneering work in neutral-atom quantum technology. The company recently demonstrated a breakthrough in quantum error correction using toric code and announced a $100 million Letter of Intent with the U.S. Department of Commerce. Atom Computing is also deploying the world’s first commercial quantum computer with logical qubits and performing in Stage B of DARPA’s Quantum Benchmarking Initiative (QBI), where it is demonstrating its pathway to utility-scale quantum computing.

Nu Quantum’s advanced photonic quantum networking hardware is designed to interconnect quantum processors into utility-scale distributed architectures. The company raised a record-breaking $60 million Series A investment round, the largest for a quantum networking company globally. Nu Quantum has developed a unique design for networking, leveraging qubit-photon interfaces for high-efficiency photon collection, optical circuit-switching technology based on integrated photonics, and expertise in distributed approaches to quantum error-correction.

By combining complementary market-leading expertise in quantum computing and quantum networking, Atom Computing and Nu Quantum are defining a scalable, modular approach to quantum computers, positioning the industry to move beyond foundational research and toward transformative, real-world applications.

About Atom Computing

Atom Computing is developing large-scale quantum computers to enable companies and researchers to achieve unprecedented computational breakthroughs. Utilizing highly scalable arrays of optically trapped neutral atoms, the company has developed systems with over 1,200 qubits, featuring advanced capabilities towards fault-tolerant quantum computing. Atom Computing’s on-premises systems provide customers with new computational tools and logical qubit capabilities to address increasingly complex applications and to grow their quantum ecosystem. In 2025 Atom Computing sold its first commercial on-premises quantum computer to QuNorth, a Nordic quantum initiative funded by EIFO and Novo Nordisk Foundation. Learn more at atom-computing.com and follow us on LinkedIn.

About Nu Quantum

Nu Quantum is the category creator and leader in distributed quantum computing. The company’s approach represents a shorter path to useful quantum computing by implementing a modular layer for interconnecting multiple QPUs into a single, more powerful distributed quantum computer. This ‘Entanglement Fabric’ approach to interoperable networking of quantum computers presents a faster and more scalable method to deliver useful fault-tolerant quantum computing for industrial users. Founded in 2018, the company has raised over $70 million from investors and now has more than 60 team members located primarily in Cambridge and Los Angeles. For additional information, visit nu-quantum.com.

 

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Disrupting Early-Stage Investing: Why Blockchain Can Unlock Founder Liquidity

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Venture Capital was supposed to fund the future. Instead, too often it traps founders, employees, and early backers inside a system that can take a decade or more to return a dollar. Rafe Furst, Chief Strategy Officer of The Crypto Company, argues that the deepest flaw in VC is a structure built around delayed liquidity, misaligned incentives, and early-stage bets.

TAMPA BAY, Fla., June 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Venture capital is not slowing down, it is concentrating. The number of active U.S. VC firms fell from 8,315 in 2021 to 6,175 in 2024, while more than half of the $71 billion raised by U.S. venture firms last year went to just nine players. On this episode of Disruption Interruption, host Karla Jo Helms (KJ) speaks with Rafe Furst, World Series poker champion, five-time founder, bestselling venture-capital author, and Chief Strategy Officer of The Crypto Company, about why the traditional 10-year lockup model is breaking early-stage investing, why VC incentives have drifted away from true company building, and why blockchain may finally offer founders and investors a path to liquidity. As Furst puts it, “The biggest structural problem with VC is there’s no liquidity.”

Why Venture Capital Keeps Missing
Furst’s core argument is that Venture Capital no longer behaves like true Venture Capital should. Too many firms now approach early-stage investing less as a genuine commitment to founders and more as a strategic placeholder. They view it as a low-cost way to preserve the option to invest bigger once the risk has already been reduced. “They’re looking to buy a lottery ticket to be able to deploy capital much later on”, Furst says. The result is a market where the earliest builders still absorb the most uncertainty, but do not always receive the deepest alignment or support.

That misalignment gets worse because the asset class is unforgiving. Nine out of ten early-stage companies will still fail, while the winners can take 10 years or more to generate liquidity. According to the Wall Street Journal, that delay is not theoretical: more than 90% of 2021 venture funds had produced zero distributions as of mid-2024, underscoring how long capital can stay trapped in the system. In his words, “It’s just a lifetime. It’s just untenable. It doesn’t work.”

This is where incentives begin to warp. Instead of committing to one clear strategy, either deep hands-on conviction at the earliest stage or broad high-volume early-stage allocation, many firms try to split the difference. Furst says that this middle ground creates the wrong behavior: less patience, weaker founder alignment, more pressure to control outcomes, and lower returns than the asset class should be capable of producing. His critique is not of VC in principle, but of a version that no longer matches the realities of early-stage risk or the founders it claims to support.

Blockchain Can Bring Liquidity Back to Innovation
Furst believes the unlock is liquidity. That is why he sees blockchain not as a side bet, but as the logical next evolution of venture finance itself. His view lands at a moment when even top-tier firms have been rethinking the traditional venture structure and its long lockup periods, according to Sequoia Capitals. Early public markets can be compared to a form of equity crowdfunding that originally allowed capital formation and liquid ownership to coexist before regulation, and market abuse changed the landscape. “Blockchain now offers a new version of that missing bridge,” Furst says. “The future of venture capital is through decentralized technologies, Web3, crypto, and blockchain.”

That thesis is now shaping The Crypto Company’s next move. The company has acquired the technology behind a new layer-one blockchain and cryptocurrency called Frame, which Furst describes as a unifying liquidity and interoperability layer across fragmented crypto ecosystems. His analogy is the interstate highway system: local economies can thrive on their own, but real commerce accelerates when movement between them becomes seamless. In that sense, Frame is meant to help separate blockchain economies interoperate, transact, and share liquidity more effectively.

For Furst, the opportunity is only growing as AI and blockchain converge. He says AI agents are already transacting on-chain because they cannot use the traditional banking system the way humans do, and he believes that trend will accelerate. His advice to founders is not to wait for certainty, but to position themselves early. “The way to not get swept away is to get in front of the wave.”

Links

Disrupting Venture Capital: Why the 10-Year Lockup Is Dead with Rafe Furst

Disruption Interruption is the podcast where you will hear from today’s biggest Industry Disruptors. Learn what motivated them to bring about innovation and how they overcame opposition to adoption.

https://omny.fm/shows/disruption-interruption/disrupting-venture-capital-why-the-10-year-lockup-is-dead-with-rafe-furst

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rafefurst/
Company Website: https://www.thecryptocompany.com/

About Disruption InterruptionTM
Disruption is happening on an unprecedented scale, impacting all manner of industries — MedTech, Finance, IT, eCommerce, shipping, logistics, and more — and COVID has moved their timelines up a full decade or more. But WHO are these disruptors and when did they say, “THAT’S IT! I’VE HAD IT!”? Time to Disrupt and Interrupt with host Karla Jo “KJ” Helms, veteran communications disruptor. KJ interviews badasses who are disrupting their industries and altering economic networks that have become antiquated with an establishment resistant to progress. She delves into uncovering secrets from industry rebels and quiet revolutionaries that uncover common traits — and not-so-common — that are changing our economic markets… and lives. Visit the world’s key pioneers that persist to success, despite arrows in their backs at www.disruption-interruption.com.

About Rafe Furst
Rafe Furst is Chief Strategy Officer of The Crypto Company, a five-time founder, investor, and longtime builder at the intersection of early-stage finance, emerging technology, and market design. In the episode, he traces his path from advanced study in artificial intelligence at Stanford and early web entrepreneurship in Silicon Valley to angel investing, poker, and blockchain-based venture infrastructure. Publicly, he is also known as a World Series of Poker champion and as the author of a bestselling book on venture capital. Today, his work is focused on solving what he sees as venture capital’s deepest structural flaw: the absence of liquidity for founders, employees, and early backers, and the role blockchain can play in fixing it.

About Karla Jo Helms
Karla Jo Helms is the Chief Evangelist and Anti-PR® Strategist for JOTO PR Disruptors™. Karla Jo learned firsthand how unforgiving business can be when millions of dollars are on the line — and how the control of public opinion often determines whether one company is happily chosen, or another is brutally rejected. Being an alumnus of crisis management, Karla Jo has worked with litigation attorneys, private investigators, and the media to help restore companies of goodwill into the good graces of public opinion — Karla Jo operates on the ethic of getting it right the first time, not relying on second chances and doing what it takes to excel. Helms speaks globally on public relations, how the PR industry itself has lost its way, and how, in the right hands, corporations can harness the power of Anti-PR to drive markets and impact market perception.

References

Primack, D. (2021, October 26). Scoop: Sequoia Capital just blew up the VC fund model. Axios. axios.com/2021/10/26/sequoia-capital-fund-venture-capital-modelChernova, Y. (2024, August 16). More than 90% of 2021 venture funds have had zero distributions thus far, report shows. The Wall Street Journal. wsj.com/articles/more-than-90-of-2021-venture-funds-have-had-zero-distributions-thus-far-report-shows-32b0348fFinancial Times. (2025, January 1). Number of US venture capital firms falls as cash flows to tech’s top investors. ft.com/content/7a787423-9466-4e55-8c0e-8811cfe44dd3

Media Inquiries:
Karla Jo Helms
JOTO PR™ 
727-777-4629

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Knowles Specialty Components Meet Growing Demand for Pulse Power in Complex Applications

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ITASCA, Ill., June 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Across aerospace and defense applications, industrial systems, and medical devices, modern technologies increasingly depend on precise, reliable, and repeatable power delivered in tightly controlled timeframes. These needs place a greater demand on the components, particularly capacitors, that store and release energy in these high-reliability applications.

As Knowles continues to expand its portfolio of high-performance capacitors, including film and ceramic high-energy pulse discharge capacitors, the company’s capabilities are aligned with these requirements, supporting customers worldwide in a broad range of pulse power applications.

In pulse power applications, engineers are designing around defined energy discharges, where both the amount of energy and delivery timing must be tightly controlled. Capacitors largely define the precision of energy storage, the reliability of its release, and the consistency of system performance over time. Knowles designs capacitors to meet these demands across a wide range of energy levels and operating conditions.

Low energy pulses are used in neuromodulation therapies for pain management. Higher energy pulses drive industrial and scientific systems such as CO₂ lasers used in semiconductor manufacturing, downhole perforation systems in energy exploration, and life saving medical equipment including defibrillators and advanced imaging systems. At the extreme end are ultra high energy pulses used in energy research.

What these applications have in common is the need for precision. Regardless of the amount of energy required, a pulse must fire at the right moment, at the right level, every time—even under electrical, thermal, and environmental stress.

“In pulse power, consistency is everything,” said Jeff Niew, President and Chief Executive Officer of Knowles. “As systems move from the lab into real world deployment, components have to perform reliably, not just once, but over and over again, under demanding conditions. That’s where Knowles focuses—designing and validating high-performance capacitors for the environments our customers actually operate in.”

Knowles is investing in advanced testing, tighter process controls, and application specific design expertise to deliver custom pulse power solutions at scale.

Pulse power turns stored energy into real world outcomes. Knowles designs and manufactures the capacitors that make that delivery precise, repeatable, and scalable.

Knowles is demonstrating its high-performance capacitors at upcoming power and plasma science events, including the International Conference on Plasma Science June 22-26 and the IEEE International Power Modulator and High Voltage Conference July 12-16.

About Knowles

Knowles is a leading manufacturer of specialty electronic components. The company designs parts that perform unique, critical functions for innovative technologies. Through extreme reliability, custom engineering, and scalable manufacturing, Knowles enables businesses to succeed in the most demanding applications across MedTech, Defense, and Industrial markets.

Knowles’ high-performance capacitors, RF/Microwave filters, advanced medtech microphones, balanced armatures, and miniaturization products enable and enhance the performance of technologies with the power to change, improve, and save lives. Founded in 1946 and headquartered in Itasca, Illinois, Knowles has grown into a global organization with employees spanning 11 countries.

For more information, please visit knowles.com.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/knowles-specialty-components-meet-growing-demand-for-pulse-power-in-complex-applications-302802861.html

SOURCE Knowles Corporation

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