Pouya Dianat
About Pouya Dianat
Dr. Pouya Dianat is Chief Revenue Officer at Quantum Computing Inc. (QUBT), promoted in May 2025 to lead global commercial strategy, customer acquisition, and revenue expansion across QCi’s machines and foundry offerings . He is 39, with 18+ years in photonics commercialization and graduate research; he holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in Electrical Engineering from Drexel University, a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Sharif University of Technology, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Northwestern University . Company incentive programs emphasize revenue, bookings, and EBITDA margin rather than net income volatility, and pay-versus-performance disclosures show compensation “actually paid” moved with TSR in 2024 (improving from 2023), framing the performance context into which his role was added .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quantum Computing Inc. (QCi) | Director, Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs) & Foundry Services | 2024 (from July) | Led business strategy, product development, sales for thin-film lithium niobate foundry platform; groundwork for commercial scaling . |
| OPTICA (global optics/photonics association) | Market Expert and Director of PIC & Quantum Technologies | 2023–2024 | Drove industry engagement across PIC and quantum technologies; market knowledge to support commercialization . |
| Optogration (Luminar Company) | Senior Photonics Engineer | Mar 2022–Jul 2023 | Led commercial offerings, BD, and chip scale-up for photonic detector chips in automotive LiDAR products . |
| Drexel University | Entrepreneur-in-Residence | 2021–2022 | Supported venture formation/commercialization; bridges academia to market . |
| Princeton Infrared Technologies | Scientist | 2021–2022 | High-end infrared camera development; advanced sensing domain experience . |
| Nanograss Solar LLC | Chief Technology Officer | 2018–2021 | Commercialized high-speed photodetectors; applied photonics product development . |
| Northwestern University | Postdoctoral Fellow | ~2 years (post-PhD) | Quantum-enhanced opto-plasmonic detectors research; foundational expertise . |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| OPTICA | Market Expert & Director (PIC & Quantum) | 2023–2024 | Industry association leadership in PIC/quantum tech . |
| Drexel University | Entrepreneur-in-Residence | 2021–2022 | Venture/commercialization mentorship . |
Fixed Compensation
- No compensation agreement details (base salary, target bonus, RSUs/options) for Dr. Dianat were disclosed in available filings. The May 2025 leadership 8‑K describes his appointment but does not specify compensatory terms .
Performance Compensation
- Company-wide incentive design emphasizes revenue, bookings, and EBITDA margin as key measures for a growing company; pay-versus-performance discussion highlights these over net income due to accounting volatility . Specific metric weightings/targets/payouts for Dr. Dianat are not disclosed.
Equity Ownership & Alignment
- Lock-up: Dr. Pouya Dianat signed a lock-up in connection with an October 2025 placement, agreeing to a 60-day restriction period after the closing date (no offers/sales, pledges, or registrations), with stop-transfer instructions imposed by the company .
- Hedging: QCi’s insider trading policy prohibits hedging transactions by officers and directors, strengthening alignment with shareholder returns .
| Alignment Factor | Disclosure | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Lock-up agreement | Yes | Listed party; 60-day restriction period post-October 2025 financing; transfer restrictions enforced . |
| Hedging policy | Yes | Officers/directors prohibited from hedging company securities . |
| Pledging | Not disclosed | No specific disclosure on pledging of shares. |
| Beneficial ownership | Not disclosed | Not listed among NEOs/directors in 2024–2025 proxy ownership tables . |
| Stock ownership guidelines | Not disclosed | No executive ownership guideline disclosure specific to Dr. Dianat. |
Employment Terms
- Appointment: Promoted to Chief Revenue Officer in May 2025; responsibilities include driving global commercial strategy and expanding revenue streams across machines and foundry offerings .
- Contract/severance/COC: No employment agreement or severance/change-of-control terms for Dr. Dianat were disclosed in reviewed filings –.
Investment Implications
- Commercial execution lever: As CRO, Dr. Dianat’s remit centers on monetization of QCi’s photonic/quantum offerings and foundry services—directly tied to revenue growth and customer adoption, the metrics emphasized in company incentives .
- Selling pressure near term: His October 2025 lock-up curtails near-term insider selling; combined with hedging prohibitions, this supports alignment and reduces risk of immediate selling pressure .
- Disclosure gap in pay-for-performance: Lack of specific compensation metrics, vesting schedules, and ownership data for him limits visibility into individual incentive alignment and retention economics; monitoring future 8‑Ks/DEF 14As and potential Section 16 filings will be important for trading signals .
- Strategic focus areas: Public remarks underscore commercialization of quantum-secure communications and telecom/datacom traction, aligning his role with revenue-intensive verticals where adoption can influence TSR and CAP trends observed at the company level .