NVision Deploys POLARIS at Hokkaido University, Establishing Research Site for Quantum-Enhanced MRI in Japan

NVision Deploys POLARIS at Hokkaido University, Establishing Research Site for Quantum-Enhanced MRI in Japan

NVision’s first deployment in Japan will support metabolic imaging research and
collaboration across the Asia-Pacific region

ULM, Germany & SAPPORO, Japan, September 01, 2026 — NVision Quantum Technologies, a quantum technology company, today announced the deployment of its POLARIS™ platform at Hokkaido University. Installed at the Graduate School of Information Science and Technology’s Division of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, the system marks NVision’s first deployment in Japan and establishes Hokkaido University as a key research partner in the Asia-Pacific region.

The deployment follows a year of international expansion for NVision’s quantum-enhanced MRI business. NVision now works with leading research institutions including the University of Cambridge, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Washington University in St. Louis, and the Technical University of Munich. In Asia, the company is also collaborating with Yonsei University in South Korea through the RESQ research project.

Hokkaido University is internationally recognized for its research in metabolic imaging and hyperpolarization technologies, with a particular focus on understanding how changes in metabolism reflect disease biology and treatment response. The deployment expands NVision's global research network while strengthening the company's research presence in Japan and across the Asia-Pacific region.

“Quantum technology only creates value when it is placed in the hands of researchers who can turn it into meaningful scientific and clinical progress,” said Dr. Sella Brosh, CEO of NVision. “We are proud to be building a global community of leading scientists who are applying quantum-enhanced MRI to important questions in medicine and drug development. Hokkaido University brings deep expertise in hyperpolarization and metabolic imaging, and this deployment gives us a strong foundation for expanding our work in Japan and across Asia.”

POLARIS boosts the MRI signal of sugars over 10,000x through a process known as hyperpolarization, making it possible for standard MRI systems to “light up” and measure cell metabolism in real time. It is the first commercially available quantum-based polarizer, using parahydrogen-induced polarization, or PHIP, to produce a metabolic imaging agent in under three minutes. By visualizing disease activity in real time, POLARIS empowers researchers to assess therapy effectiveness within days rather than months.

POLARIS combines automated quantum spin control with standardized precursor kits that enable the reproducible, push-button hyperpolarization of key metabolic molecules. This allows researchers to move from custom-built laboratory systems and complex manual workflows to a standardized platform for routine preclinical imaging.

This standardization is particularly relevant for pharmaceutical research. Hyperpolarized imaging allows researchers to study the same metabolic biomarker in preclinical disease models and later in clinical studies, creating a direct bridge between drug development stages. In preclinical research, these biomarkers can help reveal target engagement, treatment response, resistance mechanisms, adverse effects, and responsive subgroups. The same readouts can then support earlier and more informed decisions in clinical trials.

The Hokkaido team will use POLARIS to investigate how metabolic imaging can provide new insights into brain and systemic disease biology, with an initial focus on understanding changes in brain metabolism associated with neurological disorders, inflammation, infection, and treatment response.

The initiative is led by Professor Shingo Matsumoto, whose laboratory is internationally recognized for pioneering work in parahydrogen-based hyperpolarization, low-field and zero-field magnetic resonance technologies, and metabolic imaging.

“A wide range of stresses and systemic diseases that can lead to brain dysfunction, including depression and anxiety disorders, can produce pronounced changes in brain metabolism long before structural alterations become apparent.” said Professor Shingo Matsumoto. “We are excited to use POLARIS to investigate changes in brain metabolic flux that are closely linked to neuronal activity. Ultimately, this could help advance research toward visualizing psychiatric disorders through these metabolic changes using quantum-enhanced MRI technology.”

NVision plans to continue deploying POLARIS systems at leading global research centers throughout 2026 as it works toward a network of 20 installations by year-end. These sites are generating the clinical evidence, standardized workflows, and research partnerships required to begin studies involving patients in the coming year.

About NVision Quantum Technologies

NVision is a quantum technology company focused on healthcare, with deep expertise in engineering and controlling the quantum properties of organic molecules. This approach underpins both its POLARIS platform, which enables real-time measurement of metabolism on standard MRI systems, and its quantum computing platform, Photonic Integrated Quantum Circuits (PIQC, pronounced “Pixie”). Together, these capabilities are helping bridge the gap between understanding disease and delivering effective therapies. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Ulm, Germany, NVision is backed by Playground Global, Entrée Capital, Matterwave/b2venture, Lauder Partners, Pathena Investments, The European Investment Bank and others. Learn more at nvision-quantum.com.