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Qblox, a Delft-based company developing quantum computing technology, has raised $26 million, closing its Series A funding round. The round was led by Quantonation and Invest-NL.

Qblox supplies dedicated, fully integrated quantum control stacks, a fundamental quantum computer part. In this way, quantum computers can be controlled efficiently without needing weeks of preparation or meters of electronic racks.

The funding will enable Qblox to expand its research and development efforts, accelerate product development, and further strengthen its market position. Additionally, the company will focus on expanding its team to meet growing demand and drive future growth.

Qblox ensures quantum computers are controlled quickly and reliably

Quantum computers are only at the beginning of their development, but can potentially mean a lot to our day-to-day life. Start-up Qblox from Delft supplies dedicated, fully-integrated quantum control stacks, which are a fundamental part of the quantum computer.

This Series A funding marks a significant milestone in Qbloxs journey to drive quantum innovation forward, said Niels Bultink, co-founder and CEO of Qblox. It has always been clear to us that quantum technology should be seen as a value chain where we work with dedication on one crucial layer of the stack, currently serving over one hundred customers. Almost uniquely in the industry, this has allowed us to grow the company exponentially, fueled by revenue rather than investments. With our first equity investment, we secure our long-term growth, positioning Qblox as the enabler of industrial-scale quantum systems.

We have closely followed Qbloxs impressive journey over the past four years. Their achievements have been remarkable, and we are thrilled to invest in Qblox alongside Invest NL to help accelerate their transition to the industrial market, commented Oliver Tonneau, Partner of Quantonation. Their expertise in control stack development and their unique modular and scalable technology make them a standout player in the field. We look forward to seeing the impact of this investment on their continued progress.

Investing in quantum technology is crucial for pioneering complex technologies that provide solutions to societal challenges. We believe that Qblox is well-positioned to shape the future of quantum computing, stated Yvonne Greeuw, Investment Manager at Invest-NL. We are impressed by the team and proven track record of innovation and growth, demonstrating their ability to impact the industry significantly. We at Invest-NL are excited to be a part of their journey.

Quantum technology professor Pepijn Pinkse: The best time to get quantum security right was yesterday.

His inaugural lecture took place early last month; in practice, Pepijn Pinkse has been working as a professor of quantum technology at the University of Twente (UT) for several years. His lecture focused on creating awareness around quantum security and the threat posed by quantum technology. The best time to get quantum security right was yesterday, he said.

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QBlox raises $26 million to advance quantum computing research - Innovation Origins

The Quantum Insider has been closely following Stephanie Simmons and her company Photonic since its founding. Simmons, a physicist and former researcher at Harvard University, co-founded Photonic with the vision of building distributed quantum computers connected via quantum internet. Photonic is pioneering an approach using silicon spin qubits interfaced with photonic links.

As the world inches closer to realizing the revolutionary potential of quantum computing, a critical question looms: what will it take to unite discrete quantum computers into a powerful, scalable quantum internet? At the Economist Impact Event, Simmons, shared insights that could shape the future of this emerging field.

Simmons began by acknowledging the substantial progress made thus far when she expressed her enthusiasm, noting that he loved the earlier discussion in the session about the four million qubits needed to simulate Si:P, remarking on how such use cases and conversations were not even meaningful a few years ago.

However, she stressed that scaling beyond single quantum devices remains the key challenge.

If youre working backwards from the mathematical proof of product market fit you really do want to be working backwards from, well how do you put four million order of qubits on the ground? she said.

Photonics approach centers on using photons to link spin qubits across multiple modules. As Simmons explained: Were working with silicon spins that are photonically connected, so they emit telecom photons which are entangled with the spins they left behind.

This photonic interconnect enables a fundamentally modular and scalable architecture.

It really changes the engineering considerably because now you can imagine printing a million physical qubits and picking your favorite 100,000 because you dont need proximity to do your logic, said Simmons.

A key enabler is the use of quantum LDPC codes, which Simmons hailed as excellent quantum codes that have moved the goalpost 20 years closer for all of us. These highly efficient error correction codes allow drastically reducing the number of physical qubits needed per logical qubit.

Crucially, Photonics design tackles the hurdle of distributing entanglement at scale.

The key resource for distributed quantum computing is entanglement, stated Simmons. She drew a parallel with quantum networks, saying: Distributing entanglement is basically all of the use cases for networks.

Unlike traditional internet data transfer, Simmons described distributing entanglement as akin to distributing a resource like electricity.

You have to be smart with it: the better we get at entanglement distribution, the more quickly we can run those kinds of algorithms at scale, said Simmon.

Addressing the potential speed advantage, Simmons mentioned that it is more important to imagine the fast nature of telecom switching, emphasizing that any two qubits can be connected regardless of their location as long as they are linked by a photonic connection.

As research progresses from single prototypes to integrating multiple modules, Simmons foresees a nonlinear change in expectations and user value emerging from these distributed quantum technologies.

While major technical hurdles remain, Simmonss thoughts give us more insight on the frontier of quantum network architecture. By prioritizing the effective distribution of entanglement as a core resource, companies like Photonic could pave the way for quantum computers to transcend individual devices and coalesce into a powerful, internet-scale fabric. The race for quantum supremacy may ultimately hinge on mastering this entangled future.

Featured image: Credit: Economist Impact

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The Race to Build a Quantum Internet: Photonic's Stephanie Simmons Gives Her Two Cents - The Quantum Insider

At the first Future Cryptography Conference held in Tallinn, Estonia, the primary focus was on Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC). With the advent of quantum computing, traditional cryptographic methods face obsolescence, necessitating a new paradigm in secure communication. Esteemed experts from Estonia and Czechia gathered to deliberate on the challenges and advancements in PQC, addressing standards, applications, and strategies for migration to these new technologies.

One of the most compelling presentations was by Peeter Laud, a Senior Researcher at Cybernetica, who tackled the intricate question: How will I authenticate myself in a post-quantum world? His presentation went deep into the core of authentication in a future dominated by quantum computing.

Lauds discussion began with the fundamental need for authenticationensuring secure connections and safeguarding cryptographic material. He posed crucial questions about identity: What constitutes me? Is it just a name, date of birth, personal code, biometrics, or a combination of these? In the realm of cryptographic protocols, it involves public keys bound to individuals by certificates, which are then signed by trusted authorities. The use of private keys for cryptographic operations is essential in this context.

Laud paid attention to the disparity in the capability of current devices to execute PQ crypto algorithms and protect cryptographic material. Devices such as computers, smartphones, secure elements, embedded devices, and smart cards each have varying levels of support for PQ authentication protocols. For relying parties, computers (servers) and Hardware Security Modules (HSM) are pivotal as they need to compute digital signatures.

Laud stressed the potential of threshold cryptography in post-quantum authentication. However, existing threshold protocols for algorithms like Dilithium are currently too inefficient for practical applications like Smart-ID. Yet, these protocols are generic, and optimizing them for specific settings, such as two-party scenarios, could overcome inefficiencies. Laud introduced TOPCOAT, a Dilithium-inspired threshold signature scheme designed for two signing parties, showcasing its practical efficiency while relying on lattice-based hardness assumptions.

The presentation also touched on the theoretical underpinnings of quantum security. Laud discussed the quantum reductions and how some hardness assumptions hold even in the presence of quantum adversaries. Although many cryptographic constructions, including TOPCOAT, only have classical proofs of security, there is ongoing research to establish quantum reductions.

Looking ahead, Laud outlined a way forward involving secure multiparty computation (SMC) protocols and the role of correlated randomness. Practical deployment of these protocols requires considerations of performance and the isolation between server and correlated randomness generators.

This discussion at the Future Cryptography Conference is part of a broader conversation, including Estonias roadmap for encryption in the age of quantum computing. As detailed in the earlier piece: Estonias Roadmap For Encryption In The Age Of Quantum Computing The Quantum Insider published from the same conference, Estonia is taking proactive steps in preparing for a post-quantum world, ensuring that its cryptographic infrastructure remains robust and secure.

Lauds insights underscore the complexity and necessity of evolving our authentication methods to meet the challenges posed by quantum computing. As research and development continue, the integration of these advanced cryptographic techniques will be crucial in safeguarding our digital identities in the quantum era.

Featured image: Credit: Future Cryptography Conference

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Authenticating in a Post-Quantum World - The Quantum Insider