With a €15 million investment supported by the deeptech investors and financial companies – Omnes, the Defence Innovation Fund managed by Bpifrance, and Quantonation. Quandela, the leading French leader in quantum photonics, known for the world’s first photonic qubit generator, Prometheus, has set forth its new project. Launching in 2022, a photonic quantum computer will be available. It will provide access through an online platform, as the team made it public during a press release in Paris last November 16, 2021.
Photonic quantum computing is one of the next big things in the world of technologies and computing. Through the use of photons in the information system, security will be enhanced by detecting untrusted devices and networks. The future of quantum technologies will undoubtedly apply and drive state-of-the-art developments in photonics, whether they use single photons, quantum states of bright laser beams, or both. With its promising greater computational power for specific tasks – large-scale secure networks will improve measurement, lithography, and quantum information processors.
Quandela, co-founded in 2017, is a French company among the world leaders in quantum photonics. It is collaborating on the European quantum computer project, Phoqusing, which launched in 2020. Its founders, Pascale Senellart (research director at the Centre de Nanosciences et de Nanotechnologies of the CNRS and the University of Paris-Saclay and 2014 CNRS Silver Medalist), Valérian Giesz (engineer and Ph.D. in quantum optics), and Niccolo Somaschi (Ph.D. in semiconductor nanotechnologies), has been well known with its Quandela Technology, which has been featured on several publications and in peer-reviewed journals such as Nature and Physical Review Letters, the research and developed took more than 20 years at the Centre for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, the Quandela Technology.
This 2022, Quandela will introduce a new phase of Photonic Quantum computing. The development of the entanglement system based on the chain of single photons contained in an optical fibre loop has paved its way to creating a prototype quantum computer based on a high flux of single and indistinguishable photons for demanding quantum research. Following the current market offers of eDelight, 6-DMX, QShaper, QFiber, and others, the possibility of launching this technology in an online platform “cloud” will promote broader access to researches and computing resources.
In just a few years, Quandela has established itself as a key player in the development of photonic quantum computing… This fundraising will enable us to accelerate the structuring of the team and the investment in new equipment to achieve our objectives with a first step: the availability in the cloud of the first complete optical quantum computer in 2022.
Valérian Giesz, CEO and co-founder of Quandela
Quandela’s initiative on the single-photon source of unparalleled quality and efficiency allows this quantum computer to grow in power more rapidly, without suffering from the inherent brakes of other technologies (ions, superconducting qubits, etc.). Thus, as a flagship of the French research, Quandela, is set to advance in the international race for quantum computers.
During the Press release, Niccolo Somaschi, CTO and Co-Founder of Quandela talks about the recent Technological advances in the development of Solid-state Quantum Light Emitters and quote,
...it is time to explore the full potential of this technology for large-scale quantum computing.
Coming from the major player in private equity and infrastructure, Omnes has a total of €5 billion of assets under management. Providing companies with the equity capital they need to grow through its four core businesses: Venture Capital, Expansion Capital & LBO, Infrastructure, and Co-investment.
Our financial support will enable the company to take up major new technological challenges and to position itself as a European leader in the race for quantum advantage.
Fabien Collangettes, member of Quandela’s Board of Directors
Quandela will also be receiving strong support from the Quantonation investment fund, the first-ever investment fund dedicated to supporting Quantum Technologies, supporting the transition of laboratory technologies into commercial products for industry.
By capitalizing on the properties of the elementary constituent of electromagnetism, the photon, Quandela wants to produce highly scalable and efficient quantum processors.
Charles Beigbeder, founder of the Quantonation investment fund
Together with, Fonds Innovation Défense, managed by Bpifrance, is a company that finances and supports Startups, SMEs, and ETIs that focus on developing innovative companies whose dual technologies are of particular interest to the defense sector.
After having supported the early stages of Quandela’s development via our innovation financing mechanisms, we are proud to support the company’s growth with the Defence Innovation Fund.
Nicolas Berdou, Investor at Bpifrance