Harvard PhD and former AWS quantum networking experts building breakthrough quantum interconnects for real-world application
Lightsynq Technologies Inc., a startup developing quantum interconnect technology solutions for commercial use, announced it has raised approximately $18 million in Series A funding. The round was led by Cerberus Ventures, the venture investing platform of Cerberus Capital Management, L.P. (Cerberus), with participation from Murata Electronics North America Inc., IAG Capital Partners, Safar Partners, QVT, Element Six and In-Q-Tel (IQT).
“Quantum computing is revolutionizing traditional computing by solving complex problems beyond the reach of systems”
Founded by former Harvard quantum networking experts and Amazon Web Services (AWS) Center for Quantum Networking leaders, Dr. Mihir Bhaskar (CEO), Dr. Bart Machielse (CTO) and Dr. David Levonian (CPO), Lightsynq is developing state-of-the-art optical quantum interconnects that enable hardware providers to link quantum processors. Lightsynq’s technology will help solve the core challenge of linking together individual quantum computers into a broader network, overcoming the limitations of single system scaling.
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The funds will be used to build Lightsynq’s quantum interconnect technology, which is based on color centers in diamond photonic devices, combining a leading quantum networking platform with scalable photonic fabrication. This proprietary solution will provide a pathway to foundry-scale production of quantum interconnects, enabling more usable qubits across networks and accelerating wider industrial and commercial applications of quantum computing.
“Unlocking the value of quantum computers for customers will require major improvements in two areas: error correction and scalability. We have seen amazing progress in error correction across several hardware approaches, but it is time to focus on the scaling problem,” said Dr. Mihir Bhaskar, CEO of Lightsynq. “We believe that for quantum to have real commercial applications — from chemistry to cybersecurity — we need to reach million qubit systems and have pathways to continue scaling. We believe Lightsynq’s quantum interconnect hardware will offer the best solution to achieving those objectives.”
“Quantum computing is revolutionizing traditional computing by solving complex problems beyond the reach of systems,” said Morgan Mahlock, Director for Cerberus. “Lightsynq plays a critical role in making this technology scalable, which will drive innovation across sectors. Breakthrough technologies and the infrastructure that supports them are vital to our nation’s strength, and we’re proud to back innovators like Lightsynq who are accelerating these advancements.”
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Quantum computing is a rapidly developing technology with the potential to unlock significant benefits across industries and use cases, from accelerating pharmaceutical developments in healthcare and advancing materials science to facilitating environmental engineering. Lightsynq’s diamond-based quantum interconnects will support hardware providers developing optically-controlled quantum computers.
“Twenty years ago, Element Six was the first to invest in diamond innovation for quantum technologies. This allowed us to work alongside the best quantum research groups in the world, which is where our collaboration with Mihir’s team began,” said Prof. Daniel Twitchen, CTO at Element Six. “E6’s investment in Lightsynq is the natural culmination of this long-lasting strategic partnership, as well as the first step towards accelerating new frontiers of processing capabilities and connectivity through diamond-enabled quantum computing.”
“We’re excited for Mihir and the entire team at Lightsynq and their mission to bring scalable optical quantum interconnects to the broader quantum industry. They are well positioned to drive widespread adoption of its core quantum memory technology by deploying it to solve core system-integration challenges, such as the scale-up of ion, atomic, and photonic quantum processors,” said Simone Severini, Director, Quantum Technologies at AWS.
