Nanofiber Quantum Technologies, a startup based in Palo Alto, CA, has secured $8.5 million in funding. The funding round was supported by Phoenix Venture Partners, JAFCO Group Co Ltd, SPARX Group Co Ltd, Keio Innovation Initiative, Inc. (KII), and Waseda University Ventures.
The funding will be used by Nanofiber Quantum Technologies to enhance their research and development efforts, recruit talent from the United States and Japan, and forge collaborations with both academic institutions and private companies.
The company, led by CEO Dr. Masashi Hirose and CTO Dr. Akihisa Goban, specializes in developing quantum processing units (QPUs) that utilize neutral atoms and photons as qubits. These QPUs have the ability to process and store quantum information while also communicating with other QPUs.
Nanofiber Quantum Technologies has developed a unique and proprietary technology called the nanofiber cavity Quantum Electrodynamics (QED) system. This technology allows for the creation of connected QPUs, which function as both quantum repeaters and distributed computational units.
The foundation of this technology can be traced back to the research conducted over the span of a decade by Professor Takao Aoki at Waseda University in Japan. Professor Aoki is a renowned expert in the field of quantum computing and one of the co-founders of NanoQT.
Currently, NanoQT operates in both Tokyo, Japan, and California, US. With the new funding, they will be able to accelerate their R&D efforts and expand their operations. By bringing together talent from multiple countries and establishing collaborations, Nanofiber Quantum Technologies aims to stay at the forefront of quantum computing advancements.
Sources:
– FinSMEs