Mohamed Abdel-Kareem

Photo Credit: Daejeon City Daejeon City signed a strategic agreement with Norma, a quantum computing specialist, and the National Nanofab Center. The partnership aims to foster a globally competitive quantum computing ecosystem in Daejeon, focusing on the development and commercialization of quantum computing technology. Norma will spearhead the establishment of quantum computer manufacturing facilities and commercialization processes. The National Nanofab Center will contribute through the development of quantum processing unit (QPU) manufacturing processes and performance evaluation technologies. Daejeon City will provide support for the commercialization of R&D results and facilitate new investments. Norma, known for its expertise in full-stack quantum technologies, [...]

South Korea's Norma has announced its first quantum computer export deal, signing an $18 million contract with Saudi Arabia's Light Vision IT. Norma will deliver its superconducting quantum computer "Qrion", capable of over 10 qubits, by mid-2025. The system includes the Q Platform for quantum programming and Quantum Artificial Intelligence (Q AI) features, providing a full-stack solution. Currently under development, Qrion is undergoing rigorous testing to ensure functionality and performance. Norma CEO Hyun Chul Jung highlighted the strategic opportunity amid global export restrictions on quantum technology from the U.S. and China, emphasizing the competitiveness of Korean innovation. The decision to export [...]

SEALSQ Corp (NASDAQ: LAES), a leader in semiconductors and post-quantum technology, has raised a total of $60.0 million through multiple registered direct offerings. This includes the $10.0 million offering reported on December 12, 2024, and an additional $50.0 million raised through subsequent offerings. The funds will accelerate the deployment of post-quantum semiconductor technology and ASIC capabilities in the U.S. while supporting general corporate purposes. The first of the additional offerings, announced on December 16, 2024, highlighted pricing above market under NASDAQ rules, with a public offering price of $1.90 per share. SEALSQ entered into a securities purchase agreement with institutional investors, [...]

Rigetti's 84-qubit Ankaa-3 System. Credit Rigetti Computing Rigetti Computing has launched its latest quantum computer, the 84-qubit Ankaa-3, marking a significant milestone in superconducting quantum computing. Featuring a broad hardware redesign, the Ankaa-3 system achieves a 99.5% median two-qubit gate fidelity. It introduces technological advancements such as enhanced cryogenic hardware, optimized qubit circuit layouts, and precision control enabled by Rigetti’s novel Alternating-Bias Assisted Annealing (ABAA) technique. The system supports high-performance iSWAP gates with a median gate time of 72 nanoseconds and fSim gates optimized for algorithms like random circuit sampling. These improvements stem from innovations across Rigetti’s technology stack, including advanced [...]

Quantum chips with shuttle tracks (picture above) can be manufactured industrially on 200 mm silicon wafers.Credit:: Jülich Research Center The Jülich Research Center has partnered with ARQUE Systems to integrate a cutting-edge quantum computer into the Jülich Unified Infrastructure for Quantum Computing (JUNIQ) at the Jülich Supercomputing Center (JSC) in 2025. The system features a 5-qubit semiconductor-based quantum processor designed for scalability, potentially expanding to hundreds of qubits in the future. ARQUE's approach leverages transistor-like semiconductor qubits that encode information in the electron spin. This technology benefits from existing semiconductor manufacturing techniques, enabling industrial-scale production on 200 mm silicon wafers. The [...]

BlueQubit, a quantum software startup based in San Francisco, has raised $10 million in a seed funding round led by Nyca Partners, with participation from Restive, Chaac Ventures, NKM Capital, Presto Ventures, Tech Horizons, BigStory, Untapped Ventures, Formula VC, and Granatus. Founded by Stanford alumni Hrant Ghairbyan and Hayk Tepanyan, the company aims to integrate quantum computing into real-world applications through its Quantum Software as a Service (QSaaS) platform. The QSaaS framework connects enterprise users to Quantum Processing Units (QPUs) and quantum emulators, addressing challenges in sectors like finance, pharmaceuticals, and materials science. BlueQubit's software stack enables quantum emulators that are [...]

Planckian, a quantum technology innovator based in Pisa, Italy, has introduced a new superconducting quantum chip architecture designed to address the critical wiring challenges impeding quantum computer scalability. This “conveyor-belt” architecture employs shared control lines to manipulate qubits, significantly reducing cabling complexity and operational overhead. The design builds upon Planckian’s prior research, including the June 2024 paper, “A Globally Driven Superconducting Quantum Computing Architecture”, which outlined an initial approach to leveraging ZZ coupling for global qubit control. The latest blueprint extends this work by reducing the number of physical qubits required while enabling advanced multi-qubit operations, including the three-qubit Toffoli gate, [...]

MITRE and Montana State University (MSU) are jointly addressing U.S. dependence on Chinese sources for rare earth elements critical to quantum technologies. Through artificial intelligence and density functional theory, they aim to catalog alternative materials that can reduce reliance on imports. Their research particularly targets holmium copper, a key material in quantum cryocoolers currently dominated by Chinese supply chains. Formalized in August 2024, this partnership supports U.S. critical mineral supply chain resilience and technological self-reliance. Additionally, the collaboration involves advancing material science for quantum applications and engaging with federal initiatives, such as the Headwaters Tech Hub and the annual Critical Resource [...]

The National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) and IQM Quantum Computers (IQM) have signed an MoU to advance the industrialization of quantum technology in Japan. This partnership focuses on quantum hardware development, algorithm optimization, error mitigation, and quantum machine learning, aiming to improve performance and scalability of quantum processors. Announced at the "Finland–Japan Roundtable on Green and Digital Transition" in Tokyo, the collaboration leverages AIST’s research capabilities and IQM’s expertise in full-stack superconducting quantum computers. It also aligns with Japan's 10-year quantum plan, supporting the country's efforts to integrate quantum computing into various industries. Key initiatives include utilizing [...]

Quantum Computing Inc. (QCi) has secured a prime contract from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center to leverage its Dirac-3 entropy quantum optimization machine for solving the phase unwrapping problem in interferometric radar imaging. Phase unwrapping is crucial for reconstructing high-quality images and extracting data from interferograms, a challenge that QCi aims to address at scale. This initiative will enable NASA to compare the performance of QCi’s photonic quantum optimization technology against state-of-the-art classical algorithms. If successful, the project is expected to improve computational efficiency and data accuracy in processing large-scale interferometric datasets, paving the way for future applications in data-intensive fields. [...]