Cryogenic signal-processing developer Qubic has signed a contract with an agency of the Canadian federal government valued at up to CA$1.5 million (US$1.08 million). Awarded through the Innovative Solutions Canada (ISC) Testing Stream, the agreement supports the delivery, sub-Kelvin integration, and performance testing of Qubic’s low-noise amplifiers and companion control software in real-world operational environments.
Under the contract terms, Sherbrooke-based Qubic will deliver nine Kinetic Inductance Traveling Wave Parametric Amplifiers (KI-TWPAs), along with mounting accessories and evaluation software, starting in late 2026, with final evaluation milestones scheduled through spring 2027. Unlike conventional cryogenic amplifiers that consume up to 50% of a dilution refrigerator’s available cooling power, Qubic’s hardware reduces thermal dissipation to under 0.1 mW. Rather than relying on magnetic-field-sensitive Josephson junctions, Qubic’s KI-TWPA architecture draws non-linear inductance directly from the superconducting transmission line material, providing a magnetic-field-resilient device that operates near the quantum limit to support multiplexed qubit readout and high-sensitivity RF sensing.
| [ Qubic KI-TWPA Federal Contract Specifications & Performance Metrics ] | ||
|---|---|---|
| Contract Term & Value | Procurement Framework | KI-TWPA Technical Advantages |
| • Total Value: CA$1.5M (US$1.1M) | • Innovative Solutions Canada (ISC) | • Heat Dissipation: < 0.1 mW per device |
| • Deliverables: 9 Amplifiers & Software | • Real-World Federal Agency Testing | • Non-Linearity: Superconducting Material (No JJs) |
| • Timeline: Fall 2026 to Spring 2027 | • Focus: De-risking RF Sensor Supply Chain | • Function: Multiplexed Qubit & RF Signal Readout |
The federal procurement follows commercial momentum for the spin-off from the Institut Quantique and the Institute for Quantum Computing, bringing total raised capital and non-dilutive grant funding to nearly CA$10 million. The government contract builds on Qubic’s CA$3.5 million ($2.5M USD) seed round led by Two Small Fish Ventures in June 2026, as well as a commercial integration partnership executed with quantum control developer Quantum Machines to incorporate low-noise KI-TWPAs into hybrid control stacks.
Review the official press release via Qubic here, inspect defense and space industry reporting on SpaceQ here, explore federal procurement guidelines at Innovative Solutions Canada here, examine our analysis of Qubic’s Commercial Integration Agreement with Quantum Machines here, and review our previous coverage of Qubic’s $2.5 Million Seed Financing Round here.
September 11, 2026
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