The Government of Canada, through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), has provided a repayable contribution of $3.75M CAD to Xanadu, a leading company in photonic quantum computing. This funding is part of the Regional Quantum Initiative (RQI) which will have $23 million ($17M USD) available for funding over a six year period. The Xanadu funding will be used to accelerate the development of PennyLane, Xanadu’s open-source, cloud-based software framework for quantum machine learning, quantum chemistry, and quantum computing.
The investment aims to advance Canada’s position in quantum technology, boost economic growth, and create jobs. It will also support the creation of 22 new quantum jobs, further strengthening Canada’s quantum workforce. The project’s objectives include advancing the operating infrastructure to provide a broader cloud offering, increasing community support, and creating more user engagement materials.
Xanadu has been working since 2016 to make quantum computers useful and accessible to everyone. As part of this mission, the company has collaborated with numerous universities worldwide to create custom educational programs and has established a dedicated quantum community team.
The funding aligns with the National Quantum Strategy launched by the Government of Canada in January 2023, which focuses on research, talent, and commercialization. FedDev Ontario is one of the regional development agencies supporting high-potential quantum projects and scaling promising Canadian companies.
Additional information is available in a press release provided by Xanadu here.
February 24, 2024