Arctic Instruments, a spinout from VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, has secured €2.3 million in funding for the research, development and commercialisation of its superconducting microwave amplifier technology.
The funding round was led by the Finnish venture capital firm Lifeline Ventures. This investment will support Arctic Instruments in its mission to meet the increasing demand for high-quality amplifiers needed for scaling quantum computing.
Joonas Govenius, CEO and Co-founder of Arctic Instruments, explained the company’s importance: “We have reached a level of maturity where our capability to fabricate and test our amplifiers in volume is industry leading. In the bigger picture, the development of quantum computers remains very much a challenge, and their potential applications also remain an active topic of research. What is clear is the need to scale up, without compromising the quality of any of the critical components. We contribute to this effort by constantly improving both the quality and consistency of our near-quantum-limited amplifiers, which are key to accurate qubit state measurements. The dedicated company and funding we now have allows us to boost our development efforts significantly.”
The company’s ability to manufacture near-quantum-limited amplifiers consistently and in volume is critical for enabling the construction of large-scale quantum computers with accurate qubit state readout.
Current quantum computers typically have around 100 qubits and require 10 to 20 amplifiers for measuring the qubit states. To increase computing power, the number of qubits must be scaled up, and thus, the number of amplifiers must increase accordingly. A quantum computer with 10,000 qubits will require thousands of near-quantum-limited amplifiers of consistent quality. Near-quantum-limited means that the amplifiers add as little noise to the measurement as the laws of physics allow.
According to Arctic Instruments, they are the only manufacturer already capable of supplying thousands of amplifiers of the required quality and consistency.
Quantum computers with more qubits and higher-quality operations have higher performance, enabling them to solve more complex, real-life problems in multiple industries. According to McKinsey, chemicals, life sciences, finance, and mobility are likely to be at the forefront of the quantum impact and stand to gain up to 2 trillion dollars by 2035. Getting there won’t be possible without significant scaling up of quantum computers – more qubits bring more computing power.
Founded by a team of experienced scientists specialising in superconducting circuits, Arctic Instruments benefits from VTT’s state-backed expertise and interdisciplinary research initiatives. The amplifiers represent years of dedicated development and innovation under VTT’s guidance, aligning with the organisation’s mission to drive technological progress with global impact.
“Arctic Instruments is a competent team that has been able to create a product that solves one of quantum computing’s most critical challenges. The product is based on several years of research. It is very difficult to produce a component that is accurate and reliable at the same time, and works today,” said Timo Ahopelto, founding partner at Lifeline Ventures.
Read the orginal article: https://www.eu-startups.com/2024/12/helsinki-based-arctic-instruments-raises-e2-35-million-to-advance-quantum-computing-amplifiers/
