Image Credit: Qubitcore
Specializing in quantum computing, Qubitcore announced on July 15 that it has completed a pre-seed funding round led by OIST Lifetime Ventures Fund (General Partner: Lifetime Ventures LLC). Although the amount raised is undisclosed, the company has stated that the funds will be allocated towards the research and development and commercialization of its ion-trap-based distributed quantum computing system.
Qubitcore is a startup established in July 2024 with the aim of commercializing research outcomes from the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST). The company proposes a distributed architecture that incorporates optical resonators into a trap structure that confines ions as qubits, connecting multiple modules via optical fibers. This approach aims to achieve both high-precision quantum computation and scalability, targeting a fault-tolerant universal quantum computer (FTQC).
The company’s technology is characterized by its ability to interconnect quantum processing units (QPUs) for each module via an optical network, enabling high-speed and highly reliable remote quantum entanglement. According to the release, this design philosophy addresses the scalability challenges faced by existing ion-trap methods and is seen as a differentiating factor from competitors, with a vision to scale beyond 1,000 qubits.
The funds raised will be invested in the prototyping of ion traps with built-in micro-optical resonators, demonstration of photonic links, research and development of efficient quantum error correction, and the initial design and control system development of a quantum computing service platform.
The roadmap outlines the release of a first-generation machine to verify error correction in 2028, a second-generation machine capable of natural expansion beyond 1,000 qubits in 2029, and commercial operation by 2030.
via PR TIMES