Yash Minhas
Quantum computing іs seen as a breakthrough technology that could solve problems beyond the capabilities оf classical computers, with applications іn medicine, cybersecurity, materials science, and chemistry. However, challenges like creating reliable chips for large numbers оf qubits need tо be addressed first. Tech giants like Google and Microsoft are leading the charge, but startups are also crucial, particularly іn tackling issues like connectivity and error correction. Smaller companies, by rethinking chip designs, may achieve equally promising results as Big Tech projects.
Top quantum chip players to watch:
Akhetonics
A German startup focusing on a fully optical, general-purpose chip, raising €6 million in seed funding (November 2024).
Alice & Bob
A French startup developing a fault-tolerant quantum computer with cat qubits, raising $104 million in Series B funding (January 2025).
Amazon
Entered the quantum chip race in 2025 with the Ocelot chip developed in partnership with Caltech.
D-Wave
A quantum computing company with the Advantage2 prototype, using quantum annealing for finding stable configurations.
Launched Willow, a breakthrough quantum computing chip, focused on quantum error correction (December 2024).
IBM
Developing quantum chips like Condor (1,121 qubits) and Heron (156 qubits) to scale and reduce error rates.
IonQ
A leader in trapped-ion quantum computers, known for its innovative IonQ Forte system.
Microsoft
Unveiled Majorana, a quantum chip based on topological architecture, with plans to build a quantum supercomputer (February 2025).
PsiQuantum
A startup using photonics technology to build a quantum computer with 1 million qubits, raising $450 million in Series D (2021).
Rigetti Computing
Focused on superconducting quantum technology, with products like Ankaa-3 and the upcoming 336-qubit Lyra system, and a partnership with Quanta Computer (February 2025).
These companies are actively working on quantum chip development, each bringing unique approaches and strategies, making their projects worth following.
