We are about to enter the Year of Quantum

2025 is expected to be a bumper year for quantum technologies and has been declared the United Nations’ International Year of Quantum Science and Technology.

The question on everyone’s mind is not whether quantum will matter, but how it will reshape science, technology, and society. This shift from faith in quantum’s potential to conviction in its impact has been driven by recent advancements.

The announcements in the last month, from global players such as Infineon, Microsoft, IBM, and NVIDIA reveal a core theme: the integration of quantum computers with classical supercomputing power is set to revolutionize fields like Generative AI (GenAI) and drive real, measurable scientific breakthroughs.

It’s an exciting time, as the quantum technology sector gains significant traction, with global public investments exceeding €40 billion and venture investments already surpassing 2023 levels. Quantum is increasingly identified as a critically important field of technology.

Recent developments highlight the growing importance of quantum technologies:

The Draghi Report emphasized the critical importance of frontier technologies for Europe's competitiveness, and the European Commission’s new Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy has specifically stressed the importance of quantum technology. This aligns perfectly with our fund's focus on quantum and deep tech investments. 

There have been hints at a possible ‘Quantum Chips Act’ in the EU, which would be a significant step forward. For reference, the 2022 US CHIPS Act has allocated $33 billion in semicon less than 3 years, and is said to have sparked $450 billion in private investments. The 2023 EU Chips Act is a $45 billion package of public and private investments.

Meanwhile, the UK has recently opened its National Quantum Computing Centre, which will house 12 quantum computers with the goal of pushing the boundaries of what the technology can do, and Taiwan bought a quantum computer from IQM. 

Just last week, U.S. Senators have introduced introduced a National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act to Secure Quantum Leadership with a $2.7 Billion Investment.

The race for quantum supremacy is becoming global. Similarly, our portfolio, currently centered on Dutch companies, is poised for global expansion. We're setting our sights on investing in world-leading quantum technology firms, leveraging our team's international presence across Amsterdam, London, and the United States.

Quantum momentum

Although the year is ending, quantum activity has not slowed down, with important headlines making the news: 

• The latest research from Google DeepMind, Microsoft, and NVIDIA shows that the big tech companies are starting to seriously collaborate with quantum startups, with impressive results, especially at the intersection of quantum and AI.

• Denmark has opened the Gefion supercomputing centre in Copenhagen, run by Nadia Carlsten, Special Advisor to QDNL Participations. It is home to Denmark’s first AI supercomputer, built in collaboration with NVIDIA, with the aim of achieving breakthroughs in quantum computing performance.

• Amsterdam has been chosen as home to the seventh EuroHPC quantum computer in Europe, joining others in Czechia, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, and Poland

At QDNL Participations, we’ve been preparing for this opportunity. We’ve expanded our team as we gear up to make investments in the best quantum startups across the world.

Here comes the new QDNLP Fund

Our existing portfolio, is showing considerable traction, with one or our portfolio companies securing a €25M term sheet. Here are some of the latest updates:

• Deloitte chose both QuantWare and Qblox to join its Fast 50 2024 list

• NVIDIA chose Fermioniq as the first third-party tensor network emulation product on its CUDA-Q platform

• IQM is the first customer for the new flagship product from OrangeQS. OrangeQS Max can automate testing of multiple 100+ qubit chips at the press of a button.

• Q*Bird has successfully installed another quantum network, this time in Utrecht, in collaboration with SURF and Quantum Delta NL. This follows its large-scale implementation at the Port of Rotterdam.

Team news

• Nadia Carlsten: Our Special Advisor, Nadia Carlsten, is now CEO at Gefion, overseeing Denmark's first AI supercomputer.

• Kris Kaczmarek: Our London-based Investment Director has joined the Advisory Group of Deep Tech Lab - Quantum, a leading early-stage quantum incubator programme in Denmark, funded by Novo Nordisk.

• Ton van 't Noordende: Ton is heading to Silicon Valley and the Q2B San Francisco conference tomorrow, where he will be moderating a plenary panel featuring four of our portfolio companies.

We're more excited than ever about the future of quantum technology and its potential to reshape industries. Our portfolio companies are at the forefront of this revolution, and we're committed to supporting their growth and innovation.

Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to expand our global footprint and invest in the quantum leaders of tomorrow.