In a groundbreaking move, Oxford Quantum Circuits (OQC), a spinout from Oxford University's physics department, has recently unveiled Toshiko, a 32-qubit quantum computing services platform, accompanied by a substantial $100 million in Series B funding. This funding round, led by Japan's SBI Group's investment arm, marks a pivotal moment for OQC and the quantum computing industry at large.
World's First Enterprise-Ready Quantum Computing Platform
Toshiko is hailed as the "world's first enterprise-ready quantum computing platform." OQC is collaborating with industry giants such as Equinix, Nvidia, Amazon Web Service, and McKinsey to transcend the confines of the laboratory and propel quantum computing into practical applications, aiming for what they term "quantum advantage."
Quantum Advantage and Industry-Wide Collaboration
Quantum advantage represents a key milestone in quantum computing, signifying the point at which a quantum computer can solve a problem that traditional binary computers find insurmountable within a reasonable timeframe. While claims of quantum advantage have surfaced over the past decade, a consensus within the industry remains elusive.
OQC's strategic partnerships with Equinix, Nvidia, Amazon Web Service, and McKinsey underscore a collaborative effort to drive the integration of quantum computing into real-world scenarios. The involvement of Nvidia, a leader in GPU-accelerated supercomputing, exemplifies a commitment to seamlessly combine quantum capabilities with existing computing infrastructures.
Tim Costa, Director of HPC and Quantum at Nvidia, emphasized the importance of integrating quantum and classical computing: "Addressing the grand challenges of tomorrow requires the seamless integration of quantum with the GPU-accelerated supercomputing of today."
Series B Funding and Industry Records
In tandem with the Toshiko platform launch, OQC announced a remarkable $100 million Series B funding round. Led by SBI Investments, the round includes participation from Oxford Science Enterprises (OSE), University of Tokyo Edge Capital Partners (UTEC), Lansdowne Partners, and OTIF.
This significant funding not only underscores the confidence investors have in OQC's quantum computing endeavors but also sets a record in the United Kingdom's quantum computing startup history. OQC's Series A and Series B funding rounds have, collectively, represented the largest quantum computing startup funding in the UK to date, totaling approximately $143 million.
As OQC pushes the boundaries of quantum computing, their visionary approach positions them as key players in the race towards achieving quantum advantage and ushering in a new era of computational possibilities. This recent funding injection is poised to propel OQC's groundbreaking work, solidifying its position at the forefront of the quantum computing revolution.
