Diraq pushing its quantum computer to the cloud amid commercialisation race

The Sydney startup will setup a basic quantum computer in an Equinix data centre by October, it said on Tuesday, as it moves to commercialise a technology that’s been in R&D phase for decades.

Key Takeaways

• Diraq, an NRFC-backed Sydney quantum computing startup, will install a prototype quantum computer within an Equinix data centre by October.
• Though the quantum unit will not come close to the horsepower needed for commercial tasks, it will seek to prove the nascent technology can function within existing data centre infrastructure.
• Diraq will test how its quantum computer operates in a live commercial data centre and experiment with fusing quantum and AI technologies.
• The startup’s quantum chips are designed to be manufactured in the same foundries that produce the processors that power phones and laptops, unlike competitors which require specialised manufacturing methods.
• Diraq has said it’s aiming to have a fully realised quantum computer up and running by 2031, with an earlier version ready to market by 2029.
• It signed a letter of intent with the US Department of Commerce worth up to US$38 million, and is part of a Defence program that could see it net hundreds of millions in funding.