TuringQ, China's First Optical Quantum Computing Company, Closes Angel Funding Round of Nearly 100 Million RMB

Author:TuringQ，Published:2021.05.07，Last Edited:2021.05.07

TuringQ, China's first optical quantum chip and optical quantum computer company, recently announced that it has completed an angel round of funding of nearly RMB 100 million, led by Legend Star and followed by CSC Shen Guang, Qianhai Fund, Yuanlai Capital and Xiaomiao Longcheng. This round of funding will be used for the development of optical quantum computing chips and optical quantum computers.

TuringQ originated from the Integrated Quantum Information Technology Research Center of Shanghai Jiaotong University, and the research team has been working in the fields of optical quantum information and photonic chips for more than ten years, with profound technical accumulation and outstanding achievements. The industrialisation team also brings together scholars and engineers from top universities at home and abroad, including Oxford University, University of Sheffield, Imperial College, University of California, Berkeley, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Tsinghua University and Chinese Academy of Sciences.

As integrated circuit technology gradually approaches its atomic limits, quantum computing is considered the most promising game-breaker in the post-Moore era. Compared to classical electronic computers, quantum computing can provide exponential increases in computing power, thus breaking the bottleneck of computing power in increasingly complex financial modeling, biomedicine, materials design and artificial intelligence.

"At its inception, TuringQ set the long-term goal of developing a general-purpose quantum computer. The team believes that there are three prerequisites for a universal quantum computer - the ability to manipulate millions of quantum bits, low environmental requirements, and high integration. The optical quantum path is the only technology system that can meet these conditions, and is the most feasible path to large-scale general-purpose quantum computing. It is worth noting that PsiQ, the highest-funded Silicon Valley startup in the quantum computing industry, has also adopted the optical quantum technology path.

A general-purpose quantum computer must have millions of quantum bits and be able to manipulate and automatically correct errors. Optical quanta meet this requirement with their long coherence time, entanglement and high stability. In particular, optical quanta can act at room temperature without the need for ultra-low temperature, large-scale extreme cooling equipment, establishing the basis for their wide and versatile application. At the same time, universal quantum computing schemes based on graph and cluster states also provide proven theoretical support for the light quantum technology route.

On the other hand, the TuringQ team believes that a high degree of integration is also a prerequisite for the realisation of universal quantum computing. The implementation of quantum computing cannot be separated from existing large-scale semiconductor processes. By following the mature CMOS semiconductor process, optical quantum chips can be produced and prepared on a large scale. Rapid trial and error and iterations based on photonic chips provide the basis for technology maturity and low-cost manufacturing.

TuringQ has already acquired the international leading R&D capability of optical quantum chips. After years of accumulation and self-reliance, the team has mastered the core technology and process of 3D and ultra-high-speed photonic chips with independent intellectual property rights, and can complete the whole chain of research and development of optical quantum computing chips from design and flow, to packaging and testing, and then to system integration and quantum algorithm implementation. At present, a large number of quantum algorithm kernels have been implemented on optical quantum computing chips.

Professor Jin Xianmin, the founder of TuringQ, graduated from the University of Science and Technology of China with a PhD and spent four years at the University of Oxford researching and developing optical quantum chips and quantum computing, during which time he was awarded both a Marie Curie Scholar by the European Union and a Wolfson College Scholar by the University of Oxford. Since his return to China, Prof.Jin Xianmin has established a research team on photonic integration and quantum information, dedicated to the research and development of chip-based integration of quantum information technology, and led the team to publish dozens of high-impact articles in top journals such as Nature, Science subjournals and Physical Review Letters, etc. The research results were selected as one of the top ten advances in optics in China in 2018 and Top 10 Industrial Technologies in Optics in China 2018.

Professor Jin Xianmin said: the industrialization of quantum computing should focus on industrial applications, respect the market and pay attention to laying eggs along the way. As quantum computing technology and optical quantum integration capabilities continue to evolve, hybrid optical quantum computing architectures, photonic computing, and artificial intelligence photonic processors will show great power. "TuringQ will continue to work on the field of optical quantum computing under the leadership of the industry's leading R&D team, and strive to promote and lead the practicalization and industrialization of optical quantum computing.

Zhang Long, Deputy Director of the Shanghai Institute of Optical Precision Machinery, Chinese Academy of Sciences, said: "Both photonic chips and quantum computing are major strategic directions in the medium and long-term national layout, and TuringQ is one of the few teams that have fully mastered both technologies independently. In my opinion, on the track of science and technology innovation industry, if we dare to change lanes and overtake, and at the same time insist on independent research and development of high-end chips, we will certainly be able to give rise to future industrial breakthroughs and become an important force in China's strategic emerging industries.

Gao Tianyao, Partner of Legend Star, said: "Quantum computing is a major disruptive technological innovation that impacts and reconstructs the traditional computing system, and is a key technology related to national strategy, and is also a must-compete place for all countries. China has a number of world-class players in the field of quantum information, and the TuringQ team is undoubtedly one of the best representatives. The introduction of capital will fully accelerate the process of moving from research to industry, which will certainly have a profound impact on various industries such as medicine, finance, chemistry and meteorology. Legend Star has always maintained a great curiosity and imagination for forward-looking technologies, the future is promising!