Q&A: Xanadu’s Christian Weedbrook on why quantum ought to be a national defence priority
Essential brief
Toronto-based quantum computing firm Xanadu is preparing to go public at the end of this quarter in a $3.6-billion USD special purpose acquisition compa
Key facts
Highlights
Why it matters
Toronto-based quantum computing firm Xanadu is preparing to go public at the end of this quarter in a $3.6-billion USD special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) deal that could make it the first Canadian technology business to debut on the TSX in more than four years. Eventually, quantum computers will be able to break current encryption standards, which makes quantum-safe systems a national security priority. Quantum technology has been generating significant interest among public market investors lately, and cou...
Toronto-based quantum computing firm Xanadu is preparing to go public at the end of this quarter in a $3.6-billion USD special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) deal that could make it the first Canadian technology business to debut on the TSX in more than four years.
Eventually, quantum computers will be able to break current encryption standards, which makes quantum-safe systems a national security priority.
Quantum technology has been generating significant interest among public market investors lately, and could have a significant impact on Canada’s big defence ambitions —as evidenced by Xanadu’s participation in major quantum research programs in both Canada and the United States .
That work and Xanadu’s ongoing efforts to build a quantum data centre by 2029 have made founder and CEO Christian Weedbrook a busy man.
BetaKit reporter Josh Scott caught up with Weedbrook to unpack whether he thinks Xanadu and fellow Canadian deep tech startup General Fusion are part of an emerging SPAC trend, the status of his data centre dreams, why he believes quantum ought to be a national defence priority, and how he plans to ensure Xanadu remains headquartered in Canada amid ever-present pressure to move to the US.
The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Why should the average person care about quantum computing?
Walk me through the impact quantum computers might have on our day-to-day lives.
Often in quantum, the industry talks about fields such as pharmaceuticals.
For instance, drug discovery.
Material design and quantum chemistry is another—an example there would be electric vehicles, batteries.
Also, finance, AI, and so forth.
They’re the big buckets of industry that quantum will have huge impacts on.
Having new drugs that can solve previously unsolvable diseases is a key one.
The average person can expect drugs now much faster to the market.
That’s a big, big, big hope with quantum computing.
New, better batteries for electric vehicles and for phones … those are some of the examples.
How far away do you think we actually are from scalable and useful quantum computers?