C12 announces that it has recently raised €18 million ($19.4 million at current prices). Launched in 2020 as a spinoff from the Physics Laboratory of the École Normale Supérieure, the company has been working on a unique project to develop computers based on carbon nanotubes.
Although the concept of quantum computing is not new, it is still a work in progress. Many scientific groups have approached this issue in different ways. The goal is to create a quantum computer at a scale that can perform calculations with minimal errors.
But wait, why do we need quantum computers in the first place? Computers as they exist today are based on electronic transistors. And we’ve gotten really good at making transistors smaller so we can pack more into a single chip. As a result, computing power has advanced tremendously over the past 60 years.
And yet, modern computer design has its limitations. Even when companies start building data centers, some problems cannot be solved with traditional computers. It is also unclear whether Moore’s law will remain valid in the coming years.
This is where quantum computers can come in handy.
“If we want to create a model – a complete simulation of a drug – to know how a new drug will interact with our cells, it is not possible with conventional methods,” C12 founder and CEO Pierre Desjardins (pictured right). ) told TechCrunch.
“There are many optimization problems that need to be solved, whether in terms of transport, management or production. It is impossible to run on a normal computer because there will be many variables, many possible scenarios,” he continued.
Matthieu Desjardins, his brother, has a PhD in quantum physics and acts as the company’s CTO. At one point in our conversation, Pierre even called his brother a “scientist.”
And because it’s 2024, there’s also an AI aspect that should convince you that quantum computing research is important. “These days, teaching a big language also means using a lot of energy,” said Pierre. “And quantum is a form of computing that uses very little energy.”
How to build a quantum computer
C12 says the two main differences with other groups working on quantum computers are that they use different materials (carbon nanotubes) and have a manufacturing process (a patented nano-assembly process).
“Today, I think we are the only ones in the world who manage this unique method, which involves placing a carbon nanotube on top of a silicon chip. And the most interesting thing is its size. The length of a carbon nanotube is 10,000 times smaller than a human hair,” said Pierre .
Research groups that work for large companies such as Google, IBM or Amazon are currently looking for another way. Most of them are using advanced materials, such as aluminum, on top of a silicon substrate.
According to C12, this process has led to early development. However, using aluminum will not work on a large scale because of interference when you start adding more qubits. Although quantum is not yet mature, C12 is believed to work for next-generation computers compared to aluminum fabrication methods.
The company has set up its first production line in a basement near the Pantheon in Paris. At this point, they create carbon nanotubes, straighten those tubes and combine them with a silicon substrate.
“Now it’s going well. Today, we produce about one chip a week, which we test in a mini data center,” said Pierre. But don’t expect to see a quantum computer just yet. “We’re just proving the most important things,” he added. The company is focusing on chips with one or two qubits. for now.
Based on quantum
While the research and development work is progressing, the C12 team is also working on its business. Like many quantum companies, C12 has developed an emulator called Callisto. Emulators allow developers to write and run code on older computers.
They won’t get the results they can get with quantum computers, but they will be ready to hit the ground running when quantum computers are available.
“At the moment we are focusing on two sectors, the chemical industry and the energy industry. The chemical industry uses them based on their performance and the energy industry uses them mainly for optimization problems,” said Pierre. In particular, the startup has a partnership with Air Liquide.
And if we return to the investment sector, Varsity Capital, EIC Fund and Verve Ventures are investing; existing investors 360 Capital, Bpifrance’s Digital Venture fund and BNP Paribas Développement will also participate in the round.
There are 45 people from 18 different disciplines working at C12 today, including 22 PhDs. With the recently raised funds, C12 plans to sign more partnerships with industrial partners. But the company also has a research mission.
“Another goal is to perform, for the first time, a quantum operation between two qubits that are very far apart,” said Pierre. By long distance, they mean “tens of micrometers” from each other. That may not seem like much, but it will be key when it comes to developing quantum computing.
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