Highlights:

  • The PROQCIMA initiative aims to unveil a 128-logical-qubit demonstrator by 2030, with the goal of industrializing a 2048-logical-qubit system by 2035.
  • Alice & Bob’s technology effectively diminishes the primary obstacle in quantum development, which is error correction.

A quantum computing startup from France, Alice & Bob, has been selected for the PROQCIMA initiative, the national quantum computing program of France.

The Alice & Bob PROQCIMA selection process was conducted by the French Ministry for Armed Forces, with a total of five companies being selected.

The PROQCIMA initiative stands as a pivotal element within France’s National Strategy for Quantum, with the overarching goal of propelling the nation into a leading role within the quantum computing domain. With substantial funding of USD 548 million or Euros 500 million, the PROQCIMA initiative is structured to encourage both competition and cooperation among five chosen quantum computing startups, such as Alice & Bob, with the collective objective of advancing towards the creation of a universal, fault-tolerant quantum computer.

The roadmap of the PROQCIMA initiative outlines the objective of unveiling a demonstrator quantum computer featuring 128 logical qubits by 2030 while ultimately striving to industrialize a system with 2048 logical qubits by 2035. Operating within a competitive framework, the program systematically refines its participants over time, contingent upon their advancements and outcomes, thereby ensuring that only the most promising and innovative technologies advance further.

By enabling calculations that are currently impractical, quantum computing has the potential to increase computing power dramatically. This discovery could revolutionize entire industries and address complex issues that are presently unsolvable by traditional computers.

In addition to Alice & Bob PROQCIMA selection, the following French businesses PASQAL SAS, Quandela SAS, C12 Quantum Electronics SAS, and Quobly SAS were chosen to take part in the program. In a statement, Théau Peronnin, one of the Co-founders and the Chief Executive Officers of Alice & Bob, remarked, “This initiative will support establishing our global leadership and fueling the whole ecosystem’s growth.”

The technology developed by Alice & Bob effectively minimizes a major obstacle in quantum advancement: Error correction. Through their approach, the company provides “error-protected” cat qubits, which integrate error correction techniques to store quantum data across numerous particles, enhancing their resistance to environmental disruptions.

Cat qubits feature a hardware-efficient architecture that slashes the hardware demands for a fault-tolerant quantum computer by up to 60 times compared to alternative qubit technologies. The adoption of cat qubits is purported to drastically diminish the overhead required for quantum error correction, potentially leading to a 200-fold reduction in resources necessary for executing intricate quantum algorithms, such as those employed in code-breaking applications, when compared to other prevailing methods.

Alice & Bob is a startup backed by venture capital, securing around USD 33 million in funding. Among its investors are Elaia Partners SAS, Banque publique d’investissement, Supernova Invest SAS and Breega Capital SAS.