Quantware started designing and developing scaling architectures for quantum processors five years ago and now has customers in 22 countries. In terms of volume, the former startup from the Quantum Delta NL incubator is the largest in the world in this field. The company was recently nominated for the Tech Hero Award. “We are less well known than we probably should be,” says CEO Matthijs Rijlaarsdam.

What is your USP? What do you add to what already exists?
“Quantware creates scaling architectures for quantum processors using a technology we call VIO. You could think of it as advanced 3D packaging. In other words, we make quantum chip modules, and we can connect those modules. This will soon enable us to make very large quantum processors. And that’s important, because today’s processors are not yet powerful enough to do things that the world’s largest supercomputer cannot do. With more than ten thousand qubits, they will be. We are creating the technology that solves that problem.”

“What everyone is doing now is networking quantum computers in very large server rooms. With classical computing, that’s OK; that’s how AI clusters are built today. You do have a certain overhead, but it’s constant, so you can afford it. But in quantum computing, the computing power scales exponentially. Those network connections have about two orders of magnitude lower bandwidth and are lossier, so they generate more errors. That results in exponentially less computing power. VIO, on the other hand, provides exponentially more computing power per euro per watt – very important in this value chain.”

“We market our technology along three verticals. The first is processors designed by us, where we are an integrated device manufacturer (IDM). We design and manufacture quantum chips, and VIO allows us to make much larger processors than others. The second vertical is foundry services, where we are a kind of TSMC. We manufacture customers’ designs, and VIO allows customers to have much larger chips produced by us than anywhere else. The third vertical is packaging services, where we package customers’ quantum chips in VIO, enabling them to scale up faster.”

“We created this market. Our business model is superior, which is why we now hold a significant market share. Making the best product is all about volumes, so if we can continue to scale up and maintain our market share… We are already seeing more and more quantum computers being built with what we call quantum open architecture: there are more and more system integrators who do not manufacture the chip themselves. That is simply becoming the dominant model. Thus, we are naturally extremely well-positioned.”

“We have much larger volumes than the big tech companies that do it vertically integrated, exclusively for their own computers. And when you have higher volumes, you have lower costs, more customer feedback, and a better product. In some product categories, we now control virtually the entire market. Because we sell our technology to everyone and don’t just keep it for ourselves, we can make a much better product.”

What is the biggest challenge you are facing?
“We are growing incredibly fast. And that’s great, but also very difficult. Talent is really a bottleneck. We now have sixteen nationalities working for our company and need to attract a significant number of international talent to the Netherlands. With the current regulations, that’s not easy. But some of the best PhDs in the world work for us, partly because of the reputation of the people we have in the field and partly because of the technology and our mission.”

“Scaling up requires talent, financing, and electricity — which requires choices to be made in The Hague”

“Another thing we’re running into is [a lack of] electrical capacity and permits. We’re currently building a chip factory here in Delft. It will come online next year. But in the next phase, we’ll need a larger chip factory. I would very much like to make that happen in the Netherlands. We make highly sensitive technology. We have a control point in the value chain. We design and manufacture one of the most difficult parts. And within that, we have another piece of technology that is essential for [achieving] more computing power.”

“For that next factory, we need people, sufficient electrical capacity, and financing. Those three things can be resolved within the necessary timeframe. But to do so, political decisions must be made now. A significant amount of tax money has been invested in developing advanced technology here. The Netherlands should reap the benefits of that. And for that, you need scale.”

“Building a chip factory is a three-year project, and after that, you have ten years of production in that factory. So you have to devise a policy for more than ten years. And you need stability in terms of rules to attract international talent. Then, an ecosystem can develop. It’s not a case of: ‘Here’s 10 billion, go ahead and do it.’ Consistency in policy is critical. And so far, the Dutch government has done this very well for quantum technology.”

“QuTech was founded ten years ago. Consistent funding has been provided, which has attracted all kinds of international talent to the Netherlands. The world’s best people are here in Delft. After that, Quantum Delta NL was established, a national growth fund that stimulated the early phase of the ecosystem. We have benefited incredibly from this. But now the time has come for the Netherlands to start earning a return on those investments, and that requires scaling up. And to scale up, you need talent, financing, and electricity – which requires choices to be made in The Hague.”

What are you proud of?
“I think two things about my work are really cool. The first is the visible impact we are making. We are changing the industry by making quantum computers much cheaper, easier, and better. We have now delivered the chip for the first quantum computer to six countries.”

“Furthermore, the team we have built is truly exceptional. I get to work with people who have experienced extraordinary things and are forward-thinking in their field. And I learn a lot from that. We have professors working with us who can explain to non-technical people, or non-physicists like me, why a superconducting quantum computer works the way it does. That’s just incredibly fun.”

Image: CTO Alessandro Bruno & CEO Matthijs Rijlaarsdam, founders of Quantware. Photography: Rebekka Mell