India's Quanfluence raises $10m to build a full-stack photonic quantum computer

[Rosie_81]

Bengaluru based Quanfluence has raised 10 million dollars to build a full stack photonic quantum computer combining its own photonic chips, control electronics and software, The Quantum Insider reports. Chiratae Ventures led the round, with Pi Ventures, which led the 2024 seed round, returning and Rainmatter by Zerodha joining. The company's roadmap targets early processors by 2027 and larger, scalable machines by 2029

Since its last raise, Quanfluence has designed and made multiple photonic and electronic integrated circuits, developed low loss connections between chips and optical fibre and demonstrated quantum states of light. Its photonic Ising machine, a device for solving optimisation problems, is already a product. The company was founded in 2021, is incubated at IIT Madras, and three of its founders previously built a chip company that Synopsys acquired

Chief executive Sujoy Chakravarty said: "Our goal at Quanfluence has never been to build a better experiment." Venkatesh Peddi of Chiratae said: "Quantum Computing is at an inflection point and we believe photonics is amongst the most credible routes." Rainmatter's Abhinav Singh Negi described it as "a hardware-first, patent-backed bet on India's deep-tech future"

India has been building its quantum sector steadily, with a national quantum mission and this week's free space QKD demonstration. Ten million dollars is small by global standards, where photonic leaders like PsiQuantum have raised billions. But having founders with a track record of building and selling a chip company gives Quanfluence credibility. The 2027 and 2029 targets will be worth watching

Can a company with 10 million dollars compete in photonic quantum computing? And is India becoming a serious quantum player?

Quanfluence Raises $10 Million to Build Photonic Quantum Computerthequantuminsider.com

[Niamh_52]

A product already on sale is a good sign. Many quantum startups have nothing to sell for years

Revenue from the Ising machine, however small, helps. Even modest revenue gives a startup credibility with customers and future investors

[Rory93]

Founders who already sold a chip company to Synopsys is the key detail. They know how to take a design to a product. That counts for more than the size of the round. Investors back people first and technology second. That track record will have mattered a lot

[Iconic52]

Ten million is tiny compared with PsiQuantum, but it goes much further in Bengaluru than in Silicon Valley. Salaries and costs are lower. They can achieve a lot with it. Indian engineering talent is world class and far cheaper to hire than in the US

[Slay40]

2029 for a scalable machine seems ambitious. But plenty of bigger companies have similar dates, so they are in good company

Nearly every quantum roadmap points to the end of the decade. We will find out soon enough who was realistic