Shenzhen-based quantum computing startup SpinQ plans to deliver a 100-qubit quantum computer by the end of 2025, according to founder and CEO Xiang Jingen.

Founded in 2018, SpinQ specializes in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) quantum computers for education and superconducting quantum computers for industrial use.

Xiang noted that quantum computing is still in its early stages, likening its current state to the semiconductor industry in the 1950s.

He highlighted that reaching around 500 qubits is crucial for practical applications in various fields.

The company has sold its products to over 50 countries, including quantum chips and software.

In 2020, SpinQ launched the world’s first programmable desktop NMR quantum computer.

In 2023, it became the first Chinese company to export a superconducting quantum chip to the Middle East.

🔗 Source: South China Morning Post

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ Quantum computing’s semiconductor-like evolution path

SpinQ CEO Xiang Jingen’s comparison of today’s quantum computing to 1950s semiconductors provides a historical parallel for understanding this emerging technology’s trajectory.

The semiconductor industry required decades to evolve from early transistors to the integrated circuits that eventually enabled the personal computing revolution and today’s smartphone-centered economy.

Similarly, quantum computing appears to be following a developmental arc where educational applications precede industrial ones. SpinQ’s business model illustrates this with their dual product lines of simple 3-qubit systems for education and more complex 20-qubit systems for industry.

The company’s focus on R&D over immediate profitability mirrors the early semiconductor era’s extended investment phase, when foundational technology development took precedence over quick returns.

Xiang’s prediction of a 3-5 year timeline to practical applications with 500-qubit systems suggests quantum computing might compress the decades-long semiconductor evolution timeline, potentially reaching practical utility faster than previous technological revolutions.

2️⃣ Quantum computing as a strategic national priority