Paris-based C12 Quantum Electronics raises €8.2M to develop its “unique quantum computing technology”

Paris-based C12 Quantum Electronics builds quantum processors powered by the most elementary material. It claims that its processors will solve highly complex problems for the industry – beyond the reach of any classical supercomputer.

C12 Quantum Electronics raises Seed fund

In a recent development, the company announced it has raised $10M (approx €8.2M) in its Seed round of funding led by 360 Capital, alongside bpifrance (Digital Venture Fund), Airbus Ventures, BNP Paribas Développement, and renowned BAs including Octave Klaba (founder of OVHCloud). In addition, grants were also provided from Bpifrance and the Ile-de-France Region.

Nader Sabbaghian, General Partner at 360 Capital, says, “We believe C12 Quantum Electronics has a real chance to overcome the significant productisation challenges that have held back the revolutionary promise of Quantum Computing.”

Use of the capital

According to the company’s twin founders Matthieu and Pierre Desjardins, “This round will help accelerate the development of the company’s unique quantum computing technology. The groundbreaking innovation of C12 Quantum Electronics uniquely uses carbon nanotubes as the fundamental building blocks of its quantum processor. The company’s high-purity material minimises errors and radically improves performance. Our quantum processor will have an unlimited range of applications, from optimising transportation and logistics to transforming healthcare.”

The proceeds from this round will help the company to expand its team with tech developers and engineers. In addition, the funds will also enable the company to establish a high-tech pilot production line, as a step towards the commercialisation of the technology. 

Building upon the achievement of these first milestones, the startup aims to grow a range of quantum accelerators ready to be integrated into classical supercomputers, as well as design application-specific processors within the next five years, for example for optimisation and quantum chemistry needs.

Quantum computing with carbon nanotubes

The company was founded in January 2020 by Matthieu and Pierre Desjardins, alongside scientists – Takis Kontos, Matthieu Delbecq and Jérémie Viennot.

C12 Quantum Electronics develops reliable quantum processors with carbon nanotubes to speed up highly complex computing tasks with the help of a know-how developed at CNRS and the Physics Laboratory of the Ecole Normale Supérieure in Paris. The startup’s technology reduces drastically the error rate, making the platform a prime candidate for noisy intermediate-scale quantum applications.

C12 Quantum Electronics’ Technology

The quantum industry is still looking for the perfect quantum bit, the core of a quantum processor. Defects in the qubit material limit the fidelity of quantum operations and the ability to have reproducible, large-scale production.

At C12 Quantum Electronics, a qubit, the fundamental functional unit of a quantum computer, is built from an ultra-pure carbon nanotube, suspended above a silicon chip containing control electrodes and a quantum communication bus. Its carbon nanotubes are composed of isotopically purified 12C carbon atoms, which have zero nuclear spin, thus minimising qubit decoherence.

According to the founders, “The quantum industry is still looking for the “ideal qubit,” and there is a notable consensus across the scientific community that material science breakthroughs will be needed to build a scalable quantum computer. Carbon nanotubes will help scale quantum computing, in the vein of what silicon meant for classical computing. The continuing evolution of materials will help cultivate the emergence of this new industry.”