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Quantum Leaders Tell Ft Quantum Computing Race Enters Final Stretch

Bonisiwe Shabane
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quantum leaders tell ft quantum computing race enters final stretch

Tech giants claims that the decades-long race to build a workable quantum computer may finally be entering its home stretch. A series of recent breakthroughs has convinced industry leaders Google and IBM that full-scale, industrial-grade quantum machines could be within reach before 2030. In June, IBM became the latest to claim a clear path to the prize, unveiling a new blueprint that it says fills in critical gaps left in earlier designs. The company believes its quantum computers could solve problems far beyond the reach of today's classical machines, with potential applications in fields such as AI and materials science. "It doesn't feel like a dream anymore," Jay Gambetta, head of IBM's quantum initiative, told the FT. "I really do feel like we've cracked the code and we'll be able to build this machine by the end of the decade."

Quantum technology is no longer a fantasy from the future. By the end of 2025, it will be a reality and swiftly expanding. From governments to tech behemoths, everyone wants to lead this race. Quantum computing is quite strong. It answers difficult problems faster than ordinary computers. It can be useful in medicine, weather prediction, finance, and defense.

Experts estimate that the quantum market will be valued at over $40 billion in 2025, double its size two years ago. The USA remains the top player. Well-known companies, including Intel, Google, and IBM, are moving aggressively. Currently providing a 1,000-qubit system, IBM wants to reach 10,000 qubits by 2029. Google's Sycamore chip also made major news after solving a problem in seconds that would take a conventional computer 10,000 years. The U.S.

government supports quantum initiatives as well. It committed more than $1.4 billion to national quantum research by 2025. China comes second. It runs the biggest quantum communication network and created the first quantum satellite in the world. Early 2025 saw the emergence of Baidu, a Chinese tech company with its quantum cloud platform. According to experts, China is the leader in quantum encryption and communication.

This country's government supports this. It has invested over $10 billion in a national quantum lab. It’s been an interesting week -- but relatively quiet compared to previous stretches -- in the quantum world. Pretty typical of the end-of-summer stretch. But one thing that crossed our desks -- and raised a few eyebrows around the virtual office -- is reporting from the Financial Times that both IBM and Google continue to express confidence they... We expect companies to be excited about both their prospects and the products, but something about Google and IBM 's willingness to go on the record with these predictions.

Both companies are leaders in quantum research and development -- and often lean more toward the conservative side in these pronouncements. I would be remiss to leave out that the AWS representative in the article sounded much more cautious, stretching useful quantum computing into the 15 to 20 years away range. (A breakdown of the story and links are below.) Some other news that speaks to the growing power of quantum in an investment sense: Serendipity Capital saw a 31.6% rise in net asset value per share in the first half of 2025. The VC firm said that is largely due to strong performance from Quantinuum . Serendipity also called out Quantinuum's major technical achievements in computational power and error correction.

Not in the firm's report, but I think Quantinuum's pioneering work in topological quantum computing is worth a mention, too. This has been a hot summer for quantum. The temps keep rising. Aug. 31– Sept. 5 -- IEEE Quantum Week 2025 will be held in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Daily stocks & crypto headlines, free to your inbox By continuing, I agree to the Market Data Terms of Service and Privacy Statement The race toward scalable quantum computing has reached a pivotal moment, with major players like Microsoft, Google, and IBM pushing forward with breakthroughs. Microsoft's recent announcement of its Majorana 1 chip marks a significant milestone, while Google’s Willow chip and IBM’s long-term quantum roadmap illustrate the industry’s diverse approaches to achieving fault-tolerant quantum systems. As the quantum computing industry debates the timeline for practical implementation, breakthroughs like Majorana 1 and Willow suggest that major advancements may be closer than previously thought. At the same time, skepticism remains, with industry leaders such as Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang cautioning that meaningful commercial quantum applications could still be decades away.

Microsoft is redefining quantum computing with its new Majorana 1 chip, a significant breakthrough in the pursuit of scalable and fault-tolerant quantum systems. This quantum processor is built on a novel topological architecture that integrates Majorana particles, exotic quantum states that enhance qubit stability and reduce errors. Unlike conventional qubit technologies, which require extensive error correction, Microsoft’s approach aims to build fault tolerance directly into the hardware, significantly improving the feasibility of large-scale quantum computing. Satya Nadella, Microsoft’s CEO, highlighted the significance of this milestone in his LinkedIn post, "We’ve created an entirely new state of matter, powered by a new class of materials, topoconductors. This fundamental leap in computing enables the first quantum processing unit built on a topological core. The path to a million-qubit processor is now within reach—bringing us closer to solving problems beyond the capabilities of classical computing." Despite Microsoft’s claims, there have been questions on the validity of its breakthrough.

According to Chetan Nayak, Microsoft Technical Fellow, "We needed to rethink the quantum transistor to ensure stability at scale—this approach provides a clear roadmap for reaching a commercially viable quantum system." Google has been also making strides in the quantum computing landscape. Google recently introduced its Willow chip, designed to exponentially reduce errors as more qubits are added. The company claims that Willow has achieved two major breakthroughs. First, by leveraging advanced error correction, Willow can significantly lower error rates as the system scales, addressing a challenge the field has pursued for nearly 30 years. Second, in benchmarking tests, Willow performed a computation in under five minutes that would take one of today’s fastest supercomputers an estimated 10 septillion years.

Both Microsoft and Google’s recent advancements illustrate the industry’s drive toward scalable quantum architectures. However, they are not the only big technology companies pioneering this field. IBM has maintained its leadership in quantum computing through superconducting transmon qubits and strategic advancements in error correction. In a recent interview with TIME, IBM CEO Arvind Krishna underscored his long-term commitment to quantum computing, stating, "We picked quantum as an area for investment more than 10 years ago. We came to the conclusion that it's an engineering problem more than it's a science problem.” Quantum computing is ushering in a new era of computational power, with the potential to solve complex problems far beyond the capabilities of classical computers.

Unlike traditional systems that use bits, quantum computers leverage qubits, enabling them to process vast amounts of information simultaneously. This technology promises breakthroughs in fields ranging from drug discovery to financial modeling and cryptography. To understand the future of this technology, exploring the future of artificial intelligence is essential, as it will play a significant role in shaping quantum advancements. Several technology leaders are vying for supremacy in the quantum arena, each with distinct approaches and milestones: IBM: Known for its IBM Quantum System One, the company has made significant progress in quantum volume, a metric that measures the overall capability of a quantum computer. IBM’s cloud-based quantum platform allows developers worldwide to experiment with quantum algorithms.

Google: In 2019, Google claimed to have achieved quantum supremacy with its 53-qubit Sycamore processor, completing a specific task in 200 seconds that would take a classical supercomputer approximately 10,000 years. Microsoft: Through its Azure Quantum initiative, Microsoft is pursuing a unique path with topological qubits, which could potentially offer more stable quantum operations. The company is also developing a full-stack quantum ecosystem, including software tools and frameworks. What does the future look like for quantum computing? Harmut Neven (Google Quantum AI), Dr Jeremy O’Brien (PsiQuantum), Dr Théau Peronnin (Alice & Bob) and more tech leaders discussed quantum applications at FF Global 2025. The development roadmap for quantum computing is well underway.

Error correction has significantly improved, quantum companies are maturing, acquisitions are up, and we’re anticipating a quantum-driven breakthrough in practical applications like fusion energy and medical treatments by 2040. Quantum experts at Founders Forum Global highlighted a particular advancement in quantum capabilities in the last 12 months, especially in Europe, as the sector enters the steep part of its growth phase. The rise of quantum computing will enable operations impossible for classical computers, creating the potential for huge tech breakthroughs in the next few decades. Quantum computers could generate physics-based training data for AI systems, creating a complementary relationship between AI and quantum, which could be revolutionary. Read on to uncover the key insights from Inside FF. HQ: Gilching, GermanyStage: Series CTotal Funding: €310mFFs Attended: 2

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