Xanadu Selected for Canada’s Quantum Champions Program

Insider Brief

• Xanadu has been selected for Canada’s new Canadian Quantum Champions Program and will receive up to CAD $23 million in Phase 1 funding to support development toward fault-tolerant quantum computing.
• The program is led by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, with technical validation and benchmarking conducted by the National Research Council of Canada.
• Xanadu’s photonic, room-temperature quantum computing architecture will be assessed as part of a multi-phase, merit-based national initiative.

PRESS RELEASE — Xanadu Quantum Technologies Inc. (“Xanadu”), a leading photonic quantum computing company, today announced that it has been selected to participate in the Canadian Quantum Champions Program (CQCP), a new, first-of-its-kind federal initiative designed to accelerate the development of fault-tolerant quantum computing capabilities in Canada and anchor the country’s quantum leadership for the long term.

Led by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED), with technical due diligence undertaken by the National Research Council of Canada (NRC), the CQCP is a three-phase, merit-based funding program. Phase 1, which begins the technical validation and benchmarking process, is launching now, with subsequent phases currently under development.

As part of Phase 1, Xanadu will receive up to CAD $23 million in funding from ISED to support its ongoing mission to build quantum computers that are useful and available to people everywhere.

“This is an important moment for quantum computing in Canada. At Xanadu, we aim to harness quantum computing to tackle problems that are beyond the reach of today’s computers and unlock transformative solutions for science, industry, and society,” said Christian Weedbrook, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Xanadu. “We’re proud to be selected for this initiative and look forward to working together to advance the future of quantum computing.”

As a part of the CQCP, the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) will establish the Benchmarking Quantum Platforms (BQP) initiative to undertake the expert assessment of the underlying quantum technologies working closely with the companies. This initiative will use an interdisciplinary, science-based approach to assess each company’s technical progress.

“Canada’s investment in the Canadian Quantum Champion Program is a bold step to anchor our world-class talent and companies here at home, helping drive innovation in a field that will transform our economy and daily lives,” says the Honourable Evan Solomon, Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario. “By strengthening our quantum ecosystem, we are building long-term economic resilience while ensuring Canada’s leadership in science and technology benefits all Canadians.”

Xanadu’s photonic quantum computing architecture offers distinct advantages over other quantum systems, including minimal cooling requirements due to room-temperature operations, enhanced qubit connectivity that enables more efficient fault-tolerant operations, and a modular, networkable design that is critical for achieving practical quantum computing. Xanadu’s latest photonic quantum computer, Aurora, serves as a proof-of-concept for this approach, providing the fundamental building blocks needed for large-scale, error-corrected quantum computing.

Participation in CQCP reinforces Xanadu’s efforts to develop quantum computing solutions that deliver practical value across industries, including drug discovery, advanced chemistry, aerospace, defence and AI.