Based in Canada, Xanadu is a quantum hardware and technology outfit that is developing a type of quantum computer based on photonic technology. Instead of transmitting energy via electrons, Xanadu’s system employs laser light to move data. That means no more energy-hungry, overheating electric machines, among other advantages. Xanadu is one of the leading quantum computing companies in the world and has made significant progress in developing fault-tolerant quantum computers using photonic technology. However, it also faces challenges such as scalability, reliability, security, and cost of its quantum hardware and software.
It is a private company that develops quantum computing hardware and software. It was founded in 2016 by Christian Weedbrook and has raised a total of US$245M in funding from various investors1. It is headquartered in Toronto, Canada and has offices in other locations such as San Francisco, New York, London, and Singapore.
Xanadu’s mission is to build quantum computers that are useful and accessible to people everywhere. It uses photonic technology to create programmable Gaussian boson sampling devices that can perform quantum machine learning and simulating quantum photonic devices. It also provides cloud access to its photonic quantum computers through its platform Xanadu Cloud. Xanadu has partnered with leading companies such as Volkswagen, BMW, AWS, and MIT to advance quantum research and innovation.