The only domestic team dedicated to the industrialization of quantum basic software, with technology transferred from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and has led major projects of the Ministry of Science and Technology | First reported by 36Kr

Author: Ou Xue

Editor: Yuan Silai

Yingke learned that Beijing Zhongke ArcLight Quantum Software Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "ArcLight Quantum") recently completed tens of millions of yuan in Series A financing. This round was exclusively invested by the Beijing Information Industry Development Investment Fund. The funds will be used to expand the team and accelerate R & D to meet the new software demands brought about by industry development. The focus includes two aspects: one is to adapt to new trends such as distributed chips and collaboratively design protocols and solutions with hardware; the other is to speed up the construction of an efficient quantum computing algorithm library and expand the talent pool.

ArcLight Quantum was founded in 2020 and focuses on quantum software and quantum computing applications. Relying on the Institute of Software of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, it conducts scientific research and industrialization of quantum software.

More than 80% of the company's core team members graduated from well - known universities and research institutions such as Tsinghua University, Peking University, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the proportion of those with master's or doctoral degrees is as high as 90%. Ying Shenggang, the founder and chairman of the company, graduated from Tsinghua University with a doctoral degree and once conducted post - doctoral research at the University of Technology Sydney. He is currently a senior engineer at the Institute of Software of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Since 2020, the development of quantum computing in China has entered the fast lane, and the quantum computing prototype "Jiuzhang" was successfully developed. Its computing power is outstanding. When dealing with specific problems, its speed is one hundred trillion times that of the world's first supercomputer "Fugaku" at that time, and also one hundred billion times that of Google's 53 - qubit quantum computing prototype "Sycamore" released in 2019, marking that China has officially achieved "quantum supremacy", which is an important milestone in the field of quantum computing.

As a bridge connecting practical applications and quantum computers, quantum software is crucial for the efficient operation of quantum devices. It must conform to the underlying principles of quantum physics and algorithm logic, is highly professional and specific, and mainly includes quantum program compilers, quantum measurement and control software, etc.

Yingke learned that ArcLight Quantum's products are mainly divided into three major segments: for underlying hardware, it provides basic software such as EDA tools and measurement and control systems for quantum chip R & D teams; for quantum program developers, it provides a quantum program development ecosystem product centered on a quantum compiler; for upper - layer applications, it launches a quantum cloud platform to directly empower end - users and industry customers, providing standardized product services, starting from the exploration of quantum computing applications and gradually forming quantum application software tools. Currently, ArcLight Quantum is moving from in - depth development of existing business scenarios (finance, medicine, energy, materials, etc.) to exploration of more businesses (aerospace, logistics, meteorology, etc.).

As a domestic team focusing on the industrialization of quantum basic software, the team is at the forefront of the world in the theoretical research and engineering development of quantum compiler programs, and some of its achievements have reached the world - leading level.

Relying on years of technological accumulation, the team independently developed the first domestic quantum program design and verification platform "isQ", which integrates design, compilation, verification, and simulation. The internationally pioneered theorem prover has greatly improved the verification ability of quantum programs, laying an important foundation for the collaborative development of domestic quantum hardware and software.

(Image source: Company)

It is understood that ArcLight Quantum is currently the only domestic quantum computing software company that covers multiple chip routes and runs through the entire industrial chain. Its products have been deployed in mainstream quantum computing systems such as Guodun Quantum (superconducting) and Huayi Quantum (ion trap); various customers include large - scale enterprises such as China Telecom Quantum, China Mobile Quantum Research Institute, Sinopec, and Sinopharm Bio. In addition, Ying Shenggang also leads and undertakes relevant topics in major national tasks and is responsible for the quantum software development toolchain.

In terms of market performance, since its establishment, the company's quantum software business has maintained rapid growth and is currently at the break - even point. R & D investment accounts for about 80% of revenue, showing strong technology - driven characteristics.

Ying Shenggang said that from an industry trend perspective, as the scale of quantum chips continues to expand, traditional compilation and optimization modules are difficult to meet the processing requirements of complex algorithms, and it is urgent to introduce high - performance computing and artificial intelligence methods to improve efficiency and practicality. On the other hand, distributed quantum computing is becoming an important path to break through the limitations of single chips, and institutions such as IBM have actively deployed in this field.

"Against the current background, the demand for quantum software has increased significantly, the ecosystem is becoming more perfect, and products will become more diverse and segmented." Ying Shenggang believes that the market will experience large - scale growth in the next few years, and quantum technology is expected to achieve leap - forward development. Facing this opportunity, the company will focus on increasing R & D and talent reserves to meet the increasingly urgent technological and market challenges - this is also the core strategy for ArcLight Quantum's continuous development.

Investor's view:

The Information Industry Fund said: "Quantum computing is an important engine of new - quality productivity and is setting off a new wave of scientific and technological revolution. We firmly believe in this disruptive technology. ArcLight Quantum was founded by an excellent quantum software team from the Institute of Software of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. It has leading theoretical research and technological development capabilities in quantum software, independently designs and develops various quantum computing software, and has provided software support for mainstream quantum computers in various domestic routes. The Information Industry Fund looks forward to jointly promoting the development of the quantum computing industry with ArcLight Quantum, providing software support for the quantum computing industry in Beijing, and helping Beijing build an international high - ground for scientific and technological innovation."