"Huayi Quantum" Raises Hundreds of Millions of Yuan, Spun off from Tsinghua University, with Revenue Expected to Increase Several-fold This Year | Exclusive Report by Yingke

Author: Ou Xue

Editor: Peng Xiaoqiu

Yingke has learned that Huayi Boao (Beijing) Quantum Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Huayi Quantum"), an ion - trap quantum computing enterprise, recently completed hundreds of millions of yuan in Series A financing. This round of financing was jointly led by the Zhongguancun Special Fund for Independent Innovation of the Social Security Fund (managed by Legend Capital), the Beijing Information Industry Development Investment Fund, and Legend Capital. The funds will be used to accelerate the R & D iteration of core quantum computing technologies and the implementation of industrial applications.

Founded in January 2022, "Huayi Quantum" originated from the Quantum Information Center of Tsinghua University. Its founder is Professor Duan Luming, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the director of the Quantum Information Center of Tsinghua University. The core team consists of dozens of doctors and post - doctors from universities such as Tsinghua University and the University of Science and Technology of China. The company focuses on the ion - trap quantum computing technology route, providing ion - trap quantum computing whole machines and quantum cloud computing services to empower industries in fields such as communications, finance, medicine, and energy.

Large - scale general - purpose quantum computers developed using the principles of quantum mechanics can bring super - computing power that classical computing cannot provide, filling the computing power gap of classical computing. In particular, quantum computing has attracted wide attention in recent years in fields such as financial engineering, biomedicine, energy materials, chemical engineering, aerospace, and logistics operations. The development of quantum optimization algorithms, quantum machine learning, and quantum artificial intelligence urgently needs commercially available large - scale general - purpose quantum computers.

"The commercialization of quantum computing has just begun," Yao Lin, the CEO of "Huayi Quantum", told Yingke. The two major bottlenecks of imperfect hardware performance and how to convert practical problems into quantum solutions mean that the commercialization of quantum computing still takes time.

Therefore, in terms of applications, Yao Lin believes that the most realistic short - term path is to serve scientific research computing first. The advantages of quantum computing are mainly reflected in three aspects: first, its performance is better than that of traditional computers; second, it may help open up new research directions; third, the AI boom has driven the demand for scientific research computing.

Currently, Huayi Quantum's products are mainly used in scientific research computing, and the relevant business accounted for more than 80% last year. Its partners mainly include traditional scientific research institutions, such as research institutes, and corporate research institutes, especially those of large central and state - owned enterprises, such as the Research Institute of China Mobile.

Yingke has learned that the "Huayi Quantum" team proposed for the first time in the world an ion - trap quantum computing architecture based on a high - dimensional ion quantum bit array. This solution can greatly increase the number of effective quantum bits in a single system and maintain connectivity while maintaining high - speed and high - fidelity quantum gate operations. Moreover, the company has launched its self - developed second - generation commercial prototype of the ion - trap quantum computer, HYQ - B100, which has achieved a key breakthrough in computing power with over a hundred quantum bits. The key core performance indicators such as fidelity and coherence time are all at the international first - class level.

The core components of the second - generation commercial prototype of the ion - trap quantum computer HYQ - B100 (Image source/Enterprise)

Ion - trap quantum computing refers to the use of ytterbium ions, barium ions, or calcium ions trapped in an ultra - high vacuum environment. Through the precise manipulation of the quantum states of ions with narrow - linewidth lasers, the coherent manipulation of ion quantum bits is realized. Thanks to the unique properties of ion quantum bits, "Huayi Quantum" provides identical quantum bits with long coherence times, high - fidelity quantum manipulation, general and universal quantum logic gates, and high - quality and scalable ion - trapping systems, accompanied by an exclusive patented, fast, and efficient single - bit addressing system. The computing system of "Huayi Quantum" features standardization, modularization, automation, and refinement.

"The ion - trap quantum computing route can control costs while continuously improving performance. This is the most ideal technology development path we currently think of," said Yao Lin. Currently, the annual salary of R & D personnel at "Huayi Quantum" accounts for more than two - thirds of the total expenditure, and the R & D investment has maintained an annual growth of more than 25%.

Yao Lin revealed to Yingke that the company's revenue is expected to exceed 50 million yuan this year, with a growth rate expected to be several times higher. While accelerating the commercialization process, the company will further increase R & D investment in relevant core technologies and the next - generation quantum computers.

In the future, "Huayi Quantum" plans to simultaneously promote business layout and technology R & D, and continue to increase investment in scientific research computing, especially in fields such as 6G mobile communications, operational optimization, catalytic reactions, and reservoir simulation. Specifically in terms of technology directions, Yao Lin told Yingke that in the future, the company will, on the one hand, increase the scale of quantum bits in quantum computers, and on the other hand, increase research and breakthroughs in core technologies such as quantum error correction. At the same time, the company also hopes to combine quantum computing technology in the field of artificial intelligence to provide better overall solutions.

Views of investors:

Legend Capital said: "Quantum computing is setting off a new wave of scientific and technological revolution. We firmly believe in the value of this disruptive technology in expanding the computing power frontier. With its top - notch scientific research genes from Tsinghua University, Huayi Quantum has continuously achieved key breakthroughs in the ion - trap technology route, achieving internationally leading precision in quantum bit manipulation and system stability. As an industry leader, Huayi Quantum has profound technological accumulation and a clear commercialization path. Scientific and technological original innovation projects at the bottom level require long - term patient capital support and long - term companionship with enterprises. Legend will continue to pay attention to and support the company in accelerating technology iteration and ecological construction, and jointly promote the development of quantum computing in China."

Beijing Information Industry Development Investment Fund said: "Quantum technology has become an important engine of new - quality productivity. Huayi Quantum was founded by an excellent quantum information team from Tsinghua University. It has internationally leading ion - trap technology and the ability to independently design and develop ion - trap systems, and has achieved the commercialization of a hundred - bit quantum whole machine. The Beijing Information Industry Development Investment Fund looks forward to jointly promoting the development of the quantum computing industry with Huayi Quantum and helping Beijing build an international high - ground for scientific and technological innovation."