INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
There remains a problem with the race to create a quantum computer, which is that experiments in this area can be extremely error-prone
startup that thinks it can address this problem with what’s known as “Quantum machine learning.”It’s now raised £1.3 million ($1.6
million) in a seed round led by Balderton Capital, a rare move for a VC that normally only comes in at a Series A level
Joining the round is AI Seed and angel investors Charles Songhurst (former Microsoft head of Corporate Strategy), Tom McInerney (founder,
TGM Ventures), John Spindler (CEO, Capital Enterprise) and James Field (CEO, LabGenius).Rahko says it is building “quantum discovery”
capabilities for chemical simulation, which could enable groundbreaking advances in batteries, chemicals, advanced materials and drugs
It was started by co-founders Leonard Wossnig, Edward Grant, Miriam Cha and Ian Horobin.Leo and Ed were longtime collaborators through their
PhDs at University College London
They had been working on research in quantum machine learning (QML) with now lead developers Shuxiang Cao and Hongxiang Chen for several
years and had been consolidating all their research into a QML platform.They say the QML platform attracted serious attention from a tech
giant and overtures were made
Leo and Ed made the decision not to give away control of the sum of their work, and decided instead to launch a business to commercialize
it.Chemical simulation is a vital capability for research that has not advanced significantly in recent years due to the limited
computational power of classical computers
Rahko claims it has an arsenal of tools that may make quantum computers accessible and commercially usable at an accelerated pace, often
through the use of hybrid approaches with classical computers.Leo Wossnig, CEO, said: “Most people find quantum computers mysterious and
wonder if they are going to save or break the world as we know it
In reality, quantum computing is going to unlock radical advances in areas of research and technology in which we have found ourselves stuck
Our team is excited to get together every day to work on problems that would have been impossible to solve only a couple of years ago
We are delighted to welcome on board this unique group of investors who truly share our excitement.” Earlier this year, Wossnig was the
recipient of the prestigious 2019 Google Fellowship in Quantum Computing for his achievement in computer science.Lars Fjeldsoe-Nielsen,
general partner at Balderton Capital, said: “Rahko is one of the top teams in the world working on a complex space at the very edge of
The application of discoveries within quantum has already been profound and impacted our fundamental understanding of the world around us
The pace and rate of change in this field over the past few years has been astonishing, and we feel incredibly lucky to be supporting this
exceptional team as they continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible.”Rahko is one of several startups originating from UCL’s
Computer Science programme, supported by Conception X, a venture builder for deep tech startups
It works in partnership with several of the world’s largest quantum hardware manufacturers, leading academic teams and national
laboratories.Wossnig added: “Quantum software is a relatively new field
It is growing very quickly but at this stage the field is small enough for us to know all of the best teams out there and be working with
IBM and Microsoft, for instance, have large software teams but we are partners with both of them.”The entire quantum computing industry
is relying on quantum hardware maturing to a scale that will allow powerful, commercially valuable applications
It’s estimated this will be in three-five years
Until this happens it is a little premature to say definitively who is leading the race.
