Friday, February 26, 2016

Funded quantum software startup

Stanford EE380 offers this colloquium lecture:
Quantum Computing as a Service

Matt Johnson, CEO and Co-Founder, QC Ware

About the talk:
QC Ware will present a business-oriented overview of quantum computing, from the perspective of a start-up that is developing software and tools to address real-world QC use cases. The presentation will cover the strategic and practical considerations of launching a QC software company.
Yes, the lecture is as bad as it sounds.

Their business plan is to hope that someone invents a quantum computer, and then to write software programs for it. So far, they have nothing.

Their business is premised on the idea that quantum computers will be commercially successful, and that a lot of highly skilled custom programming will be needed to make them useful.

The plan is hopeless.

I am betting that no one will make a useful quantum computer. It is possible that someone will make an analog (non-quantum) computer that has some commercial utility, and that this company will find a small niche exploiting it for particular applications. But I doubt it.

We must be in a bubble if companies like this can get funding.

The previous week's colloquium was more about how quantum computers work, but it was mainly just a lesson in quantum mechanics.

2 comments:

  1. A little foul mouthed boy named Eric Cartman once learned the secret insidious plan of the Underwear Lawn Gnomes,

    Step One: Steal underwear.
    ...
    Step Three: Turn a profit.

    Roger, I afraid the creators of South Park saw this
    'science' coming a long time ago. Sigh.

    ReplyDelete
  2. They can always tell disappointed investors that they aren't really losing all their money because the profits are taking place in another universe.

    ReplyDelete