Toronto-based Quantum Computing startup Xanadu, in partnership with MaRS and Creative Destruction Lab (CDL), announced the launch of what it claims is Canada’s first quantum network.
Canada Quantum Network (CQN) will launch three nodes, quantum processors where the applications ultimately run in Toronto, providing a quantum testbed for partner organizations to access and develop applications in quantum cryptography, communications, and computation. Construction has begun on the CQN, with initial access expected in 2021.
In September 2020, Xanadu released a publicly available photonic quantum cloud platform called the Xanadu Quantum Cloud.
The CQN’s possible applications include quantum secure communication, quantum sensing, and distributed quantum computing. Xanadu, MaRS, and CDL claim these applications could translate to unhackable elections, secure financial transactions, and increased national security for government, law enforcement, and the military.
MaRS Discovery District supports over 1,400 Canadian science and technology companies and its Toronto location is considered North America’s largest urban innovation hub. In July, it launched Momentum, a program designed to support high-growth Canadian companies with the potential to reach $100 million in revenue in the next five years. In September, MaRS entered talks with the University of Calgary on the potential of bringing an innovation hub to Western Canada.
Founded in 2012, CDL is a nonprofit that delivers an objectives-based program for scalable, seed-stage, science and tech-based companies.
