John Martinis
Professor, University of California, Santa Barbara
Quantum
The Quantum Stream at CDL-Toronto and CDL-Montreal brings together entrepreneurs, investors, scientists in quantum technologies, and quantum technology partners (IBM Q and Xanadu) to build ventures in the emerging domain of quantum computing, optimization, sensing and other applications of quantum technologies.
CDL Quantum Stream involves an intensive 4-week technical and business quantum bootcamp instructed by industry and academic leaders in quantum technologies and machine learning, followed by five objective-setting sessions over 10 months.
CDL Quantum startups work with mentors to sharpen objectives, prioritize time and resources, raise capital, and engage with experts working on the frontiers of research.
CDL is a non-profit organization. There are no fees for participation and CDL does not take any equity. Learn more about the CDL program.
All Quantum Alumni Companies ▶︎
Who Should Apply?
Early-stage companies are encouraged to apply.
- Quantum Software Ventures/Teams: Startups at all levels of maturity will be considered. We accept projects (pre-incorporation), early-stage companies (pre-seed) or more mature companies (seed stage).
- Quantum Hardware Ventures/Teams: Ideal candidates are at a stage where they already have a basic prototype.
Example Innovation Areas:
The list above is not exhaustive.
The CDL Quantum Stream admits one cohort annually at CDL-Toronto. For more information or to schedule an introductory meeting with the CDL team, email quantum@creativedestructionlab.com
CDL Quantum Stream Features
The Quantum Stream at CDL-Toronto offers a robust set of resources for new founders to launch and scale a startup in the quantum ecosystem.
- Business Guidance and Investor Access – Objective-setting meetings with the CDL mentors – a group of highly successful entrepreneurs and investors with expertise in scaling high-tech startups, world-leading scientists and industry leaders in quantum technologies.
- Quantum Training and Mentorship – from our technology partners:
- IBM Q – IBM Q Experience™ systems, and IBM’s open source quantum software platform, Qiskit™;
- Xanadu – Strawberry Fields, an open-source library for photonic quantum computing, with a suite of simulators for execution on CPU/GPU, Xanadu’s cloud-based quantum photonic chips, and PennyLane, a cross-platform Python library for differentiable programming of quantum computers.
- Technical Education – 4-week virtual quantum bootcamp where the potential founders receive technical training and business guidance from leading industry professionals, academics and hardware providers.
- Business Support – Guidance on strategy and business development from top students and faculty from the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto.
Our Mentors
CDL mentors include accomplished entrepreneurs, experienced operators, and active angel and venture capital investors. Mentors meet every eight weeks in Toronto to help founders set objectives over the program’s 10-month duration.
All Quantum Mentors ▶︎
Our Scientists
Teams accepted to the CDL Quantum Stream benefit from extensive advising sessions and regular office hours with quantum physics, machine learning, and quantum computing experts. These scientists help to evaluate approaches to building technology, suggest improvements, and explore formal advising engagements.
All CDL-Toronto Scientists ▶︎
Peter Wittek, Founding Academic Director, CDL Quantum
In September of 2019, Rotman Assistant Professor Peter Wittek went missing during a mountaineering expedition in the Himalayas, after being caught in an avalanche. Peter was a valued member of the Rotman community and his loss is keenly felt.
Locations
Quantum in the News
- Xanadu closes $100M USD Series C to accelerate development of fault-tolerant quantum computers (November 2022)
- Pixel Photonics Picked as Sub-Contractor For Photonic Quantum Computer Project (October 2022)
- Say goodbye to the notch? OTI raises $55M for technology to remove screen obstructions (October 2022)
- Beating classical computers with Borealis: The story behind the story of the world’s first public cloud-deployed computer with quantum computational advantage (June 2022)
- Quantum Computing Startup Multiverse Computing Closes €10 Million Investment Round (October 2021)
- Quantum algorithms that speed up banking operations 100x are here (October 2021)
- Quantum Dice Raises £2 Million in Pre-Seed Round to Fund Security of Encryption Keys (October 2021)
- Quantum Computing Is Coming. What Can It Do? (July 2021)
- Agnostiq Secures $2.4 Million CAD to Accelerate Development of Quantum Computing Software (May 2021)
- 12 Quantum Technology Startups Born and Bred in Toronto (April 2021)
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the skills and knowledge prerequisites for the CDL Quantum Stream?
For applicants coming from a computer science background, having a solid understanding of areas such as machine learning, probabilistic graphical models, statistics, optimization, high-preformance computing, distributed systems, and/or Monte Carlo methods is recommended. For physicists, quantum computing, quantum many-body systems, quantum information processing, quantum commuication, and/or quantum sensing are the most relevant areas, and experience with large-scale numerical computations is a great advantage.
Entrepreneurs without physics or computing experience can also apply, particularly if they have specific industry expertise relevant for quantum technologies. The application is the same for those with technical and business backgrounds.
Who are the technology partners?
IBM Q is an industry-first initiative to build commercial universal quantum systems for business and science applications. IBM Q will provide access and hands-on technical support for the public IBM Q Experience™ systems, and IBM’s open source quantum software platform, Qiskit™. IBM will provide ongoing support through a single point of contact coordinator.
Xanadu is a light-based quantum computing company that creates silicon photonic chips to build a truly full-stack solution. Xanadu uses photonic chips to generate, control, and measure photons in ways that enable extremely fast computation. Strawberry Fields, Xanadu’s programming platform, is a library for simulation, optimization and quantum machine learning of continuous-variable circuits. The platform contains a Python API for quantum programming based on our user-friendly Blackbird language and a suite of virtual quantum computer backends built in NumPy and TensorFlow. Xanadu has also developed PennyLane, a cross-platform Python library for differentiable programming of quantum computers.
I’m not Canadian. Can I still apply?
Yes. Depending on your nationality, you may need a visa. If you are accepted, we can provide you access to support from a Canadian immigration law firm, which can help you obtain the necessary entry permits.
For more information or to schedule an introduction meeting with the CDL-Toronto team on the Quantum stream, email Jake Malliaros, Quantum Stream Lead, CDL-Toronto: jake.malliaros@creativedestructionlab.com