Quantum Leap: Nvidia to link quantum processors and supercomputers

Welcome to the latest edition of “Quantum Leap” where The Fly decodes news and activity in the quantum computing space.

NVQLINK SUPPORT: Rigetti Computing (RGTI) announced that it is supporting Nvidia (NVDA) NVQLink, Nvidia’s new open platform for integrating AI supercomputing with quantum computers. Rigetti is exhibiting its collaboration with Nvidia NVQLink at the Quantum Computing Pavilion at Nvidia GTC Washington, D.C. Nvidia GTC attendees can also view a full-scale demonstration of a Rigetti quantum computer in Nvidia’s booth throughout the event.

NVQLINK: At GTC Washington, Nvidia announced Nvidia NVQLink, an open system architecture for tightly coupling the extreme performance of GPU computing with quantum processors to build accelerated quantum supercomputers. NVQLink provides an open approach to quantum integration, supporting 17 QPU builders, five controller builders and nine U.S national labs, the company stated. “In the near future, every NVIDIA GPU scientific supercomputer will be hybrid, tightly coupled with quantum processors to expand what is possible with computing. NVQLink is the Rosetta Stone connecting quantum and classical supercomputers – uniting them into a single, coherent system that marks the onset of the quantum-GPU computing era,” said Jensen Huang, Nvidia’s founder and CEO.

REG TECH: Sealsq (LAES) announced that, following the June acquisition of a 28.3% equity stake in Wecan, Wecan’s founder, Vincent Pignon, has resumed his role as CEO. Founded in 2015 in Geneva, Wecan has rapidly established itself as a RegTech provider, enabling secure, auditable, and automated compliance workflows for more than one hundred financial institutions.

FINANCIAL SECTOR INVESTMENTS: Sealsq announced a major expansion of its post-quantum cybersecurity initiatives designed to accelerate quantum-readiness across the global financial services industry. The company said, “While large-scale quantum computers capable of breaking today’s encryption may still be years away, the threat to sensitive financial information is immediate and active. Cyber-criminals and state-sponsored actors are already conducting ‘harvest-now, decrypt-later’ attacks, capturing encrypted banking data today with the intent to decrypt it once quantum capabilities mature. This places historical and future records at risk, including client portfolios, cross-border payment data, SWIFT instructions, wealth-management records, contractual agreements, confidential supervisory filings, regulatory communications, and personal financial information.”

QUANTUM FUNDING: CNBC correspondent Kristina Partsinevelos stated in a post to X: “Rigetti Computing tells @CNBC it’s in ongoing talks with the U.S. government on quantum funding. ‘If the U.S. does not lead in supporting these breakthroughs, others will-posing significant risks to our economic competitiveness and national security.’ $RGTI +9%” After the Wall Street Journal reported that the Trump administration is in talks to acquire equity stakes in quantum computing companies, including of IonQ (IONQ), Rigetti, D-Wave Quantum (QBTS), and Quantum Computing (QUBT), a U.S. Department of Commerce official told Reuters in an email that the department is “not currently negotiating with any of the companies.” Benchmark analyst David Williams called the not yet confirmed reports “a further shift toward direct government ownership in critical technology sectors.” Quantum is now positioned as a strategic peer to AI, nuclear energy, and space within federal priorities, adds the analyst, who thinks this reported program represents “just one of several potential funding mechanisms” as the U.S. accelerates efforts to establish leadership in next-generation computing. The firm has Buy ratings on IonQ, Rigetti and D-Wave.

ADDITIONAL ANALYST COMMENTARY: Canaccord raised the firm’s price target on Quantum-Si (QSI) to $2 from $1 and keeps a Hold rating on the shares. The firm updated its model ahead of Q3 earnings.