C12 Secures $19.4 Million to Advance Carbon Nanotube-Based Quantum Computing

French quantum computing startup C12 has announced the successful completion of an €18 million funding round, equivalent to $19.4 million at the current exchange rate. Founded in 2020 as a spin-off from the Physics Laboratory of the École Normale Supérieure, C12 is pioneering the development of quantum computers utilizing carbon nanotubes.

While the concept of quantum computing is not new, it remains a field in continuous development. Various scientific teams are approaching this challenge from different angles, all aiming to create scalable quantum computers capable of performing calculations with minimal errors.

The necessity for quantum computers arises from the limitations of current computer architecture, which relies entirely on electronic transistors. Over the past 60 years, significant advancements have been made in reducing the size of transistors, allowing for greater computational power on a single chip. However, this approach is reaching its limits. Even with the construction of larger data centers, certain problems remain unsolvable with traditional computers. The future validity of Moore’s Law is also in question.

Quantum computers offer a potential solution to these limitations. C12 co-founder and CEO Pierre Desjardins explained to TechCrunch that, “If we want to create a model — an exhaustive simulation of a chemical reaction — to know how new drugs are going to interact with our cells, that’s not possible with a conventional approach.” He added, “There are a whole host of optimization problems to be solved, whether in transport, logistics, or manufacturing. They are impossible to run on a conventional computer because there will be too many variables, too many possible scenarios.”

Matthieu Desjardins, Pierre’s brother and the company’s CTO, holds a PhD in quantum physics. Pierre Desjardins referred to his brother as a “scientific genius” during their conversation. The current relevance of quantum computing is also highlighted by its potential to significantly reduce the energy consumption involved in training large language models, as Pierre Desjardins pointed out.

C12 distinguishes itself from other quantum computing teams through its use of carbon nanotubes and a patented nano-assembly manufacturing process. “Today, I think we are the only ones in the world to control this very special process, which involves putting a carbon nanotube on top of a silicon chip,” Pierre Desjardins noted. The scale of this technology is remarkable, with a carbon nanotube being 10,000 times smaller in diameter than a human hair.

Major companies like Google, IBM, and Amazon are focusing on different processes, primarily utilizing superconducting materials such as aluminum on silicon substrates. While this approach has yielded early breakthroughs, it faces scalability issues due to interferences when more qubits are added. C12 believes its carbon nanotube-based method represents the next generation of quantum computing.

The company has established its first production line in a basement near the Pantheon in Paris. Here, they manufacture carbon nanotubes, control their quality, and integrate them with silicon substrates. “It’s now up and running. Today, we produce about one chip a week, which we then test in our mini data center,” Pierre Desjardins shared. Despite these advancements, C12 is still in the phase of validating fundamental components, focusing on chips with one or two qubits.

As C12 progresses in its research and development, it is also building its business ecosystem. The company has developed an emulator named Callisto to allow developers to write and test quantum code on classical computers. This preparation ensures they will be ready when quantum computers become available. C12 is currently targeting the chemical and energy industries, with partnerships like the one with Air Liquide to simulate chemical reactions and optimize energy processes.

The recent funding round saw investments from Varsity Capital, EIC Fund, and Verve Ventures, along with returning investors 360 Capital, Bpifrance’s Digital Venture fund, and BNP Paribas Développement. Currently, C12 employs 45 individuals from 18 nationalities, including 22 PhDs. The newly acquired capital will be used to forge more industrial partnerships and achieve significant research milestones. One such goal, as Pierre Desjardins mentioned, is to perform a quantum operation between two qubits located tens of micrometers apart, a crucial step for scaling quantum computing.