Xanadu Quantum Technologies , a startup founded by former University of Toronto post-doctoral researcher Christian Weedbrook, is among four companies selected for federal funding under a new program aimed at strengthening Canada's quantum computing sector.
The initiative will provide up to $23 million per company through the Canadian Quantum Champions Program, part of a broader federal effort to support domestic innovation and encourage companies to scale at home.
"By strengthening our quantum ecosystem, we are building long-term economic resilience while ensuring Canada's leadership in science and technology benefits all Canadians," Evan Solomon, minister of artificial intelligence and innovation and minister responsible for federal economic development agency for Southern Ontario, said in a news release .
Xanadu joins Montreal-based Anyon Systems, Coquitlam, B.C.-based Photonic, and Sherbrooke, Que.- based Nord Quantique in receiving the investment.
CEO Weedbrook told the Globe & Mail the funding bolsters Canada's ambitions to lead in a highly competitive global field: "Canada is really making a statement with this."
Xanadu, which received early support from the Creative Destruction Lab seed-stage accelerator at U of T's Rotman School of Management, develops photonic systems that use particles of light to perform complex computations beyond the reach of conventional machines.
The funding marks the first phase of a broader federal strategy that includes more than $334 million in planned investments in the sector, with the potential for significantly more support as companies meet development milestones.
