Phasecraft, a British quantum algorithms company, has began work on a contract for the US’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).
The UK firm will work alongside the University of Maryland’s Applied Research Laboratory for Intelligence and Security (ARLIS) on a US Department of Defense project on quantum benchmarking.
DARPA’s Quantum Benchmarking Initiative (QBI) was launched to assess the feasibility of achieving utility-scaling quantum computing by 2033.
Phasecraft is set to join the contract as a technical expert and will work to develop optimised estimates of resource requirements for quantum applications for the US government.
“The team at DARPA has long understood the strategic importance of quantum computing, and we are thrilled at the opportunity to collaborate on this vital work, working alongside ARLIS,” said Ashley Montanaro, co-founder and chief executive of Phasecraft.
“For all the emphasis we see on hardware in the field, it is gratifying to have a government partner like DARPA appreciate the importance of quantum algorithms in the race to achieve industrially useful quantum computing. Our quantum algorithms are delivering meaningful results today, and we’re excited to join the impressive QBI team.”
The new contract comes months after the company raised £25.2m in its Series B funding round co-led by Plural.