Three start-ups receive funding from the ministère de l’Économie et de l’Innovation

Three companies (Qubic, Nord Quantique, and SB Quantum) have received a favourable response from the ministère de l’Économie et de l’Innovation as part of its call for projects for quantum technological innovations. This funding will allow SB Quantum to further explore the possibilities surrounding its quantum magnetometer and to help start up the Qubic and Nord Quantique companies. The growing number of companies in this technological sector meshes with the development of the quantum ecosystem in the Sherbrooke area. Joint efforts with university and industrial players in the region will certainly create favourable conditions for greater synergy geared towards the economic success of the quantum field in Quebec.

“Collaborative research is the key to moving from fundamental research to the development of applied and innovative technologies. I would like to congratulate Qubic, Nord Quantique, and SB Quantum start-ups for the selection of their projects. I would also like to thank the Université de Sherbrooke for providing creative impetus to these promising initiatives,” said the Minister of Economy and Innovation, Pierre Fitzgibbon.

Good Reasons to Settle in Sherbrooke

For the three companies, this call for projects was timely.

For Mr. Jérôme Bourassa, founder of Qubic, expertise is the raw material of his business. “I know that I have access to expertise of exceptional quality. It is very valuable to have an extraordinary pool of knowledge at your fingertips. I can very easily consult with experts who are among the world elite in my field,” comments Jérôme Bourassa.

Julien Camirand Lemyre and Philippe St-Jean very recently established the company Nord Quantique which works in the field of quantum computing. “Going into business in a field that requires such a research and development infrastructure, as it does in our field, would never have been possible without the presence of the Institut quantique (IQ). For example, we can conduct some experiments in the IQ laboratories without having to equip ourselves with all the devices, which would be too expensive at our stage of development. Access to laboratories and the possibility of collaborating with research teams like those of 3iT make our project possible,” explain the entrepreneurs Julien Camirand Lemyre and Philippe St-Jean.

For his part, David Roy-Guay, at the origin of the SB Quantum company, knows that he will be able to count on qualified labour in addition to continuing to develop research and development projects with the IQ. “These grants will allow us to refine our magnetometer prototype for two market segments. What convinced me to start my business was being able to count on a pool of potential recruits within my company. My company is currently hiring three people and I know that the University trains people who have all the qualities required to be part of our team,” explains Mr. David Roy-Guay.

The three companies are incubated at ACET, the Accelerator for the Creation of Technological Businesses in Sherbrooke, which supports them in their path and contributes to their development and growth by providing them with its expertise and business networks.

The Institut quantique

The Institut quantique de l’Université de Sherbrooke brings together scientists specializing in quantum materials, quantum information, and quantum engineering with the aim of carrying out high-quality fundamental research work and developing the quantum technologies of the future. We put students at the centre of research in an open and collaborative environment to accelerate the transition from science to quantum technologies. We train leaders with the skills and critical thinking essential to creating relevant knowledge for a transforming society.

The Accelerator for the Creation of Technological Businesses (ACET)

Originating from the University of Sherbrooke, the Accelerator for the Creation of Technological Businesses (ACET) has led to the emergence of more than 110 technological enterprise projects, has created more than 400 jobs, and has enabled its companies to obtain more than 90 million dollars in investments and financing since 2011. With its experience and its well-established networks, ACET has acquired solid expertise and has developed proven methods to support the work of young entrepreneurs in cutting-edge technological sectors, particularly in the priming and start-up phases of a business.

SB Quantum

The company develops and markets diamond-based quantum magnetometers for commercial and research applications. Their goal is to revolutionize the detection of magnetic anomalies by revealing faults in hidden environmental structures and by offering new capabilities to surveillance / rescue missions.

Nord Quantique

The technology developed by Nord Quantique aims to reduce, as much as possible, the number of physical qubits (which can go up to 100,000) required to encode a single logical qubit. This would open the full spectrum of quantum computer applications.

Qubic

The company is actively working to develop the world’s first microwave quantum signal transmitter. The development of new quantum microwave technologies would allow the design of ultra-efficient microwave systems in several fields of application.