Tokyo and Broomfield, Colorado – January 29, 2025 – SoftBank Corp. and Quantinuum today announced a partnership in quantum computing intended to “unlock innovative quantum computing solutions that will overcome the limitations of classical artificial intelligence and realize next-generation technologies.” Terms were not disclosed.
SoftBank made major news last week at the White House, when President Trump said the Japan-based multinational investment holding company will be part of Stargate, a $500 billion effort to expand AI data center capacity in the U.S.
As for Quantinuum, the trapped-ion quantum company formed in 2021 by the merger of Cambridge Quantum and Honeywell Quantum Solutions, partnering with one of most prominent techology investors is a significant achievement.
In their announcement, SoftBank and Quantinuum said a hybrid approach to AI computing that combines CPUs, GPUs and quantum processing units (QPUs) “holds the potential to further extend the capabilities of AI. By leveraging the unique strengths of each type of processing unit, hybrid systems can execute more advanced and diverse computations, providing innovative solutions that surpass traditional limitations.”
They said that while AI is delivering impressive results, there are still significant challenges that AI alone is struggling to overcome, such as complex optimization problems, deciphering causal relationship analysis and conducting high-precision simulations based on fundamental equations.On the quantum side, the companies said several technical and business challenges need to be addressed:
(1) Building a Business Model
- Initial Investment and Operational Costs: The substantial initial investment and operational costs required for the development and deployment of quantum computers lack concrete cost recovery strategies, which in turn suppresses the drive for companies to develop and adopt the technology.
- Clarification of Revenue Models: The business models for generating revenue, including the methods of offering quantum computers and setting usage fees, have not yet been fully realized.
(2) Establishing Specific Use Cases
- Discovering Use Cases: There is a shortage of use cases that clearly demonstrate which fields quantum computers will be useful in. Understanding the market size and revenue models through clear examples, especially in areas such as quantum chemical calculations and machine learning, is necessary.
- Understanding the Market and Revenue Predictions: It is crucial to specifically identify the areas where computations can only be performed by quantum computers and are commercially viable, as well as to predict the timing and scale of these applications.
(3) Advancing Hardware and Software Technologies
- Limitations and Challenges of Hardware: The current hardware performance (number of qubits and operation precision) of quantum computers is inadequate for handling practical problems, and significant enhancements in performance are needed for practical use.
- Software Development and Error Mitigation: The development of hybrid algorithms that combine traditional methods, as well as advancements in error suppression, mitigation, and correction technologies, are essential to enable practical computations. Furthermore, developing technologies that mutually complement hardware and software are also indispensable.
- Timing for Service Provision: Making decisions based on a deep understanding of technology to provide services at the optimal timing requires assessing the speed of technological advancements and market needs.
To address these challenges, the companies said they will develop a joint market research and business model for a “quantum data center” capable of performing advanced calculation processing. The companies will use the Japanese market as a foothold to conduct global market research in the Asia-Pacific region and other regions, and explore specific business models based on that research.
The companies will jointly consider methods to reduce investment risks, such as revenue sharing and cost sharing. In addition, SoftBank will provide its own business challenges as use cases.
Both companies will clarify use cases in quantum chemistry and network analysis, and construct a timeline showing when these use cases will be realized. In quantum chemistry, the search for new optical switch materials for All Optical Networks is anticipated, while in network analysis, the application to anomaly detection and fraud detection in SoftBank’s communication network is envisioned. Both companies will develop software technology that makes effective use of limited hardware resources, and explore methods for linking CPUs, GPUs, and QPUs.
“SoftBank believes in the potential of quantum computers and has been testing and evaluating various internal issues using quantum computers, and has started to obtain certain results,” said Ryuji Wakikawa, head of Research Institute of Advanced Technology, SoftBank Corp. “However, as a telecommunications operator, there are still many challenges remaining regarding how to provide quantum computing services in Japan. Through our collaboration with Quantinuum, which possesses the world’s highest-performance quantum computer hardware, we aim to be the first in the world to identify problems that can only be solved by quantum computers and look forward to significantly accelerating the practical application of quantum computing.”
“Our partnership with SoftBank represents a pivotal moment in the evolution of quantum computing,” said Dr. Rajeeb Hazra, president and CEO of Quantinuum. “By combining our strengths, we are poised to unlock innovative solutions that will not only enhance the capabilities of AI but also tackle challenges that have long been beyond reach. Together, we are laying the groundwork for a future where quantum technologies drive transformative advancements across multiple industries.”
By integrating quantum computing with AI, this initiative is expected to contribute to problem-solving in diverse fields such as healthcare, finance, logistics, and energy. This collaboration not only addresses unsolved challenges but also creates new market opportunities and fosters technological innovation across society.”
