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13 Jan 2026
Microsoft again backs the developer of distributed quantum computing based around silicon color centers and fiber-optic links.
Photonic, the spin-off from Canada’s Simon Fraser University (SFU) working on a quantum computing architecture that uses fiber-optics to link integrated silicon spin qubits, says it has raised a further C$180 million ($130 million) in venture finance.
Led by investor Planet First Partners, which is based in Luxembourg, the latest deal builds on a near-$100 million fundraising effort announced in November 2023, and an ongoing strategic collaboration with Microsoft.
The computing tech giant has returned to support the latest round, along with new investors including the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), fellow Canadian financier BCI, and communications company TELUS.
Photonic CEO Paul Terry said in a statement announcing the latest round: “Photonic’s game‑changing approach to deliver on the decades‑old promises of quantum computing continues to be fueled by committed investors and best‑in‑class employees.
“This funding round attracted not only new financial investors but also partners from sectors poised to be transformed by quantum technology - including sustainability, telecommunications, finance, and security.”
Silicon color centers
Stephanie Simmons, who co-founded the startup with fellow SFU researcher Michael Thewalt a decade ago, suggested in 2023 that within five years Photonic would become “the first quantum computing company to offer a scalable, distributed, and fault-tolerant solution”, significantly sooner than expectations at the time.
A key feature of the firm’s approach is the use of an integrated silicon photonics platform exploiting the phenomenon of “silicon color centers”. Also known as “T-centers”, these have been described by Simmons as “the missing component needed to finally unlock the first credible path to impactful commercial quantum computing”.
According to a Simmons-authored paper published in the journal Nature in 2020, those centers are isolated point defects in silicon, caused by impurities or defects in the silicon crystal lattice, that are able to emit light at telecom wavelengths - making it possible to deploy fiber-linked qubits.
Each T-center comprises one hydrogen and two carbon atoms with an associated electron, squeezed into the space that one silicon atom would normally occupy.
“This compact structure gives a T-center a powerful range of qubit capabilities, all housed in a single, easily addressable silicon host,” explained Photonic in a recent blog post.
“Due to the T-center’s special structure, the carbon and hydrogen atoms can each function as nuclear spin qubits, with long coherence times ideal for memory and long-term quantum information storage.”
'Entanglement First'
Photonic now refers to that unique approach as its “Entanglement First” architecture, combining silicon‑based qubits with native photonic connectivity to take advantage of the scaling possibilities provided by existing global telecom infrastructure.
Nathan Medlock, managing partner at Planet First Partners and now part of the Photonic board of directors, stated: “Photonic’s distributed architecture provides a credible path to rapidly scale towards utility-scale systems – enabling innovations in areas such as battery materials, low-carbon catalysts, and drug design that can meaningfully accelerate climate solutions and improve global wellbeing.”
Barrie Laver, the head of RBC's venture capital and private equity unit, added: “We believe Photonic’s scalable quantum architecture has the potential to unlock key applications in the financial sector, ranging from security through to portfolio optimization and risk modelling.
"In our view, Photonic’s team and technology helps position them as a leader in bringing practical quantum capabilities to market.”
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