March 12, 2024 -- From batteries and semiconductors to energy storage, the transition to green technologies requires the development of new, sustainable materials at an unprecedented pace. German startup Quantistry believes it can fast-track the discovery of such materials using a mix of quantum tech, physics-based simulations, and machine learning. By automating the process, it looks to sidestep the “high costs, fragmented expertise, and slow innovation” inherent to classical R&D. Quantistry has developed a cloud-based platform powered by small-scale quantum computers and AI, that allows users to determine material and molecular properties in simulation, rather than in real-life. This removes much of the trial and error in material discovery, enabling companies to focus on developing those materials with the most promise from the outset. In a vote of confidence for the budding company, it has just bagged €3mn in funding, which includes backing from Chemovator, the business incubator of German chemical giant BASF. The investment round is led by Ananda Impact Ventures, one of the oldest and most established European impact funds. Quantistry will use the cash to further develop its simulation platform and secure new customers. Marcel Quennet, CEO of Berlin-based Quantistry, said the company isn’t just looking to speed up industrial R&D, but also make it more accessible to companies who may not have the budget for more traditional, labour-intensive methods. “It’s clear: simulations not only transform the industrial R&D landscape but also steer it towards a greener future — yet, they remain out of reach for many. Together, we’re democratising this technology, shaping the future of chemical R&D and materials science,” said the co-founder, who holds a PhD in Quantum Chemistry. Quantistry’s new funding round comes amid a surge in AI investment, as companies tap machines to accelerate the development of everything from medical treatments to fusion energy. The German startup isn’t the only one using AI to speed up material discoveries either. Google DeepMind recently unveiled a deep learning tool that predicted the structure of over 2.2 million crystalline materials — 45 times more than the number discovered in the entire history of science. Quantistry was founded in 2019 by Quennet and co-founders Arturo Robertazzi, computational chemist and science communicator, and Stefan Kupferberg, finance expert and serial entrepreneur.

In new research published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign materials science & engineering professor Daniel Shoemaker and graduate student Zachary Riedel have used density functional theory (DFT) calculations to identify possible europium (Eu) compounds to serve as a new quantum memory platform.

Terra Quantum, a leading quantum technology company, today announced the joint publication of a research paper describing a new superconducting qubit that potentially could increase coherence times in quantum processors by orders of magnitude. The “flowermon” qubit represents a new class of superconducting devices that utilizes unconventional hybrid materials that could significantly improve the feasibility of scaling superconducting quantum processors.

Multiverse Computing, a global leader in value-based quantum computing, and Single Quantum, the global market leader in superconducting nanowire single photon detectors, have announced an industrial materials science research and development contract with the German Aerospace Center’s DLR Quantum Computing Initiative (DLR QCI for just under USD $1.4 million.

Qnami announces the commercial partnership with Quantum Design Japan and Quantum Design Korea to bring its quantum platform for sensing applications to East Asia.

Rice University scientists have discovered a first-of-its-kind material, a 3D crystalline metal in which quantum correlations and the geometry of the crystal structure combine to frustrate the movement of electrons and lock them in place.

France enacted a comprehensive national control list, directly responding to the emerging disruptive potential — both constructive and destructive — of quantum computing, along with associated disruptive technologies in both civilian and military realms, according to recent information from the French government and computer translated into English.

Phasecraft – the startup led by top academics developing world-leading quantum algorithms – has developed another record-breaking suite of algorithms that makes simulating materials on quantum computers simpler and more efficient than ever before.

PsiQuantum and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group today announced that they are beginning work with Mitsubishi Chemical Group on a joint project to simulate excited states of photochromic molecules which have widespread industrial and residential potential applications such as the development of smart windows, energy-efficient data storage, solar energy storage and solar cells, and other photoswitching use cases.