Japan’s NEC to invest $10M in D-Wave Systems as part of collaboration on hybrid quantum computing

A team member at D-Wave Systems, based in Burnaby, B.C.,, works on the dilution refrigerator system that cools the processors in the company’s quantum computer. (D-Wave Systems Photo / Larry Goldstein) Burnaby, B.C.-based D-Wave Systems says it will collaborate with Japan’s NEC Corp. on hybrid services that combine quantum and classical computing, in a deal that includes a $10 million NEC investment in D-Wave.

The deal takes advantage of classical computing as well as D-Wave’s quantum approach, which can theoretically handle computational challenges beyond the reach of classical algorithms. NEC and D-Wave say they’ll jointly develop cloud-based services that combine the power of NEC’s supercomputers and other classical systems with D-Wave’s quantum annealing technology.
NEC will become an authorized reseller of D-Wave’s Leap quantum cloud service . Leap will provide access to D-Wave’s existing hybrid tools and services as well as the additional services that’ll be developed by the two companies. They’ll also work with customers to create new applications for hybrid quantum-classical computing.
The newly announced collaboration expands D-Wave’s existing footprint in the Japanese market. D-Wave’s Japanese customers include DENSO, Toyota Tsusho, Recruit Communications, Groovenauts, Sigma-i and Tohoku University. Early applications range from manufacturing optimization to digital ad placement.