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One area of deep tech we’ve not really looked at here at PreSeed Now is quantum technology.

That’s surprising, as it’s an increasingly hot area with plenty going on. Also, it’s an area I’ve learned quite a lot about in recent years.

Earlier this week I was over in the Netherlands, meeting some noteworthy quantum startups. That experience served as inspiration to give you a primer in quantum.

This won’t be new information to every PreSeed Now reader, but I suspect it will be a useful introduction for many. We’ve got new startups lined up to bring you next week, so look out for regular Tuesday and Thursday startup profiles then.

– Martin

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What to know about quantum tech… when you don’t understand quantum physics

It might be behind AI in terms of tech hype right now, but quantum technology is attracting growing investment and interest.

But many people don’t understand quantum tech, are intimidated by its complexity, or are jaded by the quantum computing hype in years gone by.

As someone who has worked with the quantum sector for the past few years, I’ve learned a lot about the technology, its potential, and how to think about this really interesting field of deep tech, so I thought I’d share a primer with you today.

If you’re involved in the deep tech world, you’ll probably come across quantum startups. So, it’s worth being ready with some basic knowledge about the space to get you started.

Note: I have worked in a paid capacity with some quantum technology companies from the Netherlands, including some mentioned in this article. I have previously worked with Quantum Delta NL’s Infinity programme to support Dutch quantum startups.

What is quantum technology? 

Put simply, quantum technology is built around the principles of quantum physics. Terms like ‘superposition’ and ‘entanglement’ are common here, and will take you well beyond what you learned in GCSE Physics at school into mind-bending territory that can be hard to get to grips with.

This is enough to put some people off quantum.

But here’s the thing: you don’t NEED to understand quantum physics to understand the quantum technology landscape.

I’m sure most PreSeed Now readers can’t explain how a semiconductor works, or the atomic-level process of how an instruction from a piece of software runs through a computer to result in something happening on your smartphone’s screen. And yet most PreSeed Now readers understand the technology sector perfectly well regardless.

So why do you need to understand things like how and why a qubit works to get an understanding of quantum tech?

With that out of the way, let’s dig into some detail…