André König, CEO of Global Quantum Intelligence

André König, CEO of Global Quantum Intelligence is interviewed by Yuval Boger.

Read the full transcript or listen to the episode here.

Here are the key points:

1. Background and Current Role: André König has a diverse background, including management consulting and AI entrepreneurship. He is currently the CEO of Global Quantum Intelligence (GQI), a company that amalgamated three entities focused on quantum technology. GQI primarily works with governments, users, and investors in the Quantum Tech Club.

2. Government Consultancy: GQI offers consultancy services to government entities concerned about the quantum technology landscape, both friendly and potentially adversarial. They have a wide network ranging from students to government officials.

3. Quantum Nationalism: André observes a rise in quantum nationalism, where governments are still figuring out their geopolitical strategies around quantum technologies. He notes a disparity in the level of questions they receive from different governments, indicating varying levels of understanding and concern.

4. Current State of Quantum Computing: André believes that quantum computing is still in a nascent stage, with countries investing in it partly due to FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) and partly as strategic planning for the future.

5. Leading Modalities for Quantum Computing: André suggests that it's too early to determine a winning modality in quantum computing. He believes there will be room for many different architectures.

6. Startup Opportunities: André sees a lack of focus in the quantum startup space. He advocates for startups to concentrate on specific use cases. He also calls for more entrepreneurs who are willing to think big and tackle grand ideas.

7. Sensing and Communication: André believes that quantum sensing and quantum-safe cryptography are more mature markets compared to quantum computing but notes that they also have their own sets of challenges.

8. Investment Trends: André observes that most of the investment in the quantum space is in later-stage rounds, with a scarcity of early-stage and seed money. He also notes that European and Asian startups have received more investment compared to their U.S. counterparts.

9. Latest Trends: André notes an acceleration in the timelines for achieving "quantum advantage" or "useful quantum." He also observes a shift in the discourse from the technology itself to its applications and market readiness.

Read the full transcript or listen to the episode here.