Xanadu AI

Xanadu Quantum Technologies is a Canadian quantum computing company founded in 2016 and headquartered in Toronto, Ontario. The company focuses on building useful and accessible quantum computers using photonic technology, where information is processed using particles of light. Xanadu develops both quantum hardware and software, with the aim of solving complex computational problems that are difficult or impractical for classical computers.

Xanadu’s hardware work centres on on-chip, error-resistant photonic qubits. Its quantum computers are cloud accessible and are designed to scale through modular and networked architectures. A major focus of the company has been programmable Gaussian boson sampling, a photonic approach that uses squeezed states of light instead of single photons. In 2020, Xanadu published a detailed blueprint outlining how fault-tolerant quantum computing could be achieved using photonics. In 2022, the company reported a large-scale boson sampling experiment that demonstrated a significant performance improvement compared with earlier systems. In 2025, research published in Nature showed a scalable modular method for networking photonic quantum processors, improving both error correction and system scalability.

Alongside hardware, Xanadu develops widely used quantum software. PennyLane is its open-source quantum computing and quantum machine learning library that allows developers to build and run quantum applications across different hardware platforms. Catalyst is a just-in-time compiler that integrates with PennyLane to optimise full quantum-classical workflows. Other software tools include Lightning and the PennyLane Codebook, which support simulation, learning, and development.

Xanadu works closely with industry, research institutions, and governments. Its partners include companies such as Volkswagen, BMW, AWS, Google, IBM, Microsoft, NVIDIA, and Rolls-Royce, as well as leading universities and laboratories. The company applies quantum computing to areas such as battery simulation, quantum machine learning, materials science, and optimisation.

The company employs over 240 people and has raised around US$275 million in funding. Its investors include Bessemer Venture Partners, OMERS, Georgian, Tiger Global, Capricorn Investment Group, In-Q-Tel, and Porsche SE. Xanadu’s stated mission is to build quantum computers that are useful and available to people everywhere, while contributing to Canada’s long-term role in global quantum technology.

Xanadu Quantum Technologies was founded in 2016 in Toronto, Canada, by Christian Weedbrook with the aim of building quantum computers based on photonic technology. From the beginning, the company focused on using light as the core medium for quantum computing, believing that photonics could offer advantages in scalability, stability, and integration with existing communication infrastructure. In its early stage, Xanadu joined the Creative Destruction Lab accelerator programme, which supported the company in refining its research direction, business model, and long-term technical goals.

In the years following its founding, Xanadu concentrated on developing both hardware and software in parallel. On the hardware side, the company worked on photonic quantum processors based on squeezed states of light and linear optical components. This work led to a strong focus on Gaussian boson sampling, a form of quantum computing that extends earlier boson sampling approaches. Xanadu aimed to move beyond proof-of-concept experiments and towards programmable and scalable systems. At the same time, the company invested in building integrated photonic chips to improve reliability and reduce error sources.

In 2020, Xanadu published a detailed blueprint describing how a fault-tolerant quantum computer could be built using photonic technology. This publication outlined methods for error correction, modular design, and long-term scalability, and it marked an important step in positioning photonics as a viable route to large-scale quantum computing. Around this period, Xanadu also expanded its open-source software efforts, recognising the need for accessible tools for researchers and developers.

In 2022, the company reported results from a large-scale boson sampling experiment that used optical fibre loops and multiplexing techniques. This approach reduced hardware complexity while increasing flexibility and scale. The experiment detected a large number of photons across many modes and demonstrated performance comparable to leading experiments by other global research groups. These results reinforced Xanadu’s position in photonic quantum research.

Xanadu continued to strengthen its software ecosystem through PennyLane, an open-source library for quantum computing and quantum machine learning, and later through Catalyst, a just-in-time compiler designed to optimise full quantum-classical workflows. These tools allowed users to develop applications that could run on different quantum backends while maintaining a consistent programming model.

In January 2025, Xanadu published new research in Nature demonstrating a modular and networked approach to photonic quantum computing. This work showed how multiple photonic quantum processors could be connected, improving error correction and enabling scalable system growth. At present, Xanadu operates as a combined hardware and software company, employs over 240 people, works with major industry and research partners, and continues to develop cloud-accessible photonic quantum computers with the stated mission of making useful quantum computing widely available.

Xanadu’s mission is to build quantum computers that are useful and available to people everywhere. The company aims to turn quantum computing from a research concept into a practical tool that can solve real problems in science, industry, and society. By focusing on photonic technology and cloud access, Xanadu works to make quantum systems more scalable, reliable, and easier to use. An important part of the mission is openness. Through open-source software such as PennyLane, Xanadu supports researchers, developers, and organisations in learning, experimenting, and building quantum applications without barriers.

Xanadu’s vision is a future where quantum computing is widely accessible and integrated into everyday research and industrial work. The company envisions quantum computers working alongside classical systems to address problems in materials, chemistry, optimisation, finance, and machine learning. A key part of this vision is scalability through photonic platforms that can be networked and expanded over time. Xanadu also aims to support a strong global quantum community by providing open tools, shared knowledge, and partnerships with industry, universities, and public institutions. The long-term goal is to make quantum computing reliable, practical, and widely adopted.

Xanadu Quantum Technologies has received strong recognition for its scientific progress and public funding support. The company is one of only three organisations worldwide to have publicly demonstrated quantum computational advantage. This was achieved using its photonic quantum computer, Borealis, with results published in Nature. Xanadu has secured major government funding, including multiple grants from DARPA for quantum machine learning and quantum compiler research, and up to US$15 million through DARPA’s Quantum Benchmarking Initiative. In Canada, it received funding from Sustainable Development Technology Canada and up to CA$23 million from the Canadian Quantum Champions Program.

Xanadu Quantum Technologies develops a complete range of quantum computing products and services that cover both hardware and software. The company’s approach is to build practical photonic quantum computers while also providing open and accessible tools that allow users to develop, test, and run quantum applications.

At the hardware level, Xanadu designs and operates photonic quantum computers that use light particles, known as photons, to process information. These systems are built around on-chip, error-resistant photonic qubits and are made available through cloud access. A key system developed by the company is Borealis, a photonic quantum computer designed for large-scale Gaussian boson sampling. Borealis was used to demonstrate quantum computational advantage, showing that a photonic quantum system could solve a specific problem faster than classical computers. Xanadu’s hardware roadmap focuses on scalability through modular and networked photonic processors, allowing multiple quantum chips to be connected to form larger systems over time.

In addition to physical hardware, Xanadu provides simulation and execution environments that allow users to run quantum programs either on real photonic hardware or on high-performance classical simulators. This makes it possible for researchers and developers to experiment with quantum algorithms even when direct hardware access is limited. These services support research, testing, and early commercial exploration of quantum applications.

Xanadu is also widely known for its quantum software ecosystem. PennyLane is the company’s main open-source software product and is used globally by researchers, students, and industry teams. PennyLane is a quantum computing and quantum machine learning library that allows users to build hybrid programs where quantum circuits work together with classical machine learning models. It supports multiple quantum hardware backends, including photonic, superconducting, and trapped-ion systems. PennyLane is designed to be easy to learn while still supporting advanced research and production-level experimentation.

Catalyst is another core software product and works closely with PennyLane. Catalyst is a just-in-time compiler that optimises full quantum-classical workflows. It allows developers to compile and optimise entire programs rather than treating quantum circuits and classical code separately. This improves performance and makes it easier to run meaningful quantum algorithms on available hardware. Catalyst is especially important for scaling complex applications where efficiency and resource management are critical.

Lightning is Xanadu’s high-performance quantum simulator. It allows users to simulate quantum circuits quickly and accurately on classical computers. Lightning is used for testing, debugging, and research, and it plays an important role in education and early-stage development. The PennyLane Codebook complements these tools by providing structured examples, tutorials, and reference material that help users understand quantum concepts and apply them in practice.

Beyond products, Xanadu offers collaboration and partnership services. The company works with industrial partners in areas such as materials science, chemistry, optimisation, finance, and machine learning. These collaborations focus on applying quantum methods to real problems, such as battery simulation and advanced data modelling. Xanadu also works closely with universities, research institutes, and government agencies, providing joint research programmes, access to tools, and support for academic training.