Nord Quantique, a quantum computing startup based in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada, has secured a US$10 million extension to its Stage B agreement under the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) Quantum Benchmarking Initiative (QBI).
Announced on October 27, 2026, the additional funding will support Nord Quantique’s continued participation in Stage B and the development of its hardware-efficient approach to fault-tolerant quantum computing.
The extension follows an initial US$5 million Stage B contract signed in November 2025, bringing the agreement’s total value to US$15 million. The funding is associated with contracted research and development work rather than an equity investment.
Founded in 2020 by Julien Camirand Lemyre and Philippe St-Jean, Nord Quantique develops superconducting quantum computing hardware designed to address errors that affect quantum information processing. Camirand Lemyre serves as CEO, while St-Jean is Chief Business Officer.
The company’s technology uses bosonic quantum error-correcting codes to protect quantum information within individual physical qubits. Its architecture is designed to reduce the number of physical qubits needed for error correction, potentially lowering the hardware requirements of fault-tolerant quantum computers.
Nord Quantique is pursuing an architecture that targets a 1:1 ratio between logical and physical qubits, with the objective of developing more compact and scalable quantum computing systems.
DARPA’s Quantum Benchmarking Initiative evaluates whether different quantum computing approaches can achieve utility-scale operation by 2033, where the computational value of a quantum computer exceeds its operating cost.
Stage B focuses on evaluating detailed research and development plans, technical risks, risk-mitigation strategies and prototype requirements. Nord Quantique was among 11 companies selected for Stage B in November 2025. The new agreement extension supports its continued work within that stage rather than advancement to Stage C.
The additional funding will support Nord Quantique’s development roadmap as it works toward scalable, fault-tolerant quantum computing systems.
