SINGAPORE (May 27): Quantum computing used to be considered a technology bordering on science fiction. But thanks to recent developments in the field, this next generation of computing is now closer to reality than before. This is opening up possibilities for many practical applications that have attracted the attention of both large corporations and entrepreneurial start-ups.

One of the start-ups is Entropica Labs, which aims to develop quantum computing software to solve complex problems in the field of molecular biology. This would provide doctors with a better understanding of human physiology, allowing them to better diagnose and treat their patients.

“One of the most fascinating problems in biology is understanding exactly what happens at the molecular level. Can you capture all the processes in the cell? Can you understand the relationship between genes, proteins and diseases? These are some of the [big] questions [to answer],” Tommaso Demarie, co-founder and CEO of Entropica Labs, tells The Edge Singapore in an interview.

Compared with conventional or classical computing, quantum computing solves complex problems more efficiently and quickly, as it is based on the laws of quantum physics and processes information differently from classical computing, says Demarie.

To illustrate, he uses the analogy of a coin. In classical computing, the smallest unit of data is called a bit and exists in one of two states: It has a single binary value of either 0 or 1. When the coin is flipped, it will reflect either 0 or 1, depending on which side faces up. In quantum computing, however, a unit can exist in multiple states. Using the same analogy, the coin is now “spinning”, he says. “This should already give you an intuition that even with just a single quantum bit, you can do things that you cannot do with a classical bit.”

Demarie says Entropica Labs also aims to solve complex problems in drug discovery because of its huge potential impact compared with other fields. “One of the problems of drug development is that many of the drugs don’t make it past regulatory approval. If you can improve the process at the very beginning by having a more solid R&D path, the [likelihood of] success improves,” he points out.

Entropica Labs plans to sell the data produced by its quantum computing software to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. “If we find a new biomarker that has not been observed before for a disease, we can sell that knowledge to [them],” says Demarie. The company is also open to leasing its software to customers, but it may not be as lucrative as selling the end results directly, he adds.

Entropica Labs is currently developing several prototypes of its quantum computing software and they are slated for launch over the coming six months. The company does not develop the hardware for quantum computing, but outsources that to its partners — Microsoft and International Business Machines. Entropica Labs is also collaborating with Rigetti Computing, a California-based manufacturer of quantum integrated circuits, and Qilimanjaro, a Barcelona-based quantum hardware manufacturer.

Demarie says quantum computing is at a turning point. “Today, we take for granted the computer we have in our pockets. It wasn’t like that in the 1950s. [People] were building computers and wondering what to do with them. Today, we pretty much use computers for everything. In a way, we are at a similar point in time with quantum computing.”

The idea of quantum computing first emerged in the 1980s. Richard Feynman and Yuri Manin were among its early proponents. They posited that a quantum computer could simulate things a classical computer — using 1s and 0s — could not. Feynman was an American theoretical physicist known for his work in the quantum field, while Manin was a Russian mathematician. However, quantum computing failed to advance in a big way, ­owing to the technological constraints and limited understanding of quantum mechanics at the time.

Meanwhile, Demarie was growing up in Turin, Italy — a city famed for its architecture and cuisine. As a child, he dreamt of becoming a scientist. He pursued a bachelor of science degree in physics at the University of Turin and then obtained a master’s degree in environmental physics. “I’d always loved science,” he says.

Demarie’s introduction to quantum computing was sort of unintentional. While pursuing his master’s degree in Turin, one of his professors was working on an oceanography research project that was computationally intense. The latter believed that a quantum computer could provide solutions more quickly and efficiently in the study of ocean waves.

This inspired Demarie to complete his thesis in quantum computing applications for oceanography. “It was a very unusual thesis. I came out of the environmental physics school with this idea of using quantum computers for ocean waves. This was how the whole idea of quantum computing [started],” he says.

Upon graduation, Demarie went to work for a bank. He took on a risk management role that required him to produce statistical models and other mathematical analysis. “[It was a] nice way to gain exposure to the working world,” he says.

However, Demarie could not give up his passion for quantum computing. And so, after nine to 10 months of working at the bank, he left to pursue a PhD in quantum information at Macquarie University in Sydney. In January 2014, he arrived in Singapore to do a post-doctorate degree at the Singapore University of Technology and Design, which he completed early last year. He also held a research position at the Centre for Quantum Technologies (CQT), a research centre hosted by the National University of Singapore. There, he met Entropica Labs co-founder and chief technology officer, Ewan Munro, who holds a PhD and specialises in modelling physical platforms for quantum computing and information processing.

From academia to business

Demarie’s entrepreneurial pursuit began in earnest when he joined start-up accelerator Entrepreneur First in 2018. Munro also left CQT to join EF. There, they met Entropica Labs’ third co-founder, Joaquin Keller, who holds a PhD in distributed computing from Pierre and Marie Curie University and Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines University.

After completing the EF programme, the trio founded Entropica Labs in May 2018. Demarie says he could have returned to academia to push the boundaries of quantum computing research, but he thinks he can accomplish more by starting a business. “It’s beautiful to be a researcher and I love it. But the outcomes that you are seeking in a university are very different from those in a [business],” he points out.

In particular, academic research tends to revolve more around concepts and theories. Demarie believes there is a need for more practical applications. “We need to show that [quantum computing] works and is able to solve problems. This is not the incentive that you find in universities,” he says. “There, you work on highly theoretical problems that might not have an immediate impact.”

In fact, Demarie’s entrepreneurial spirit was tested when he received a fellowship offer from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. This was not too long after Entropica Labs was founded. JSPS is a non-profit research organisation well known in the scientific community for its contributions to the advancement in science. But Demarie turned down the offer.

“I gave up something valuable because I believe we have what it takes [to start and grow a business]. We are hungry and passionate to learn more and make an impact. We love what we are doing,” he says.

The immediate priority for Entropica Labs is to build an ideal team with the right skillsets. Demarie says he hopes to recruit quantum physicists, machine learning specialists and biologists. “This is a hard task. As far as I know, it has never been done before. [But we need them] because we need to close the gaps between different disciplines.”

Entropica Labs is also looking to raise a seed round of US$1.5 million ($2.06 million), which will be used mainly to hire new staff. But the challenge is finding investors for the company. According to Demarie, local investors tend to be risk-averse when it comes to new technologies, unlike their peers in Silicon Valley. US investors tend to be more enthusiastic about the latest technologies, he notes.

Indeed, Demarie says Entropica Labs has received interest from foreign venture capitalists. So, even as he is keen to build up Entropica Labs in Singapore to contribute towards the city state’s development in quantum computing, he cannot rule out relocating the company.

“We want to be remembered as the ­pioneers of quantum computing,” he says. “In five years’ time, we want to be an established company that is generating revenue and in partnerships with big pharmaceutical companies.”

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