How quantum startups can compete with tech giants in the war for talent

The tech industry is facing a talent shortage, and quantum computing is no exception, Laura Thomas, a consultant at QuSecure and head of strategic initiatives at ColdQuanta, said in an interview, adding that startups are trying to attract quantum computing talent by focusing on innovative cutting-edge and deep technologies.

Laura Thomas

The following is the full interview.

Q: Tech giants such as IBM, Microsoft, Google and Amazon have been involved in some of the recent development of quantum-resistant cryptography (PQC). Does this involvement give them a good start to ensure they are ready for PQC and help customers manage the transition to PQC?

Thomas: It certainly did. Obviously, these are very large companies, and PQC is of course a very, very small part of what they do. So in almost all cases, most of the real innovation is happening in companies like QuSecure, very small companies that are focused day in and day out on one thing, which is quantum code-resistant. So I expect that larger companies will adopt and use the technology that was initially innovated at smaller companies like QuSecure, and then iterate on that and start delivering it to a broader or larger customer base.

Q: How does the quantum computing hardware development of these companies apply to their quantum security business?

Thomas: Many of these companies have their own business units. Again, a very small percentage are focused on quantum. But nonetheless, they do have some people in those divisions that focus on quantum. I think the smaller the company, the more focused and agile and flexible it can become when it comes to hardware.

Even big companies like Amazon, AWS, they've obviously accomplished a lot, they're great in many ways. But as you grow and grow, it becomes harder and harder to really be cutting edge and deep because the longer you're involved, the more systems you have, the more processes you have. It's just the natural evolution of how companies work. You try to keep that going through mergers and acquisitions, or sometimes you divest certain divisions and you try to create incentives to create the spark and the magic in those companies. Nonetheless, it's hard.

However, when you're in a small company, a startup, or something that's really on the cutting edge, very close to the technology, you have to work very hard in many other ways, but not in terms of innovation, because it's natural because you're so close to it and you're so young. And in a large company, you have to deal with much more bureaucracy. I think that naturally makes smaller companies the most innovative and the first to reach their goals.

Assuming you can attract the capital and the talent you need, I think in the quantum space, or I know in the quantum space, our biggest challenge is people and workforce and talent development, and workforce development is very important. The big companies are doing a great job of that. But the fact of the matter is that a lot of people graduating with PhDs, not just on the technical side, but on the business side, they're really hungry for the deep technical areas on the cutting edge. I think they're drawn to working for companies like QuSecure, ColdQuanta, and sometimes some of the bigger companies as well.

We have to really leverage that interest and really redouble our efforts to think about how we go out and get the best talent. Quantum is a global challenge, and it requires a global talent base. Even though we're a very small company, we have to do everything we can to be able to tap into that global talent base.

Q: You mentioned that some quantum computing talent has chosen relatively small companies rather than tech giants like IBM and Google. Is that because those startups have a specific focus and they are more interested in quantum computing as a specific area?

Thomas: Yes, I think on the technology side, for a company like ColdQuanta, we focus on neutral atom architectures. So our quantum computers are based on a form of what's called a neutral atom. We also design quantum sensors around the same technology. So if you have a PhD in atomic physics or an AMO (atomic, molecular and optical) physicist who works on neutral atom systems, it makes sense that they would want to go to a neutral atom company rather than a company like Google, for example, which is building a different type of quantum computer.

So that's normal. In terms of focus, I think it's exciting to build something new especially in a small company. I think when you talk to the people at QuSecure, or you talk to the people at ColdQuanta, there's a palpable sense that we're doing something that's never been done before, but we know it's achievable and we have the roadmap to make it happen.

When you can walk in every day and feel that level of excitement, that's valuable. Knowing that you might be building the next big global company that plays a role in helping to protect people's data or creating a new wave of technology that helps us deal with the climate crisis, I mean, that can bring a lot of momentum. That's not to say that those large companies don't have that capability in some way, but that they are making a difference in all areas. We have only one unwavering focus, and that's a beauty.