Samsung Next has invested in a quantum computing startup spun off from a Harvard institution, in a move seen as the conglomerate’s preparations for next-generation computing, according to the industry on Wednesday.

The startup investment arm of Samsung Electronics said on its blog that it has invested $2.7 million in Aliro Technologies with a group of investors including Flybridge Capital Partners. 


The latest investment was financed by its Q Fund, created last year to invest in innovative developers of artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies.

The startup was spun off from Harvard’s Quantum Information Sciences Lab, which develops software that makes quantum computing more accessible to ordinary users.

Quantum computing is next-generation computing technology using physics that could overcome the limited capacity of hardware computing chips like the central processing unit.

“We believe quantum computing is going to fundamentally change the computing paradigm and radically impact many industries,” the Samsung entity said.

“But while quantum computing has existed for more than a decade, actual use is still very limited. We think that could all change, as Aliro’s software makes quantum computing as accessible as classical computing.”

(song@heraldcorp.com)