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Quandela Strengthens Its Management Team and Announces Two New Nominations

Nicolas Fellmann is Recruited as Chief Financial Officer, Xavier Geoffret Takes Responsibility for Business Development Paris, November 27, 2024 – Quandela, the European leader in photonic quantum computing, announces the […]

Nicolas Fellmann is Recruited as Chief Financial Officer, Xavier Geoffret Takes Responsibility for Business Development

Paris, November 27, 2024 – Quandela, the European leader in photonic quantum computing, announces the recruitment of two senior profiles for the positions of Chief Financial Officer and Business Development Director. These recruitments are set to bolster a team of over 100 employees from 20 different nationalities, primarily composed of researchers and engineers specializing in optics, algorithms, and information sciences.

Nicolas Fellmann, Chief Financial Officer

Nicolas Fellmann, 56 years old, is appointed Chief Financial Officer of Quandela. Holding an MBA in Finance from EM Lyon Business School, he began his career at EY as a financial auditor. Between 1995 and 2006, he held positions of increasing responsibility at Pfizer France, notably as Director of Treasury, Tax, and Audit, in charge of managing financial risks.

For the past fifteen years, Nicolas Fellmann has been Chief Financial Officer in innovative, rapidly growing companies (BioAlliance Pharma, Onxeo which became Valerio Therapeutics, Biophytis).

He notably contributed to implementing several fundraising rounds with international investors for over €180 million, as well as managing merger-acquisition and licensing operations in Europe, the United States, and Asia.

“I am very happy to join today a dynamic team whose ambition is to build a world leader in quantum computing. Quandela has passed many important milestones over the past 12 months, demonstrating the quality of its science and technological expertise, and I am eager to contribute to the upcoming growth.”

Xavier Geoffret, Business Development Manager

Xavier Geoffret, 56 years old, a graduate engineer from CentraleSupélec, is appointed as Business Development Manager. With over 20 years of experience in high-performance computing (HPC) and storage, he has worked for major HPC providers such as SGI, Bull, and Atos on complex large-scale projects.

In 2018, he shifted towards quantum computing, first at Eviden, and then at IQM Quantum Computers as Technical Sales Manager.

With expertise in consulting, architecture, and offer management, Xavier’s mission is to help organizations harness the power of quantum technologies. His objective is to focus on stimulating innovation and creating new opportunities for the future through the convergence of quantum, HPC, and AI.

“The hybridization with HPC and AI is the future of quantum computing. I am very enthusiastic about joining a company like Quandela that has managed to develop unique technologies that will allow HPC and AI users to benefit from this hybridization in the years to come.”

“We are delighted to welcome Nicolas and Xavier, two highly experienced individuals who are strengthening our teams as Quandela recently unveiled its technological roadmap for 2025-2030 and accelerates its international development. We aim to achieve fault-tolerant quantum computing by 2030. Nicolas’s role is to structure our financial direction and support our growth. With his expertise in high-performance computing and his vision of technological hybridization, Xavier brings a valuable strategic perspective to develop new opportunities. I look forward to working with them as Quandela continues its path to becoming one of the major quantum computing players of the 21st century,” declares Valérian Giesz, cofounder and COO of Quandela.

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Quandela strengthens its management team with the appointment of Alberto Peruzzo, a pioneer in quantum photonics and quantum computing, as VP NextGen Quantum Computers 

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Paris, April 29, 2025 – Quandela, a European leader in quantum computing, announces the appointment of Professor Alberto Peruzzo as VP NextGen Quantum Computers. Alberto is an internationally recognized expert in quantum photonics, quantum algorithms, and scalable quantum computer architectures. He joins Quandela to accelerate the development of scalable, fault-tolerant quantum processors, as part of the company’s roadmap toward large-scale universal quantum computing. 

At 46 years old, Alberto Peruzzo brings over 18 years of experience at the cutting edge of quantum technologies. Most recently, he served as Head of Quantum Computing at Qubit Pharmaceuticals, where he focused on applying quantum algorithms to molecular modeling and drug discovery. Previously, he held academic and leadership roles as Director of the Quantum Photonics Laboratory in Melbourne, Principal Investigator at the ARC Centre of Excellence for Quantum Computation and Communication Technology, and Node Director within the same network. Throughout his career, he has combined scientific leadership with strategic vision to advance quantum technologies, contributing both to fundamental research and to practical applications in quantum computing. 

Alberto Peruzzo, VP NextGen Quantum Computers at Quandela 

I am thrilled to join Quandela at a time when the foundations of large-scale quantum computing are being laid. Photonics is particularly well positioned to deliver scalable quantum systems, and I look forward to working with the team to make fault-tolerant quantum processors a reality,” said Alberto Peruzzo, newly appointed VP NextGen Quantum Computers at Quandela

Alberto is known for his ability to combine deep scientific expertise with a strategic vision for the commercialization of quantum technologies. At Quandela, he will lead the Next Gen Quantum Computers team, coordinating the definition and implementation of the architecture for future scalable quantum processors. 

Alberto is a leading figure in the quantum photonics community and brings a rare combination of academic excellence and system-level vision. His leadership will be instrumental in advancing our roadmap toward the development of large-scale fault-tolerant quantum processors,” said Niccolo Somaschi, co-founder and CEO of Quandela

Quandela is one of the most exciting quantum companies in the world, leading the race in quantum photonics. I’m excited to join this exceptional team and contribute to the development of the next generation of quantum processors — pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in scalable, fault-tolerant quantum computing,” concluded Alberto Peruzzo. 

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Quandela strengthens its governance by appointing Michel Paulin, former CEO of OVHcloud and SFR, to its Board of Directors

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Paris, April 15th, 2025 – Quandela, European leader in quantum computing, announces the appointment of Michel Paulin to its Board of Directors. Michel, a recognized expert in the digital industry, was previously CEO of telecommunications pioneer SFR and European sovereign cloud leader OVHcloud. He will bring his experience to Quandela and enrich the company’s strategic vision.

Michel Paulin has spent most of his career in the tech and telecom sectors. In particular, he was previously CEO of OVHcloud, SFR and Neuf Cegetel.

Today, he is Chairman of the Logiciels et Solutions Numériques de Confiance (Trustworthy Software and Digital Solutions) cluster, which brings together software, quantum, AI, cloud and metaverse players.

Recognized as a leading figure in the digital industry, he has been a Director of the Board of the French National Institute for Research in Digital Science and Technology (INRIA) since 2022, by decision of the Minister for Industry.

Michel Paulin is a graduate of École Polytechnique (1981) and Télécom ParisTech.

Michel Paulin, new member of Quandela’s Board of Directors

Michel has exceptional expertise in the telecoms and cloud sectors, as well as a proven track record in leading strong growth companies. His advice will be extremely valuable as Quandela embarks on its international expansion and the ramp-up of quantum computer production. I am honored to have him join us as a new member of the Board of Directors,” says Niccolo Somaschi, co-founder and CEO of Quandela.

I’m honored to join Quandela’s Board of Directors. Quantum computing undoubtedly represents one of the next major technological revolutions, and strategic positions for the next decades are being defined today. France is at the forefront of this quantum technological race, thanks to outstanding research and exceptional talent. With Quandela, our country has a world-leading technological champion in photonic quantum computing. I’m looking forward to contributing to Quandela’s development in this exciting new quantum revolution,” says Michel Paulin, a new member of Quandela’s Board of Directors.

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EuroQCS-France: remote access to a 12-qubit Quandela system is now available for European users!

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The EuroQCS-France consortium, led by GENCI and CEA, is pleased to announce that European researchers can now access a 12-qubit Quandela photonic quantum computing system remotely. This exciting development allows European users to begin programming and testing their applications on a real photonic quantum computer, months ahead of the anticipated deployment at TGCC (CEA’s computing center) of the on-premise Lucy system in the end of 2025. They can be supported by experts from a High-Level Support Team to port their applications onto the photonic quantum computer.

The EuroQCS-France consortium and the selection of Quandela as supplier by the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking (JU)

In 2024, EuroHPC JU selected a consortium formed by Quandela and its German partner attocube systems AG as the supplier of the photonic quantum computing technology as part of the EuroQCS-France initiative. This collaboration is set to pave the way for a new era in quantum computing across Europe, enhancing research capabilities and advancing the quantum ecosystem.

In November 2024, on the occasion of SC24, EuroQCS-France officially announced the provision of early remote access to a 6-qubit Quandela photonic quantum computer for the European open research community. Now, users will be able to run their code on a remote 12-qubit quantum computer, with the same design as the upcoming Lucy system. This provides a unique opportunity to engage with a photonic quantum computer, allowing open research communities to get hands-on experience before the Lucy system is fully installed and operational at TGCC in 2025.

Key Benefits for European Researchers

· Early Access: Open research communities can begin preparing their code using Perceval now, the Quandela programming and emulation environment deployed on the Joliot-Curie supercomputer, and run their applications on a remote 12-qubit photonic quantum computer similar to the targeted Lucy system.

· No Wait for Deployment: Users will not have to wait for the installation of Lucy to access a real quantum computing system, allowing them to start experimenting and testing their applications immediately.

· Expert Support: A High-Level Support Team will assist users in porting their applications onto the photonic quantum computer, ensuring that researchers can fully leverage the technology.

· Training Sessions: GENCI/CEA and Quandela will be offering specialized training on hybrid HPC-QC programming schemes, helping users prepare for the integration of Lucy with Joliot-Curie.

How to Access the Remote System

The process to access the remote Quandela system will be outlined by CEA, and interested researchers can apply for access through the designated channels. More details will be provided shortly.

Looking Ahead

EuroQCS-France is part of the broader European effort to build a diverse, pan-European hybrid HPC/QC infrastructure. Lucy, the 12-qubit photonic quantum computer, will soon join other cutting-edge quantum systems across Europe, each based on different hardware technologies. These systems include scalable superconducting qubits (Euro-Q-Exa), star-shaped superconducting qubits (LUMI-Q), trapped ions (EuroQCS-Poland), quantum annealing (EuroQCS-Spain), neutral atoms (EuroQCS-Italy), each system providing unique capabilities and research opportunities.

In the coming months, as the Lucy system’s deployment approaches, this early access will be crucial in ensuring that European researchers are well-prepared to take full advantage of the system’s capabilities.

GENCI/CEA and Quandela will be organizing training sessions on hybrid HPC-QC programming schemes leveraging photonic quantum computing to anticipate the integration of Lucy with Joliot-Curie.

About EuroQCS-France

EuroQCS-France is a consortium led by GENCI as Hosting Entity and CEA as Hosting Site, with the University Politechnica of Bucharest (UPB, Romania), Forschungszentrum Juelich (FZJ, Germany) and Irish Centre for High-End Computing (ICHEC, Ireland), selected by EuroHPC JU in 2022 as a result of the call for expression of interest EUROHPC-2022-CEI-QC-01.

EuroQCS-France aims to provide European open research communities with access to a photonic quantum computer coupled with the Joliot-Curie supercomputer, just like the 100-qubit Pasqal quantum simulator Ruby, acquired in the context of the HPCQS project.