Quantum systems maker D-Wave takes the SPAC route

Quantum computing pioneer D-Wave Systems has completed its planned merger with DPCM Capital, taking the company public on the New York Stock Exchange. D-Wave announced its intention to merge with DPCM Capital, a SPAC or special purpose acquisition company, earlier this year in a deal that would make it a publicly quoted …

[Doctor Syntax]

"D-Wave was hoping ... the merger .. would grant it access to a trust account worth $300 million... but ... the SPAC's shareholders had in fact exercised those rights and redeemed $291 million worth of shares."

They should have realised that you don't know what you get until you open the box.

[DwarfPants]

Very good, I see what you did there. The best cat Icon I can manage

[JimboSmith]

They should have realised that you don't know what you get until you open the box.

Schrödinger's loot box?

[nautica]

Next up: a Superstring Computer for you to invest in.

Maybe a previous El Reg article can put things in perspective:

"You're not wrong. The scope for quantum computers remains small

Perhaps a [Quantum Computer] can help us work out why we'd want a QC"

Bruce Davie Thu 21 Jul 2022 // 09:29 UTC ---

"...There is still a huge amount of work to be done both in building practical quantum computers and in figuring out what they are actually good for...

[Flocke Kroes]

Re: what they are actually good for

Evidently $291M via a SPAC.

[Michael Wojcik]

"quantum computing" for sufficiently small values of "quantum computing"

Quantum computing pioneer D-Wave Systems

Argh. That's like calling Amana an "EM death ray pioneer" for coming out with the Radarange.

Adiabatic QC (like D-Wave's quantum-annealing systems) is not in any way general QC. It's an analog computer that's useful for solving spin-glass problems with a conventional digital computer wrapped around it.

And, yes, D-Wave are now poking their noses into general QC, but they're by no means a "pioneer" there. Plenty of other organizations have been working in GQC a lot longer.

I suppose D-Wave have innovated in the area of QC hype, particularly in getting the media to refer to them as selling "quantum computing" systems.