Beyond the Qubit

About Beyond the Qubit

The nr1 Quantum Technology podcast for investors.

Publisher

Frank Dekker

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

13 Dec 2024

Latest episode

30 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

90 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   30 Oct 2026

   Before Raising €50M, What Must a Quantum Scale-Up Prove?

   Before a quantum scale-up raises its next €50 million, one question matters: what exactly needs to become true with that money? In Part 1 of my Beyond the Qubit conversation with Yvonne Greeuw from Invest-NL, we discuss how investors evaluate deep-tech companies beyond the technology itself. Yvonne explains how they think about investment theses, key milestones, commercial validation, and the progress a company needs to make before its next financing round. One idea stood out: do not blindly optimize for KPIs. A company can hit its targets and still be working on the wrong things. For quantum computing startups, the critical milestone might be proving manufacturability, securing a reference customer, or showing that a technology can solve a meaningful problem for end users. We also explore the Dutch quantum ecosystem, different quantum computing modalities, the transition from research to commercial products, and what investors look for as companies mature. For founders and investors, the challenge is not simply to measure progress. It is to identify which achievements will materially strengthen the investment case. 💡 In this episode, we cover: How Invest-NL evaluates deep-tech investment opportunities Why a strong investment thesis starts with identifying the real bottleneck What value inflection points mean for a company's next funding round Why founders should not optimize blindly for KPIs How quantum startups can move from technical progress to commercial validation Why qubit counts alone do not tell the full story How different quantum computing modalities affect investment decisions What changes when a startup moves from early-stage funding toward Series A and Series B Why investor conversations should focus on the risks that need to be removed How to think about the next €50 million as a set of milestones, not just more runway Chapters 00:00 - Meet Yvonne Greeuw from Invest-NL 02:00 - What Invest-NL does and how it evaluates companies 04:00 - Building an investment thesis around the real bottleneck 06:00 - Evaluating technology and the opportunity it creates 08:00 - Testing assumptions and validating the investment case 10:00 - The role of people, communication, and alignment 14:00 - Keeping founders and stakeholders aligned as things change 16:00 - When a company's original investment thesis needs to change 18:00 - Strengthening the investment thesis with evidence 20:00 - Invest-NL and the Dutch quantum ecosystem 24:00 - Building the quantum ecosystem around startups 26:00 - Evaluating different quantum computing modalities 29:00 - Learning from experts and market analysis 31:00 - Moving from research progress toward end-user relevance 34:00 - What changes as a company approaches Series B 36:00 - Technical challenges and the path toward useful quantum systems 38:00 - Quantum hardware, infrastructure, and scaling challenges 41:00 - What creates a durable competitive advantage 44:00 - Common mistakes founders make when speaking to investors 46:00 - Pitching as a commercial strategy 48:00 - Why rejection does not always mean the company is wrong 50:00 - Defining milestones across technology, commercial progress, and team 51:00 - Why founders should not blindly optimize for KPIs 52:00 - Preparing a company for institutional investment If you work in quantum computing, deep tech, or venture capital, share this episode with someone thinking about how to turn technical progress into a stronger investment case. Subscribe to Beyond the Qubit for more conversations about the technologies, companies, and investment decisions shaping the quantum industry. Disclaimer: This post is shared on a personal basis. I do not represent any company. This is not investment advice.

2. 

   23 Oct 2026

   Qifrost’s Hidden Moat: Why Cold Data Could Lock In Quantum Customers

   What could make a cryo-CMOS company difficult to replace, even if a competitor develops a technically better chip? In Part 2 of my Beyond the Qubit conversation with Eric W. Cao, Co-Founder and CEO of Qifrost, we explore what could separate the winners in the growing cryo-CMOS market. Beyond intellectual property and chip performance, the discussion turns to execution, hard-to-find engineering talent, customer qualification, and the challenge of getting cryogenic control technology out of the lab and into real quantum systems. We also discuss why the next 24 months could be important for identifying the leaders in cryogenic control electronics, how different quantum computing architectures shape demand, and what commercial progress might look like. For investors, the key question is whether a company can turn technical expertise into a solution that customers can deploy, trust, and keep using. 💡 In this episode, we cover: Why cryo-CMOS could become essential to scaling quantum computers What may differentiate Qifrost from foundries, instrument companies, and other competitors Why cryo-CMOS engineering talent is so difficult to find Why laboratory results are not enough to prove a commercial solution How quantum computing architectures influence cryogenic control requirements Why the next 24 months could reveal early market leaders The role of 4K electronics, multiplexing, packaging, and reducing fridge cabling Why engineering contracts, design agreements, and commercial milestones matter What investors should look for when evaluating progress in quantum hardware infrastructure Chapters 00:00 - Why Qifrost could win in cryo-CMOS 02:00 - The shortage of cryo-CMOS engineering talent 04:00 - What separates Qifrost from potential competitors 08:00 - Why lab validation is not enough 10:00 - Different technologies and the cryo-CMOS opportunity 12:00 - Which quantum computing architectures need cryo-CMOS 14:00 - Why market leaders could emerge in the next 24 months 16:00 - Multiplexing and scaling quantum control 18:00 - Platform agnostic technology and quantum modalities 20:00 - Quantum benchmarking and industry validation 22:00 - What the 4K control layer can do 24:00 - Hybrid bonding, packaging, and integration 25:00 - Why engineering contracts matter to investors 27:00 - What it takes to become a market leader 32:00 - Commercial milestones and proving progress 34:00 - Reducing cabling without sacrificing qubit fidelity If you follow quantum computing, cryo-CMOS, or deep-tech investing, share this episode with someone who would find it useful. Subscribe to Beyond the Qubit for more conversations about the companies, technologies, and business models shaping the quantum industry. Disclaimer: This post is shared on a personal basis. I do not represent any company. This is not investment advice.

3. 

   16 Oct 2026

   The Cryo-CMOS Race May Be Decided Before 2030

   The cryo-CMOS market may still look early. But the leaders may already be starting to emerge. In this episode, I explore my biggest takeaways from my Beyond the Qubit interview with Eric W. Cao, Co-Founder and CEO of Qifrost. Eric believes the scaling bottleneck that cryo-CMOS aims to solve could become critical around 2030, give or take a couple of years. But companies cannot wait until then to prepare. The next 24 months could be when the leaders begin to separate themselves from the rest of the market. This episode is for investors, founders, and anyone trying to understand where value may emerge in the quantum hardware supply chain. Cryo-CMOS aims to address the scaling challenges of controlling quantum processors at cryogenic temperatures. But laboratory validation is only the first step. The next challenge is proving that the technology works inside commercial quantum processing units, alongside real architectures and roadmaps. That is what makes Qifrost interesting. The progression is clear: laboratory validation, commercial validation, standardization, and eventually mass manufacturing. The race may not be won by the company with the most impressive laboratory demonstration, but by the one that integrates its technology with commercial quantum hardware first. 💡 In this episode, we cover: Why cryo-CMOS could become a critical quantum scaling technology Why the next 24 months may help determine the market leaders How cryogenic control electronics could reduce wiring complexity Why laboratory validation is no longer enough How commercial validation differs from proving technology in the lab Why co-development with quantum processor companies matters How standardization and mass manufacturing fit into the roadmap What investors should watch as Qifrost moves toward commercial adoption Chapters 00:00 Why Qifrost matters for quantum investors 01:00 Why existing quantum control infrastructure will not scale 02:30 Why the next 24 months matter for cryo-CMOS 04:30 From laboratory validation to commercial validation 11:00 The physical scaling bottleneck in quantum hardware 36:30 Why cryo-CMOS is a strategic opportunity 43:00 Why commercial execution matters more than the technology alone 65:30 Building relationships with quantum hardware developers 72:30 What it takes to prove cryo-CMOS commercially Share this episode with someone investing in or building in quantum, and subscribe or follow Beyond the Qubit for more conversations on quantum technology, markets, and investing. 📌 Disclaimer:This is not investment advice.This post is shared on a personal basis and I do not represent any company.

Who has been a guest on Beyond the Qubit

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Vijoy Pandey
• Adriaan van Rol
• Adriaan Rol
• Enrique Solano
• Jelmer Renema

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

2,416,345

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Spotify

5.0 / 5

3 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 63 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

78

Social presence

0

YouTube

86

Engagement

32

Contact Beyond the Qubit

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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