Quantum Computing News: SoftBank Invests $2B in Intel, Microsoft Plans Quantum-Safe Future, Research Team Advances Quantum Portfolio Tools

Business Insider

7 hours ago

Welcome to another weekly update on quantum computing. The sector continues to advance, with notable progress in finance, security, and hardware research. SoftBank Group (SFTBY) made a major investment in Intel (INTC), Microsoft (MSFT) outlined its quantum-safe roadmap, and a team in Sydney showed a new way to shrink qubit use. Each step adds to the picture of how quantum could change both tech and markets in the years ahead.
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SoftBank Group Invests $2 Billion in Intel
We start with SoftBank Group (SFTBY), which has agreed to put $2 billion into Intel (INTC) at $23 per share. The deal adds to a long tie between the two firms and supports Intel's work in U.S. chip design and supply. SoftBank also holds stakes in Arm (ARM) and a wide range of AI and telecom assets, so this move fits its plan to back core tech. Intel says the cash will fund work in cloud, network, and device chips.
Quantum Finance: Portfolios on 100 Qubits
Next, we look at finance use cases. A research team referred to as Gabriele and colleagues tested quantum methods to build better portfolios. They used a model that looks at Conditional Value at Risk, which tracks deep losses rather than just averages. It's a quantum computing system running on IBM (IBM) hardware with more than 100 qubits, which showed results with a 0.49% error, far lower than classic tools. By mixing quantum circuits with local search, the study found faster and more accurate results. The work suggests that quantum could one day cut the time to build complex funds and handle more assets.
Microsoft Builds Quantum-Safe Systems
Moving on to Microsoft (MSFT), which outlined its Quantum Safe Program. The plan sets a timeline for moving its full stack to post-quantum cryptography by 2033, with first steps in 2029. The effort covers its cloud, Windows, and AI tools. It also works with U.S. and global groups on standards. Microsoft has already built support for new cryptographic codes into its SymCrypt library, which feeds Windows and Azure. The company says it wants its own systems and those of its partners to be ready for the shift before large-scale quantum machines arrive.
Logic Gates on One Ion
We finish with researchers at the University of Sydney and Q-CTRL, an Australian quantum computing company, who introduced a new way to cut qubit needs. They built a universal logic gate using two logical qubits stored in one trapped ion. The method uses the GKP error-correcting code and reduces the number of physical qubits needed. The team said this marks the first time such gates have worked in practice with this scheme. The work, published in Nature Physics, could make future hardware more efficient by lowering the overhead of error correction.
We used the TipRanks' Comparison Tool to line up some of the top quantum stocks and other tickers mentioned in this piece. It's an easy way to see how they compare and get a feel for where the space might be going.