I’ve been meaning to post this update about the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) Quantum Benchmarking Initiative for quite some time. All three Canadian companies mentioned here in my August 8, 2025 posting “Canadian quantum companies chase US DARPA’s (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) $$$ and RIP Raymond Laflamme,” are still in the race.
From a December 1, 2025 article by Matt Swayne for the Quantum Insider, Note: Links have been removed,
Insider Brief
- DARPA has advanced 11 companies to Stage B of its Quantum Benchmarking Initiative, moving the program from conceptual proposals to technical validation of utility-scale quantum computing architectures.
- Stage B will evaluate each company’s R&D plans, risk-mitigation strategies, and prototype roadmaps to determine whether their approaches are realistic and scalable.
- The initiative aims to assess whether an industrially useful quantum computer—one whose computational value exceeds its cost—can be developed by 2033.
What Does Stage B Mean for DARPA’s Quantum Benchmarking Initiative?
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has moved its flagship quantum computing effort, the Quantum Benchmarking Initiative (QBI), into its next phase — or Stage B — a shift from conceptual review toward rigorous technical validation of utility-scale quantum architectures. A total of 11 companies have moved into Stage B, according to the DARPA project web page.
Under the initiative’s three-stage scheme, participants must first present a plausible architecture (Stage A), then a detailed R&D plan (Stage B), and finally undergo independent verification of hardware (Stage C).
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Which Companies Are Advancing to Stage B and What Qubit Technologies Do They Use?
DARPA reports the following companies (with their qubit technology approach) have been selected for Stage B at this time:
Company Location Qubit Approach Atom Computing Boulder Colorado Neutral atom arrays Diraq Sydney and US locations Silicon CMOS spin qubits IBM Yorktown Heights New York Modular superconducting processors IonQ College Park Maryland Trapped ions Nord Quantique Sherbrooke Canada Superconducting qubits with bosonic correction Photonic Inc. Vancouver Canada Optically linked silicon spin qubits Quantinuum Broomfield Colorado Trapped ion QCCD architecture Quantum Motion London UK MOS silicon spin qubits QuEra Computing Boston Massachusetts Neutral atom arrays Silicon Quantum Computing Sydney Australia Precision atom qubits in silicon Xanadu Toronto Canada Photonic quantum computing The list may grow, according to DARPA, adding that It is likely but not guaranteed that additional teams will enter Stage B in the future. DARPA plans to announce any additional promotion decisions once they contracted with those teams.
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Can a Useful Quantum Computer Be Developed by 2033?
By selecting multiple firms for Stage B, DARPA signals that it believes certain concepts presented in Stage A met the threshold of plausibility. The initiative’s ultimate goal is to assess whether an industrially-useful quantum computer can be developed by 2033 — defined as a system whose computational value outweighs its cost.
The move from conceptual review to rigorous validation suggests DARPA is narrowing focus from “could this work” to “can this be built.”
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What Will DARPA Evaluate During Stage B and How Will Firms Advance?
During Stage B (estimated to last about one year), DARPA will assess each performer’s R&D plan, prototype roadmap, risk-mitigation strategy and manufacturing pathway. After satisfactory review, select firms will proceed to Stage C, where independent verification and validation teams will test actual hardware against benchmarks.
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You can find out more about DARPA’s QBI: Quantum Benchmarking Initiative here.