Sprints within a Marathon: Navigating Deep Tech and Quantum Computing

Marta Pascual Estarellas, CEO at Qilimanjaro Quantum Tech

Emerging technologies drive the progress that benefits both humanity and the planet. In this context deep tech is key, a term used to describe new technologies that are still in their early stages of development. Generally, deep tech innovations are often not ready for large-scale commercialization; the technologies themselves are still being refined, and society is not yet fully prepared to adopt them. These companies sit at the intersection of research and industry, transitioning from academia to market applications. While many of these innovations carry a huge transformative potential, it is inevitable that not all will achieve commercial success.

This brings us to a critical dilemma: how can founders and leaders of deep tech companies secure the resources necessary for growth—primarily through investment—while navigating the technological obstacles inherent in pioneering unexplored territories? The challenge lies in managing expectations and timelines to avoid the trap of hype. Hype can create a surge of enthusiasm, attracting media attention, filling panels with thought leaders, generating opinion pieces —both informed and misleading—, and drawing public and private investment. This may provide excellent exposure, but when promises fail to materialize as expected, excitement dissipates rapidly, resulting in disillusionment. Such scenarios not only betray the trust of investors and customers but also put at risk the entire ecosystem. We have witnessed this pattern with artificial intelligence, the metaverse, and humanoid robots; now, quantum computing finds itself at a similar crossroads.

Quantum computing offers hope for maintaining the rapid pace of advancement in processing power that has fueled widespread technological progress for decades. This technology encodes information within systems governed by the principles of quantum mechanics—the physics describing the behavior of particles at the microscopic scale. By leveraging phenomena like superposition and entanglement, quantum computing introduces a fundamentally new way of processing information, allowing certain tasks to be performed more efficiently than classical computers can achieve.

This leap in computational power has profound implications: it reduces the time and resources needed to tackle complex challenges across industries and accelerates scientific discovery. Quantum simulations promise to deepen our understanding of the universe while driving new applied technologies. The potential impact spans transversally in fields such as materials science, finance, logistics, drug discovery, and artificial intelligence, among many others.

However, while some use cases can already be addressed with early prototypes, significant challenges remain before quantum computing can reliably tackle a widespread range of business applications. The biggest barriers lie in scaling the hardware. These systems are highly sensitive to disturbances, and maintaining the operational conditions necessary to control quantum states demands an extraordinary level of complexity. While various approaches are being explored to bypass these limitations—including the unique analog QASIC approach we pursue at Qilimanjaro—there is still a road ahead. However, this journey cannot be walked alone— now is the right time to partner with end users, ensuring that the quantum solutions are not just innovative but also deeply aligned with the world’s needs.

Overlooking the reality that developing quantum computers—like any other deep tech—demands time, perseverance, and hard work reflects dangerous naivety. As a firm believer in this technology, I encourage both the quantum community and its advocates to approach their efforts responsibly. Quantum computing is a marathon made up of sprints, and prematurely capitalizing on hype, carries unwanted consequences. Sustainable progress requires patience, scientific rigor, humbleness, transparency, and a commitment to long-term goals over quick wins. Rest assured, the wait will be worth it.