Singapore. Quantum computers don't work at scale yet, according to Eric W. Cao, co-founder and chief executive of Singapore-based startup Qifrost, which is developing semiconductor-based electronics designed to overcome hardware bottlenecks limiting the technology's commercial potential.

While quantum computers can perform computations today, existing systems remain far from achieving the scale and reliability needed to deliver on promises ranging from drug discovery to financial optimization. Qifrost is working to address one of the industry's fundamental challenges by reducing the wiring, heat, and cost involved in controlling quantum processors.

“Fundamentally, what we're trying to do is make the quantum computer work,” Cao told The Jakarta Globe on the sidelines of the 11th Singapore Week of Innovation and Technology (SWITCH) 2026, which opened on Tuesday at Marina Bay Sands.

The three-day event, running from Oct. 27 to 29, brings together startups, researchers, investors and businesses to accelerate the commercialization of emerging technologies. Organized by Enterprise Singapore and supported by the National Research Foundation Singapore, SWITCH features more than 400 startups and exhibitors from around the world.

This year's festival comes as Singapore urges businesses to prepare their workforces for changes driven by artificial intelligence, while exploring how emerging technologies can create new sources of economic growth.

Quantum computing is among the frontier technologies attracting attention, but Cao argues that the industry must first solve fundamental engineering problems before it can deliver on its commercial promises.

A conventional quantum computer relies on control electronics operating at room temperature to send signals through extensive cabling to quantum processors kept at extremely low temperatures.

The arrangement becomes increasingly difficult to manage as the number of quantum bits, or qubits, grows. Each additional connection adds complexity, generates heat, and increases costs, while excess heat can interfere with the delicate quantum states needed for computation.

For a system with just eight qubits, Cao said, the conventional architecture already requires substantial cabling. Scaling that arrangement toward millions of qubits would be physically impractical, he argued.

A smartphone, by comparison, contains billions of conventional transistors, illustrating the scale of miniaturization and manufacturing progress needed for quantum computing to become widely accessible.

“Architecture, heat and cost” are the three main challenges, Cao said.

Qifrost aims to address them through cryogenic complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (cryo-CMOS) technology, which adapts conventional semiconductor technology to operate at cryogenic temperatures.

Its control electronics operate at around 4 kelvin, or minus 269 degrees Celsius, closer to the qubits themselves, which typically operate at even lower temperatures in millikelvin environments.

By moving more of the control electronics closer to the processor, Qifrost seeks to reduce the number of connections running between room-temperature equipment and the quantum chip. Fewer connections can help reduce heat loads and system complexity while lowering the cost of scaling the architecture.

The company, which spun out of Singapore's A*STAR Quantum Innovation Centre earlier this year, is developing its QELVIN platform for quantum control applications.

Cao said semiconductor manufacturers had shown interest in the technology, but faced difficulties building a commercial business around quantum computing while demand remained relatively limited.

Foundries generally need high production volumes to justify investments in new manufacturing capabilities. Quantum technology, by contrast, remains an emerging market with a limited customer base and specialized technical requirements.

Qifrost aims to bridge that gap by developing and validating the technology before larger-scale manufacturing becomes viable. The company is initially focusing on superconducting and spin-qubit systems, two approaches to building quantum processors that require cryogenic control electronics.

Cao said Qifrost expected to close its first commercial contract by the end of this year, with its first commercial client expected to begin in the first quarter of 2027. The company was also pursuing a second prospective customer.

Qifrost was raising S$6.3 million ($4.9 million) in seed funding, which Cao expected to close the following month. He said the immediate priority was to develop the technology across different quantum systems and establish a path toward scaling qubit counts.

The company is also among the startups participating in SLINGSHOT, SWITCH's deep-tech startup competition, where Cao hopes to connect with investors and secure funding.

Building a commercially viable quantum computing industry, however, will require progress across the entire technology stack, from quantum software and error correction to control electronics and the qubits themselves, he said.

Cao expects practical applications to take years rather than months to emerge. Potential uses frequently cited by the industry include drug discovery, materials science, logistics and financial optimization, but these depend on quantum hardware becoming more capable and reliable.

“First, we have to get it to work,” he said.

Quantum Investment Faces Uncertainty

Despite the technical challenges, Cao does not expect governments to abandon quantum technology, given its potential strategic importance.

He argued that countries would be reluctant to stop investing if competitors continued developing the technology and potentially gained a significant advantage.

Private investment could be more volatile, however, particularly if enthusiasm for artificial intelligence and other frontier technologies weakens.

Cao warned that a downturn in investor sentiment toward publicly traded technology companies could spill over into private markets, affecting funding for quantum startups before they reach commercial maturity.

Quantum technology has experienced previous periods of reduced interest, he said, but he believes the potential consequences of falling behind make continued development necessary.

For Qifrost, that means concentrating on the underlying hardware rather than promising immediate commercial applications.

“We can't afford not to work on this,” Cao said.

The challenge mirrors a broader theme at SWITCH 2026, where Singapore is seeking to turn advances in emerging technologies into practical economic benefits.

Opening the event, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong called on businesses to move beyond pilot projects and integrate artificial intelligence into their operations, while redesigning jobs and investing in workers' skills.

Singapore also announced a S$150 million government investment in the Materials Accelerator for Research and Venture Enterprise Launchpad, or MARVEL-AI, an initiative led by the Agency for Science, Technology and Research to combine artificial intelligence with automated laboratories for materials discovery.

The initiatives reflect the country's push to strengthen its position in advanced technology by connecting research, industry, and commercialization.

Add as a preferred source on Google +