Blond & Quantum: Early-Stage Startups — Featuring Ish Dhand | QC Design

Blond & Quantum Episode 6: The Race Nobody Is Talking About | Bill Vass (Booz Allen)

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2551967/fan_mail/new] Bill Vass, CTO of Booz Allen Hamilton, joins Eva on Blond & Quantum to separate signal from noise in quantum. Bill built Amazon Braket. He runs thousands of engineers working on quantum, AI, and national security. And he has some surprising takes on what's real — and what's not. Listen to find out: 📍Why a motion sensor and a ceiling light once broke a quantum machine 📍One material science breakthrough that quantum could unlock 📍The football field-sized machines nobody is talking about 📍What every CEO should do in the next 12 months 📍The story behind the first entanglement of two quantum computers across 100km of fiber No PhD required. Just honest conversation. 🎙️ Guest: Bill Vass | CTO, Booz Allen Hamilton 🎧 Host: Eva | Blond & Quantum   If you enjoyed this conversation, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share — more episodes with global leaders in quantum are coming soon.   #quantumcomputing  #boozallen  #deeptech  #quantumsensing  #BlondAndQuantum #BillVass #innovation #quantumtechnology Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2551967/support]

Blond & Quantum Ep 6: Will Europe Lose the Quantum Race? | Eleni Diamanti (PCQT)

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2551967/fan_mail/new] In this episode of Blond & Quantum, recorded on World Quantum Day, I sit down with Professor Eleni Diamanti — a rare force who moves seamlessly between fundamental research, national quantum strategy, and deep-tech entrepreneurship. Eleni is a head of one of France's major quantum technologies hubs (PCQT), and co-founder of Welinq — a quantum memory startup. She also served as Vice-Chair of the European Quantum Technologies Flagship strategy advisory board. We explore: * Whether Europe's fragmentation is a weakness or a hidden strength — and why she believes the continent has too many quantum startups * The timeline for a real quantum internet (2030) vs. a commercially valuable quantum computer (2035) * The critical difference between post-quantum cryptography and quantum communication — math versus physics * What she learned going from academia to co-founding a startup, and why she believes modular quantum computing will beat monolithic designs * What she would do with €1 billion to deploy in quantum today Plus, Eleni shares the one thing the industry believes that is probably wrong — and why she is "all for regulation" of emerging technologies. 🎙️ Guest: Professor Eleni Diamanti | PCQT, Welinq 🎧 Host: Eva | Blond & Quantum If you enjoyed this conversation, don't forget to like, subscribe, and share — more episodes with global leaders in quantum are coming soon. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2551967/support]

Blond & Quantum: Early-Stage Startups — Featuring Ish Dhand | QC Design

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2551967/fan_mail/new]   In this episode of Blond & Quantum, I sit down with Ish Dhand, Founder and CEO of QC Design — a startup building the essential design automation (EDA) layer for fault-tolerant quantum computers. We dive deep into why designing scalable, error-corrected quantum computers has become the industry's biggest bottleneck. Ish explains how QC Design is turning 30 years of academic research into production software, allowing hardware teams to simulate 20+ hardware imperfections at once — something open-source tools cannot do. We also explore why QC Design competes with in-house teams (not other startups), how they achieved product-market fit in just six months, and why they are already cash flow positive. We also explore: * What the "EDA layer" means for quantum (and why Cadence is the blueprint) * The difference between logical qubits and logical sockets * Why hiring 20 PhDs is hard to do — and how software replaces them * How QC Design works across all hardware platforms (photonic, trapped ion, neutral atom, spin, superconducting) * The 3–5 year roadmap to 100+ logical qubits solving transformative problems * The real risk: what happens if no hardware platform reaches fault tolerance * Ish's advice for anyone wanting to become a quantum founder today 🎙️ Guest: Ish Dhand | Founder & CEO, QC Design 🎧 Host: Eva | Blond & Quantum If you enjoyed this conversation, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share — more episodes with global leaders in quantum are coming soon. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2551967/support]

Blond & Quantum 4: Quantum Advantage, Readiness & Real-World Use Cases | Michael Cuthbert, Director of NQCC

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2551967/fan_mail/new] In this episode of Blonde and Quantum, I sit down with Michael Cuthbert, Director of the UK's National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC) — the organisation established by the British government to shape and develop the quantum industry across the United Kingdom. We dive deep into the UK's quantum journey, from its pioneering 2014 national programme to the latest £1 billion government commitment. Michael shares insights on the NQCC's testbed programme (seven quantum computers across five qubit modalities), real-world use cases in healthcare, finance, and logistics, and the critical question of whether the UK can stay ahead in the global quantum race. We also explore: * The structure behind the UK's regional quantum hubs * What quantum advantage really means (and why it matters) * How companies can achieve quantum readiness today * What CEOs should do to prepare for the quantum era * And Michael's personal take on the future of quantum in healthcare Plus, I make a rather memorable mispronunciation of Oxford Ionics — twice. 🙈 My sincerest apologies to Michael and the team! 🎙️ Guest: Michael Cuthbert | Director, National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC) 🎧 Host: Eva Galant | Founder, investor, and creator of Blond & Quantum If you enjoyed this conversation, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share — more episodes with global leaders in quantum are coming soon. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2551967/support]

Blond & Quantum #3: “Betting early on quantum: inside a $260M quantum & physics fund” with Olivier Tonneau, Partner at Quantonation

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2551967/fan_mail/new] In this episode of Blond & Quantum, Eva sits down with Olivier Tonneau from Quantonation to unpack what it really takes to build — and back — a global quantum ecosystem. Fresh off closing more than $260M for Fund II, Olivier shares what this milestone signals not just for Quantonation, but for the entire deep-tech and quantum landscape. We go back to 2018, when investing in quantum was still considered niche and risky, and explore what gave Quantonation the conviction to move early while others hesitated. We discuss first-mover advantages, competitive dynamics among quantum investors, and where the strongest global startup momentum is emerging today. Olivier also reveals which types of quantum companies are scaling fastest, what business models are already working despite early-stage hardware, and how startups are generating real traction now — not in some distant future. The conversation dives into the critical triangle between governments, venture capital, and startups, and why coordinated ecosystems — not just breakthrough physics — determine who wins the quantum race. Olivier also explains why Quantonation builds companies through venture studios across multiple countries, and how those startups differ from traditional founders. Finally, we look ahead five years: which industries quantum will disrupt first, what shifts investors should watch closely, and whether there’s a deal Olivier wishes he could still invest in. If you want a clear, insider view of where quantum is actually heading — beyond hype — this episode is your roadmap. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2551967/support]