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Inside the Quantum Infrastructure Revolution with Carmen Palacios-Berraquero, Founder & CEO @ Nu Quantum

September 3, 2025·42 min

Carmen Palacios-Berraquero, founder and CEO of Nu Quantum, joins the hosts to discuss her company's pioneering work in quantum networking. This episode explores the infrastructure needed to scale quantum computers from lab experiments to practical, powerful machines. Palacios-Berraquero explains that Nu Quantum is building the networking layer to connect many small quantum processors, similar to how classical data centers interconnect CPUs and GPUs. She clarifies that quantum bits, or qubits, leverage superposition and entanglement to explore computational possibilities exponentially faster than classical bits. Nu Quantum was founded in 2018, initially developing component-level quantum devices before pivoting to focus squarely on the networking challenge after identifying a critical market gap. The company's technology aims to create an "entanglement fabric" between physically separate quantum processors, effectively forming one large computer. Key technical hurdles involve innovating across hardware, including qubit-photon interfaces, photonic switching, and control systems, to move from academic demonstrations to robust, high-performance systems. A surprising insight is that several quantum infrastructure companies, including Nu Quantum, already generate revenue, often through government R&D contracts and sales of prototype systems. Palacios-Berraquero highlights a significant cultural challenge in merging teams of academic physicists with product-focused engineers. She responds to NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang's earlier skepticism by outlining a concrete timeline, predicting narrow quantum advantage by 2027-2028 and machines capable of breaking current encryption by around 2033. The discussion reveals that scaling quantum computers is shifting from a scientific challenge to an engineering roadmap, which quantum networking directly enables. Palacios-Berraquero demystifies quantum encryption threats, noting that new post-quantum cryptographic standards are being adopted and that public panic is unnecessary. She describes the founder's role in deep tech as requiring clarity of vision and the ability to inspire a team without relying on immediate commercial validation. Nu Quantum recently celebrated launching its first-generation Quantum Networking Unit, a market-first product that functions like a router for quantum data. Her key learning as a founder is that a functional, trusting team dynamic is paramount to overcoming any obstacle. The tone is educational and conversational, with the hosts guiding the discussion to unpack complex quantum concepts for a general tech audience. Listeners interested in deep tech, frontier computing, and the business of science will find this episode highly engaging. Those seeking discussions on immediately scalable software or consumer apps might find the long-term, hardware-focused narrative less directly applicable.

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