Cracking the Code at Iceberg Quantum: The Translation Journey, from Lab to Launch

A trio of PhDs, a breakthrough in error correction, and the program that helped it take flight

Quantum computing holds revolutionary promise, but only if it can overcome one key challenge: error correction.

That challenge led three EQUS/University of Sydney PhD students to a groundbreaking solution. With help from the EQUS Translational Research Program, they transformed theory into a startup – and landed their first major industry partnership.

The Error Correction Challenge

Quantum computers are highly susceptible to errors.

The predominant approach for implementing quantum error correction, the surface code, requires a large number of additional qubits and has resulted in hardware blueprints that would take decades to develop, if they can be built at all.

To turn quantum computing into a real technology, new error correction strategies with dramatically reduced overhead are needed.

The solution developed by EQUS alums Felix Thomsen, Larry Cohen, and Sam Smith – while they were still PhD candidates at University of Sydney – recently raised $2 million in pre-seed funding and secured a partnership with world-leading quantum company PsiQuantum.

Exploiting features of the hardware such as non-locality and noise bias, the team could propose fault-tolerant schemes with a much lower overhead than previously thought possible, offering practical designs for that will guide the development of the next generation of hardware

The Breakthrough: Non-Local Codes

The story of Iceberg Quantum began while its three founders – Felix, Larry, and Sam – were still PhD students at the University of Sydney. Working under the supervision of Prof. Stephen Bartlett, a world leader in quantum error correction, they had invented a novel approach to reducing the overhead required for fault-tolerant quantum computing.

Their successful innovations – including non-local codes, logical gate designs, noise-bias-aware strategies, and local pre-decoding to reduce latency –  produced new quantum error correction schemes with drastically reduced overheads, and a number of high-impact publications.

But while the research was groundbreaking, the road to real-world impact required more than just a good paper – it required time, structure, support, and financial backing.

Bridging the Gap: Turning Theory into Technology

Enter  EQUS's Translational Research Program (TRP), which is designed to bridge the gap between fundamental research and commercial application.

“The EQUS Translational Program was very valuable to us in assisting us during the period between starting the company and being in a position where we could raise a pre-seed round,” says Sam Smith.

That TRP seed funding providing 6 months’ salary each, giving the team the time to fully dedicate themselves to their idea.

During the 6 month project, the team wrote software for testing out and validating the performance of LDPC code constructions (de-risking the technology through software simulations), engaged with hardware companies towards informing the design and securing a first commercial partner, and worked to raise venture capital supporting the next step.

As part of TRP, the team received tailored advice and mentoring, connecting with experienced entrepreneurs and venture capitalists. EQUS facilitated introductions to key figures in the investment and quantum communities.

Customer Discovery and Development: A Co-Evolutionary Process

“Iterating with industry”

The 6-month period was intensely productive from a software development point of view.

“Our software allows for constructing multiple types of codes with varying parameters, delivering software to perform simulations under hardware agnostic error models, and designing architecture for multiple potential hardware platforms, explains Larry Cohen.

During the company engagement phase of the TRP project, the team conducted a customer discovery exercise that considered companies’ internal capabilities and existing architecture teams.

As a result, less than a year after completing TRP, the Iceberg team signed an agreement was with one of the world’s leading quantum companies, PsiQuantum.

Rather than treating engagement as a separate activity, the team integrated potential customer/user feedback into technical development, using those conversations with hardware companies to guide their own decisions about design trade-offs and simulation priorities

“Discussions with PsiQuantum and other hardware companies provided valuable insights into specific hardware constraints, informing optimisation of our fault-tolerant architectures,” says Felix . “Hardware constraints vary significantly across platforms, requiring tailored approaches.”

Venture capital raising was also successful, with the team raising $2M in pre-seed funding.

Minimal Bureaucracy, Maximum Impact

A deliberate design feature of TRP is its simplicity, providing just enough structure to support progress without getting in the way.

All three founders emphasised how TRP’s low administrative burden was crucial, allowing them to focus fully on development and fundraising rather than on reporting.

“The lack of bureaucracy meant we could focus our time on translating our research and setting up our company,” says Larry.

 “The program was very good at providing support during an important time for us, without a large amount of overhead or reporting requirements to satisfy the program. This was important because it allowed us to focus our efforts on raising our first round of funding.” – Sam.

“There are a lot of barriers preventing PhD students and postdocs from starting companies, such as slightly different graduation timelines for the founding team, the challenge of simultaneously writing up a thesis and preparing to fundraise, and the prospect/risk of having no income until venture or other funding is secured. EQUS’s Translation Program does well at addressing these challenges while imposing minimal additional administrative burden.” – Felix.

With a foundation built on cutting-edge research, sharpened through customer insight, and made possible by targeted support, Iceberg Quantum is now positioned at the forefront of the fault-tolerant quantum revolution.