SpinQ Aims for 500 Qubits as Quantum Computing Race Accelerates

Quantum computing could reach a practical tipping point within the next three to five years, according to Shenzhen-based startup SpinQ. Founded in 2018, the company projects that machines harnessing approximately 500 qubits will begin solving real-world problems — a significant leap toward commercial quantum advantage.

SpinQ, headquartered in the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Hetao Cooperation Zone, operates at the intersection of research and industrial-scale quantum computing. The company develops both educational and industrial-grade systems, including small nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) quantum computers with about three qubits, and superconducting quantum machines supporting up to 20 qubits. In 2020, SpinQ introduced the world’s first programmable desktop NMR quantum computer. In 2023, it marked a national milestone by exporting China’s first superconducting quantum chip to the Middle East.

SpinQ’s customers span over 40 countries, purchasing quantum hardware and software ranging from educational kits to complete superconducting quantum systems, measurement-control infrastructure, and applications. Despite commercial momentum, CEO Xiang Jingen maintains that widespread applicability is still years away. He likens the current state of quantum computing to the semiconductor industry in the 1950s, a period of transition from vacuum tubes to transistors and integrated circuits. Xiang asserts that achieving the 500-qubit threshold — alongside high fidelity and long coherence times — will be essential for meaningful applications in fields like chemistry, logistics, and cryptography.

Quantum computing differs from classical computing by leveraging qubits that can represent 0 and 1 simultaneously via quantum superposition. This allows complex computations to be performed exponentially faster, although performance depends heavily on qubit quality, coherence time, and error correction. According to SCMP Xiang emphasized that quantum computers will not replace classical ones, but rather complement them, similar to how airplanes serve different roles than cars.

SpinQ expects to deliver a 100-qubit system by the end of 2025. Yet, reaching 500 qubits remains a more significant milestone, as it would allow limited fault-tolerant quantum applications. This technological push comes at a time when the global quantum race is intensifying. In December 2024, Google introduced Willow, a 105-qubit chip capable of outperforming supercomputers in highly complex tasks. Microsoft and Amazon followed in early 2025 with their respective eight-qubit and nine-qubit chips. Meanwhile, IBM continues development on its Quantum Starling project, targeting a fault-tolerant quantum computer by 2029.

Despite these advances, Xiang estimates that China lags the U.S. by about three years in quantum development — a gap that matters significantly in such a fast-evolving sector. China, however, is accelerating efforts. Quantum technology has been designated a strategic emerging sector since 2016 in China’s five-year plans. In 2021, the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) established the country’s first undergraduate quantum information science program, setting a precedent for over a dozen other institutions.

SpinQ operates within a robust regional ecosystem. The Hetao zone includes multiple quantum research centers such as the Shenzhen International Quantum Academy and the Quantum Science Centre of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Hefei, home to USTC, has also built China’s first dedicated quantum industrial park — “Quantum Avenue” — which hosts companies like QuantumCTek and Origin Quantum.

Profitability, Xiang said, is a long-term objective. The sector remains heavily dependent on sustained investment in research and development. Nonetheless, SpinQ is already experiencing strong sales growth in educational quantum tools and superconducting systems priced in the tens of millions of yuan. The company recently closed a Series B round worth several hundred million yuan, backed by CCB Private Equity Investment Management, Wuxi’s Liangxi Sci-Tech City Development Fund, and institutional investors including StarsUp Investment and Huaqiang Capital.

As quantum computing gains commercial and academic traction worldwide, SpinQ positions itself as one of China’s front-runners aiming to close the technological gap. Its near-term focus remains scaling its systems and refining qubit performance, while laying the groundwork for quantum’s integration into practical industry applications.