Cool start-up will break down barriers for quantum tech innovators
It takes a lot of money to start inventing quantum technology. Even the most basic equipment will set you back some one to two million dollars. This is a barrier that prevents many quantum talents from launching their own quantum tech start-up. It’s also a barrier, that the company Maybell Quantum aims to knock down. The company opened a European headquarter in Copenhagen Science City in January 2024. By Jes Andersen.
The right time to be in Denmark
Maybell was launched in Denver, USA in 2021. The company set up their subsidiary in Copenhagen to become part of the vibrant local quantum ecosystem, and in order to get access to a large and growing pool of European talent. According to COO Bryan Choo now is the right time to be in Denmark. Denmark is also happy to have them.
Copenhagen has a 100 year history of excellent research in quantum science. In recent years and months, we have focussed on developing an eco-system to support those who would commercialise their research breakthroughs. In Copenhagen Science City we are excited to welcome companies such as Maybell who want to be part of this”: Kristoffer Klebak, Head of Secretariat, Copenhagen Science City.
Capital F reFridgerator
The first bit of quantum kit, a would-be innovator dealing with hardware needs to buy, is a Fridge… And the capital F is fitting. Most quantum hardware starts working only at temperatures near absolute zero. In order to provide easy to use, reliable and scalable refrigeration, Maybell Quantum re-imagined the refrigerator used for quantum tech experiments.
Dilution refrigerators for quantum experiments haven’t changed much in the past sixty years. We wanted to prepare cooling technology for the needs that will come as quantum researchers go from short term experiments to running qubits for months or years”: Bryan Choo, COO, Maybell Quantum.
Next step: Cooling as service
Maybell’s first products are hard tech. They are Capital F Fridges and Capital W Wiring. Next step is a turnkey solution – MayQ (pronounced Make) Labs, where researchers and start-ups can rent full-service cooling services for their innovative quantum devices.
We developed our fridges, wires and MayQ Lab solutions because we saw too many highly trained scientists fiddling with leaky refrigerators and faulty wiring. We want to enable them to focus on their research and development instead. If we take responsibility for the potential headaches of refrigeration, we sincerely believe that we can jumpstart the innovative capacity of others”: Bryan Choo, COO, Maybell Quantum.
European hub with R&D-capabilty
Maybell’s Copenhagen office is an important one for the company – not only will it be a large R&D unit with talent from all around Europe but it will also provide connectivity to Maybell’s many European customers.
We see a lot of great innovation happening in Copenhagen. In academia as well as in companies. We also see support from public as well as private actors. We want to be the preferred infrastructure provider for the innovators and be a part of this community, this journey. We are proud to be a Danish company”: Bryan Choo, COO, Maybell Quantum.
A thriving quantum community in Copenhagen Science City
University of Copenhagen has been a global centre for quantum research since 1922 when physicist Niels Bohr leveraged a Nobel Prize into funding for an institute bearing his name. More recently, several other initiatives have co-located in Copenhagen Science City in order to build on the innovation districts’ thriving quantum community.
- NATO DIANA Quantum Centre.
- University of Copenhagen’s Novo Nordisk Foundation Quantum Computing Programme.
- The Quantum Foundry.
- A.P. Møller Foundation “Center for Educational Quantum Advantage”.
- Deep Tech Lab Quantum.
- University of Copenhagen MSc programme in Quantum Science.
- Copenhagen Center for Biomedical Quantum Sensing
About Copenhagen Science City
Join us in Copenhagen Science City – a world-class innovation district where you can transform your bright ideas into growth, jobs, and global solutions.
- Co-locate with University of Copenhagen, University Hospital Rigshospitalet, University
- College Copenhagen (KP) and 500 innovative companies.
- Co-create with 40,000 researchers, staff and students.
- Collaborate to develop new solutions to societal challenges.
- Find a job with leading academic institutions and deep-tech companies.
