February 08, 2018

The Co-Inventor of BlackBerry Is Building Canada’s Quantum Brain Trust

Source: Bloomberg Businessweek

Journalists: Natalie Wong, Jeremy Kahn

It’s early days for quantum computers, the still mostly theoretical subatomic processors so powerful they can make our fastest supercomputer look like an abacus. Mike Lazaridis, the co-inventor of the BlackBerry, says that when it comes to quantum technology, he’s learned his lesson. He won’t be iPhoned again.

After years of watching his brand wither during the iPhone era, Lazaridis stepped down as the company’s co-chief executive officer in 2012 and devoted most of his energy to researching quantum technologies, including computers, sensors, and a wide range of other gear. With former BlackBerry colleague Doug Fregin, he’s poured more than $450 million into quantum projects over the past two decades and now spends much of his time running the $80 million venture company Quantum Valley Investments from his office in Waterloo, Ont., where BlackBerry Ltd. got its start.

Read the full article here.

Author

  • Elsa B. Kania

    Adjunct Senior Fellow, Technology and National Security Program

    Elsa B. Kania is an Adjunct Senior Fellow with the Technology and National Security Program at the Center for a New American Security. Her research focuses on Chinese military...