Nanoacademic Technologies, provider of digital simulation and modeling tools for quantum technologies, and Kothar Computing, a scientific computing toolmaker that transforms how problems are modeled, solved, and documented, have entered into a partnership.
Together, they are building the “world’s first” Quantum Electronic Design Automation (EDA) software suite: a simulation and design framework that allows researchers and engineers to model, optimize, and scale semiconductor spin qubit and superconducting qubit based quantum chips.
The partnership unites Nanoacademic’s industry-leading TCAD (Technology Computer-Aided Design) software for device-level modeling with Kothar’s many-body solvers and computational frameworks capable of simulating complex quantum systems at high resolution.
Nanoacademic’s QTCAD provides high resolution physical models of the semiconductor spin or superconducting qubits, while Kothar solves these models at speeds enabling an interactive experience while designing quantum processors.
This enables chipmakers to design, test, and validate quantum processors virtually, “dramatically reducing the cost and risk of fabrication”, according to the press release.
“The modern semiconductor industry would not exist without EDA,” said Félix Beaudoin, CEO of Nanoacademic Technologies.
Beaudoin said quantum computers will need chips with thousands, if not millions of qubits, yet EDA solutions that can model quantum devices at the needed scale to achieve this do not exist today.
“By joining forces with Kothar, we’re developing scalable quantum EDA solutions that combine Nanoacademic’s domain expertise in physics-based modeling with Kothar’s powerful quantum many-body solvers,” he said. “Together, we’re building the foundation for the next generation of quantum computers.”
This collaboration mirrors the pivotal moment in classical computing when TCAD and EDA tools unlocked the ability to scale transistors from thousands to billions. Spin qubits, with their low error rates, small footprint, and compatibility with standard semiconductor foundries, are among the most promising paths toward practical quantum computers.
By delivering a unified toolchain that spans both semiconductor spin and superconducting qubits, Nanoacademic and Kothar aim to create the missing infrastructure that allows the quantum industry to transition from prototype lab processors to industrial-scale chip design.
“A core bottleneck in quantum processor design is the simulation of highly correlated quantum materials,” said Jonathon Riddell, CEO of Kothar Computing.
“This is a classic chicken and egg problem: the quantum community wants to build quantum computers to simulate hard quantum problems, but are struggling to build these devices because existing tools are unable to simulate hard quantum problems,” said Riddell.
He said this same bottleneck has hampered progress across physics, chemistry and materials science. Kothar’s Forge breaks through this wall by integrating directly with Nanoacademic’s TCAD layer, enabling the simulation of quantum systems orders of magnitude faster, and also enabling the simulation of larger, more complex systems.
“We’re giving researchers the ability to rapidly model the atomic-level behavior of individual qubits and the compact model of a quantum processor,” Riddell added.
Mark Kamper Svendsen, assistant professor and group leader at the Niels Bohr Institute, said that with QTCAD, researchers at the institute can simulate and refine qubit designs before fabrication, accelerating discovery and reducing costly trial-and-error in the lab.
“Such quantitatively accurate predictions will be a key asset to turn theoretical ideas into practical quantum chip designs toward scalable quantum computation,” added Vincent Philippe Michal, assistant professor at the Niels Bohr Institute.
The partnership signals a critical inflection point for quantum design by transforming what was once a physics problem into an engineering process. Together, Nanoacademic and Kothar aim to lay the groundwork for fault-tolerant, foundry-ready quantum chips.
It is expected that, soon, quantum computer architects will be able to integrate the Forge with QTCAD and leverage an integrated workflow by purchasing both licenses separately.
