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This Week in Startups · July 24, 2026 · 45m 2s

Why quantum has been "10 years away" for 30 years | E2316

Kazuhiro Nakashoji
Show Notes

Jason sits down with Yaqumo CEO Kazuhiro Nakashoji in Tokyo to discuss why quantum computing has been perpetually '10 years away.' They dive into the fundamentals of qubits, the extreme fragility of quantum states that makes error correction so difficult, and the strategic decision to spin out university IP into a startup. Nakashoji shares his vision to build the 'Toyota of Quantum' — a reliable, scalable approach — and warns about the coming reckoning for current cryptography, including Bitcoin.

This summary was generated from show notes and public descriptions, not from a full transcript review. Details may contain inaccuracies.

Novel

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The 'Toyota of Quantum'00:28:01
Nakashoji envisions Yaqumo as the 'Toyota of Quantum'—building a reliable, scalable, and manufacturable quantum computer platform.
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Highlights

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What Is a Qubit?00:03:20
Nakashoji explains that a qubit is the fundamental unit of quantum computing, capable of existing in a superposition of both 0 and 1 simultaneously, unlike classical bits.
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Why Quantum Computers Are Fragile00:08:34
Quantum computers are extremely error-prone because qubits are delicate and easily disturbed by thermal noise or electromagnetic fields, causing decoherence.
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Spinning IP Out of the University Lab00:13:36
Nakashoji describes the process of spinning out quantum computing technology from the Institute for Molecular Science into a startup, Yaqumo.
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The Cryptography Reckoning
Nakashoji warns that scalable quantum computers will break current public-key cryptography, threatening assets like Bitcoin, and that the transition to post-quantum cryptography is urgent.
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Misc

✧Nakashoji's company Yaqumo spun out of Japan's Institute for Molecular Science.
✧He describes the vision to build the 'Toyota of Quantum' by making quantum machines reliable and mass-producible.
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