D-Wave, a Vancouver-based pioneer in quantum computing, announced today that it was preparing to go public through a special purpose acquisition company, or SPAC.
According to a company news release, the company has entered into a definitive transaction agreement with DPCM Capital, Inc. (NYSE: XPOA), a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company (“DPCM Capital”). The company would then trade on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).
“Today marks an inflection point signaling that quantum computing has moved beyond just theory and government-funded research to deliver commercial quantum solutions for business,” said Alan Baratz, CEO, D-Wave, said in the release. “D-Wave, along with DPCM Capital and our new and long-term investors PSP Investments, Goldman Sachs Asset Management (Goldman Sachs), NEC Corporation, Yorkville Advisors, and Aegis Group Partners, collectively believe that this isn’t a moment of hope or science. Instead, we believe this event represents a moment of practical value creation for customers and for investors. We are working with our customers to identify applications with high likelihood of quantum value and to translate those problems to run on the quantum computer and then validate that value. We expect this ‘value creation and validation’ to accelerate as an increasing number of diverse use cases emerge—creating a robust cycle of product delivery, application development, and market growth.”
The release states that D-Wave (TQI: D-Wave) would have a pro-forma implied market capitalization of the combined company is up to $1.6 billion USD. The transaction, itself, would result in up to $340 million USD in gross proceeds, including a $40 million USD PIPE.
PSP Investments, Goldman Sachs Asset Management, NEC Corporation, Yorkville Advisors, and Aegis Group Partners all will participate in the move.
In a statement, Baratz added the move was meant to help deliver practical quantum computing to its customers and future customers.
“This strategic transaction is expected to fund and accelerate our strategy to deliver practical business value to you,” Baratz said in the statement. “We plan to do this by building and delivering both annealing and gate-model quantum computers and further expanding the value of our real-time cloud service via powerful hybrid solvers and cross-platform developer tools that accelerate your ability to benefit from quantum computing.”
The funds will be aimed at further accelerate its delivery of in-production quantum applications for blue-chip customers and to build on the 200 plus U.S. patents that have been granted to D-Wave since its founding in 1999.
“While quantum computing is complex, its value and benefits are quite simple: finding solutions to problems that couldn’t be previously solved, or solving problems faster with more optimal results,” said Emil Michael, CEO, DPCM Capital, Inc. “D-Wave is at the forefront of developing this market, already delivering the significant benefits of quantum computing to major companies across the globe. As the only quantum computing company in the world that is building both annealing and gate-model quantum computers, D-Wave will have access to the full projected $150 billion quantum computing total addressable market (TAM). With the near-term TAM expected to exceed $1 billion, and the potential for the TAM to rapidly expand as annealing quantum computing applications mature and gate-model applications emerge, we are confident that D-Wave will continue to deliver long-term value to stockholders by accelerating the commercial quantum computing market.”Good For Canada
The transaction also represents a milestone in Canada’s market-leading development of a robust quantum ecosystem. Ground-breaking research and development (R&D) will continue to be centered at D-Wave’s British Columbia-based Quantum Center for Excellence. D-Wave’s R&D focus will be on the next generations of annealing quantum computers, advancing its gate-model program, and continuing to enhance D-Wave’s Leap™ quantum cloud service, hybrid solvers, and software development tools. D-Wave expects to continue to grow its global footprint beyond the United States, Canada, Europe, Japan, Singapore, and Australia to other emerging markets for quantum computing.
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