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Why Join a Quantum Tech Startup?

Five reasons to pursue a career in quantum technology

The field is very young by most measures

QT startups raised a total of $1.85 billion in 2021. Even though that is double the pace of the previous year, it is a thimbleful compared to the $66.8 billion that AI startups raised in the same year. BCG estimates that the industry could be worth $450 billion when it reaches full-scale fault tolerance. That is over 800x where it is now ($550 million in 2021).

You'll likely have a long career

Skilled job opportunities are outpacing the number of graduates produced. McKinsey noted that there were 851 active QT job postings in Dec 2021. In comparison, there are 290 quantum technology master's-level graduates yearly. That's a gap of about 3 to 1! This can be addressed by upskilling graduates in related fields, but that will take time.

Digital computer chips are rapidly approaching their physical size limits

IBM's 2-nanometer chip technology puts 50 billion transistors on a space less than the size of a fingernail. Each transistor is the size of about 5 atoms. Quantum computing is almost an inevitable requirement if we expect overall computing power to continue increasing.

You don't need a PhD in Physics to join a QT startup

Even QT companies need quality people in operations, business development, marketing and sales. Not to mention all the other vital supporting roles. And these roles will become more plentiful as the industry matures. We have a list of non-technical roles at Quantum Tech companies here.

You have a chance at the IPO lottery

Joining a nascent field like QT gives you opportunity to not only earn a high salary but to join a startup that grows into a industry defining company. i.e. you could make life changing money. Which company is going to become the quantum Nvidia?