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We believe that our proprietary technology, our architecture and the technology exclusively available to us through license agreements will offer us advantages both in terms of research and development, as well as the commercial value of our intended product offerings.
−Removed: Today, we sell access to several quantum computers of various qubit capacities and are in the process of researching and developing technologies for quantum computers with increasing computational capabilities.
+Added: Today, we sell specialized quantum computing hardware together with related maintenance and support.
+Added: We also sell access to several quantum computers of various qubit capacities and are in the process of researching and developing technologies for quantum computers with increasing computational capabilities.
We currently make access to our quantum computers available via three major cloud platforms, Amazon Web Services’ (“AWS”) Amazon Braket, Microsoft’s Azure Quantum and Google’s Cloud Marketplace, and also to select customers via our own cloud service.
This cloud-based approach enables the broad availability of quantum-computing-as-a-service (“QCaaS”).
−Removed: We supplement our QCaaS offering with professional services focused on assisting our customers in applying quantum computing to their businesses.
+Added: We supplement our offerings with professional services focused on assisting our customers in applying quantum computing to their businesses.
We also expect to sell full quantum computing systems to customers, either over the cloud or for local access.
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Quantum computing uses information in a fundamentally different way than classical computing.
−Removed: Quantum computers are
−Removed: based on quantum bits (qubits), a fundamental unit that can exist in both states 0 and 1 simultaneously (superposition).
+Added: Quantum computers are based on quantum bits (qubits), a fundamental unit that can exist in both states 0 and 1 simultaneously (superposition).
As a result, we believe that quantum computers can address a set of problems classical computing may never solve.
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The future success of quantum computing will be based on the development of a computer with a substantially higher number of qubits than our current computers.
−Removed: We believe that we will find solutions to these challenges and that our proprietary technology and architecture and the technology exclusively available to us through exclusive license agreements will offer advantages both in terms of research and development as well as the ultimate product we wish to offer customers.
+Added: We believe that we will find solutions to these challenges and that our proprietary technology and
+Added: architecture and the technology exclusively available to us through exclusive license agreements will offer advantages both in terms of research and development as well as the ultimate product we wish to offer customers.
There are certainly thousands, if not millions, of important and fundamental unanswered questions about how the universe works and opportunities associated with the answers to those questions.
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We intend to build upon our technological lead by leveraging our world-class team of leaders and engineers who are pioneers in quantum computing, with proven track records in innovation and technical leadership.
−Removed: To date, we have developed and assembled eight generations of quantum computer prototypes and systems, have constructed quantum operating systems and software tools, and have worked with leading cloud vendors, quantum programming languages and quantum software development kits (“SDKs”).
+Added: To date, we have developed and assembled nine generations of quantum computer prototypes and systems, have constructed quantum operating systems and software tools, and have worked with leading cloud vendors, quantum programming languages and quantum software development kits (“SDKs”).
+Added: • Selling Direct Access to Quantum Computers .
+Added: We sell specialized quantum computing hardware to select customers, complemented by access to quantum experts and algorithm development capabilities.
+Added: We intend to sell direct access to the quantum computers we manufacture, with units offered on a whole system or usage basis.
+Added: We believe that by offering direct access to quantum computing, supplemented by our professional services, we can assist select customers in deepening their application of quantum solutions.
• Offering QCaaS .
−Removed: We intend to provide QCaaS, complemented by access to quantum experts and algorithm development capabilities.
−Removed: We plan to manufacture, own and operate quantum computers, with compute units offered on a usage basis.
+Added: We provide QCaaS, complemented by access to quantum experts and algorithm development capabilities.
+Added: We manufacture, own and operate quantum computers.
Our quantum computing solution is currently delivered via AWS’s Amazon Braket, Microsoft’s Azure Quantum and Google’s Cloud Marketplace.
We believe that by offering QCaaS, we can accelerate the adoption of our quantum computing solutions, while efficiently promoting quantum computing across our partner ecosystems.
−Removed: Selling Direct Access to Quantum Computers .
−Removed: We intend to sell direct access to the quantum computers we manufacture, with units offered on a whole system or usage basis.
−Removed: We believe that by offering direct access to quantum computing, we can assist select customers in deepening their application of quantum solutions.
• Continuing to Enhance Our Proprietary Position .
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The potential uses for quantum applications are widespread and address a number of problems that would be impossible to solve using classical computing technology.
−Removed: According to a 2020 report from P&S Intelligence, the total addressable market of quantum computing is expected to be approximately $65 billion by 2030.
Below are a few of the use cases in which we believe quantum computers, if they are successfully developed, will become an important tool for businesses to remain competitive in the market over the coming years.
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For example, computer-aided drug discovery in the pharmaceutical industry is limited by the computing time and resources required to simulate a large enough chemical system with sufficient accuracy to be useful.
−Removed: If future generations of more powerful quantum computers are successfully developed, we believe that we could improve the speed and accuracy of virtual high-throughput screening and improve the molecular docking predictions used in structure-based drug discovery, dramatically reducing the development cost of new drugs and reducing the time to market.
+Added: If future generations of more powerful quantum computers are successfully developed, we believe that we could improve the speed and accuracy of virtual high-throughput screening
+Added: and improve the molecular docking predictions used in structure-based drug discovery, dramatically reducing the development cost of new drugs and reducing the time to market.
Similarly, we believe that developing a detailed understanding of chemical reactions critical to various industries, such as catalytic reaction in battery chemistry for electric vehicles, can lead to higher performing solutions with extended energy storage capacity.
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Optimization problems have enormous economic significance in many industries, and they often cannot be solved with classical computers due to their daunting complexity.
−Removed: Quantum algorithms are naturally suited for
−Removed: problems in which an exponential number of possibilities must be considered before an optimized output can be identified.
+Added: Quantum algorithms are naturally suited for problems in which an exponential number of possibilities must be considered before an optimized output can be identified.
It is widely believed that quantum computers will be able to arrive at a better approximate optimization solution than classical computers can, and with reduced computational cost and time.
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Although none of these challenges have yet been fully solved, we believe that we are well positioned to do so.
−Removed: A 2019 publicly available report by a leading third-party consulting firm describes these phases—and the associated technical barriers—as paraphrased below:
+Added: publicly available report by a leading third-party consulting firm describes these phases—and the associated technical barriers—as paraphrased below:
• Noisy and intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) computers :
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This last stage will see large modular quantum computers with enough power to tackle a wide array of commercial applications relevant to many sectors of the economy.
−Removed: this stage, classical computers are expected to no longer compete with quantum computers in many fields.
+Added: At this stage, classical computers are expected to no longer compete with quantum computers in many fields.
The technical barrier will be the adoption of a modular quantum computer architecture that allows the scalable manufacturing of large quantum computer systems.
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Although modest cryogenics (< 10 degrees above absolute zero) can be used to dramatically improve the vacuum environment, the inherent properties of the qubits themselves do not degrade at room temperature.
−Removed: The laser-cooling of
−Removed: the qubits themselves is extremely efficient because the atomic ions have very little mass and this requires just a single low-power laser beam (microwatts).
+Added: The laser-cooling of the qubits themselves is extremely efficient because the atomic ions have very little mass and this requires just a single low-power laser beam (microwatts).
This allows us to minimize the system size as technology progresses, while scaling the compute power and simultaneously reducing costs.
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We expect that our future quantum computers based on barium ions will be faster, more powerful, more easily interconnected, and that feature more uptime for customers.
−Removed: Moreover, we believe that as systems with other qubit technologies scale up, their restricted
−Removed: connectivity and high error-correction overhead will significantly slow down their overall computation time, which we believe will make the trapped ion approach more competitive in terms of operational speed.
+Added: Moreover, we believe that as systems with other qubit technologies scale up, their restricted connectivity and high error-correction overhead will significantly slow down their overall computation time, which we believe will make the trapped ion approach more competitive in terms of operational speed.
Our Trapped Ion Implementation
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This technology, known as a photonic interconnect, uses light particles to communicate between qubits while keeping information stored stably on either end of the interconnect.
−Removed: The basic protocol for this photonic interconnect between ion traps in two different vacuum chambers was first realized by our co-founder Christopher Monroe’s research team in 2007.
+Added: The basic protocol for this photonic interconnect between ion traps in two different vacuum chambers was first realized in 2007.
We believe this protocol can be combined with all-optical switching technology to enable multi-QPU quantum computers at large scale.
−Removed: We have deep expertise
−Removed: in photonics;
−Removed: while at Bell Labs, co-founder Jungsang Kim led a team to build the world’s largest optical switch.
−Removed: Photonic interconnects are designed to allow our systems to compute with entangled qubits spanning multiple QPUs, which we believe can open up the possibility of scaling quantum computers indefinitely, similar to how high-performance computers and data centers have been scaled.
+Added: We at IonQ have assembled a team with deep expertise in photonics and are designing Photonic Interconnects that will enable our systems to compute with entangled qubits spanning multiple QPUs.
+Added: We believe this can open up the possibility of scaling quantum computers indefinitely, similar to how high-performance computers and data centers have been scaled.
Our quantum architecture is modular, meaning that if development of this architecture is successful, the number of qubits in a QPU, or the number of QPUs in a system, could be scaled.
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Determining how many physical qubits are needed to form a more reliable logical qubit (the resource “overhead”) depends on both the error rate of the physical qubits and the specific error-correcting codes used.
−Removed: In 2020, our co-founder Dr.
−Removed: Monroe’s research team at the University of Maryland demonstrated the first error-corrected qubit using 13 trapped ion qubits.
+Added: In 2020, a team of researchers at the University of Maryland, including some current IonQ employees, demonstrated the first fault-tolerant error-corrected qubit using 13 trapped ion qubits.
With our unique architecture, we believe quantum error-correction can be completely coded in software, allowing varying levels and depths of quantum error-correction to be deployed as needed.
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We have published a roadmap for scaling to larger quantum computing systems, with concrete technological innovations designed to significantly improve the performance of the systems.
−Removed: For example, last year, we announced that through our partnership with the U.S.
+Added: For example, in 2022, we announced that through our partnership with the U.S.
Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (“PNNL”), we were able to shrink the barium source material down to a microscopic scale.
We believe this is significant because it will allow us to reduce the size of core system components, an important step in the creation of quantum computers small enough to be networked together.
−Removed: However, meeting future milestones included in our
−Removed: roadmap is not guaranteed and is dependent on various technological advancements, which could take longer than expected to realize or turn out to be impossible to achieve.
+Added: However, meeting future milestones included in our roadmap is not guaranteed and is dependent on various technological advancements, which could take longer than expected to realize or turn out to be impossible to achieve.
We believe that, with engineering advancements and firsts yet to be achieved, our quantum computers will become increasingly compact and transportable, opening up future applications of quantum computing at the edge.
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As part of this roadmap, we introduced the notion of “algorithmic qubits” as a metric to measure progress, and a detailed description of how to define and measure the number of algorithmic qubits (#AQ) in early 2022.
−Removed: Roughly speaking, #AQ represents the total number of qubits that can be used to perform a quantum computational task that involves an order of ~(#AQ)^2 entangling gate operations in a list of quantum algorithms that reflect representative real-world use cases of a quantum computer.
+Added: Roughly speaking, #AQ represents the total number of qubits that can be used to perform a quantum computational task that involves an order of ~(#AQ)^2 entangling gate operations in a list of quantum algorithms that reflect representative real-world use cases of a quantum computer.
This metric provides a simple and effective measure to estimate the computational power of each generation of quantum computers.
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as the #AQ available in each generation scales, the per-AQ cost is also reduced and enables true scaling of quantum computers.
−Removed: Our systems have benefitted from years of architectural focus on scalability that addresses both #AQ and per-AQ cost and, as such, we believe that if we are able to successfully solve remaining scalability challenges, these systems may become increasingly powerful and accessible in tandem.
+Added: Our systems have benefited from years of architectural focus on scalability that addresses both #AQ and per-AQ cost and, as such, we believe that if we are able to successfully solve remaining scalability challenges, these systems may become increasingly powerful and accessible in tandem.
At the heart of our approach is the modular architecture that may enable such growth.
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Our Business Model
−Removed: Quantum Computing and the Software-as-a-Service Model
+Added: Quantum Computing and the Compute Access Model
As quantum hardware matures, we expect the quantum computing industry to increasingly focus on practical applications for real-world problems, known as quantum algorithms.
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We envision providing quantum computing services, complemented by access to quantum experts and algorithm development capabilities, to solve some of the most challenging issues facing corporations, governments and other large-scale entities today.
−Removed: We intend to manufacture, own and operate quantum computers, with compute units being offered to potential customers on a QCaaS basis.
+Added: We intend to manufacture, own and operate quantum computers, with compute units being offered to potential customers through system hardware sales and on a QCaaS basis.
We expect our target markets to experience two stages of quantum algorithm deployment:
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We intend to form long-term partnerships with select industry-leading companies (aligned with our technology roadmap) to co-develop end-to-end solutions for the partner and to provide an early-adopter advantage to the partner in their industry.
−Removed: IonQ has announced co-development agreements with Hyundai Motor Company to pursue solutions for battery chemistry and with GE Research to apply quantum computing to risk management.
+Added: IonQ has announced co-development agreements with Hyundai Motor Company to pursue solutions for battery chemistry and with ZapataAI and the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), to help establish the next generation of benchmarking for quantum computers.
• Preferred compute agreements with clients .
We expect our preferred offerings to give the customer’s application engineers direct access to our cutting-edge quantum systems, as well as technical support to pursue their solution development.
−Removed: Cloud access to quantum computing .
−Removed: Our current and future cloud partnerships with AWS’s Amazon Braket, Microsoft’s Azure Quantum, Google’s Cloud Marketplace and other cloud providers are or will be designed to make access to quantum computing hardware available to a broader community of quantum programmers.
• Dedicated hardware .
−Removed: We anticipate manufacturing and selling complete quantum systems for dedicated use by a single customer, to be hosted on premises by the customer or remotely by us.
+Added: We sell certain specialized quantum computing hardware to select customers.
+Added: We also anticipate manufacturing and selling complete quantum systems for dedicated use by a single customer, to be hosted on premises by the customer or remotely by us.
+Added: • Cloud access to quantum computing .
+Added: Our current and future cloud partnerships with AWS’s Amazon Braket, Microsoft’s Azure Quantum, Google’s Cloud Marketplace and other cloud providers are designed and will continue to be designed to make access to quantum computing hardware available to a broader community of quantum programmers.
Application Phase :
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We intend to provide opportunities for accelerated applications development to customers seeking compressed development timelines to solve some of their biggest problems and drive efficiencies.
−Removed: We expect the technical complexity of the solutions required for quantum algorithms to address each application area will impact the timing of that market’s inflection point and transition from the development phase to the application phase.
+Added: We expect the technical complexity of the solutions required for quantum algorithms to address how each application area will impact the timing of that market’s inflection point and transition from the development phase to the application phase.
During the NISQ computing era, we expect quantum machine learning to be the first solution to transition into broadly available applications.
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Customers and Prospects
+Added: Quantum Computing Systems and Hardware
+Added: We sell certain specialized quantum computing hardware to select customers.
+Added: We are also engaged with certain prospects who are interested in purchasing partial or entire quantum computing systems, either over the cloud or for local access.
+Added: Direct Access Customers
+Added: By directly integrating with us, customers can reserve dedicated execution windows, receive concierge-level application development support, gain early access to next-generation hardware, or host their own quantum computer.
+Added: Such access is currently limited to a select group of end-users.
+Added: We expect our standard offerings will include additional bundled value-add services in exchange for an annual commitment, such as reserved system time, consultations with solution scientists, and other application and integration support.
We sell access to our quantum computing solutions via AWS’s Amazon Braket, Microsoft’s Azure Quantum, and Google’s Cloud Marketplace, and directly to select customers via our own cloud service.
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These platforms serve an important purpose in the quantum ecosystem, allowing virtually anyone to try our systems without an upfront commitment or needing to integrate with our platform.
−Removed: Direct Access Customers
−Removed: By directly integrating with us, customers can reserve dedicated execution windows, receive concierge-level application development support, gain early access to next-generation hardware, or host their own quantum computer.
−Removed: Such access is currently limited to a select group of end-users.
−Removed: We expect our standard offerings will include additional bundled value-add services in exchange for an annual commitment, such as usage-based access to our cloud platform, reserved system time, consultations with solution scientists, and other application and integration support.
−Removed: Quantum Computing Systems and Hardware
−Removed: We are engaged with certain prospects who are interested in purchasing partial or entire quantum computing systems, either over the cloud or for local access.
−Removed: We also sell certain specialized quantum computing hardware to select customers.
Government Agencies
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Exclusive License Agreement
−Removed: In July 2016, we entered into a license agreement with the University of Maryland and Duke University, which was subsequently amended in September 2017, October 2017, October 2018, February 2021, April 2021 and September 2021 (as amended, the “License Agreement”), under which we obtained a worldwide, royalty-free, sublicensable license under certain patents, know-how and other intellectual property to develop, manufacture and commercialize products for use in certain licensed fields, the scope of which would include the application of the licensed intellectual property in ion trap quantum computing.
+Added: In July 2016, we entered into a license agreement with the University of Maryland ("UMD") and Duke University (“Duke”), which was subsequently amended in September 2017, October 2017, October 2018, February 2021, April 2021, September 2021, and January 2023 (as amended, the “License Agreement”), under which we obtained a worldwide, royalty-free, sublicensable license under certain patents, know-how and other intellectual property to develop, manufacture and commercialize products for use in certain licensed fields, the scope of which includes the application of the licensed intellectual property in ion trap quantum computing.
The License Agreement provides an exclusive license under the Universities’ interest in all patents (and non-exclusive for other types of intellectual property), subject to certain governmental rights and retained rights by the Universities and other non-profit institutions to use and practice the licensed patents and technology for internal research and other non-profit purposes.
−Removed: We also entered into an exclusive option agreement (“Option Agreement”) with each of the Universities in 2016 whereby we have the right to exclusively license additional intellectual property developed by the Universities by exercising an annual option and issuing a certain number of common shares to each of Duke University and University of Maryland.
+Added: We also entered into an exclusive option agreement (“Option Agreement”) with each of the Universities in 2016 whereby we have the right to exclusively license additional intellectual property developed by the Universities by exercising an annual option and issuing a certain number of common shares to each of Duke and UMD.
We are obligated to use commercially reasonable efforts to commercialize the inventions covered by the licensed patent rights and achieve certain milestones, including the hiring of a Chief Executive Officer, obtaining equity financing by specified times and such other milestones that we may specify in a development plan provided by us to the Universities.
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We have the sole right to enforce the licensed patents, at our expense.
−Removed: We may terminate the License Agreement at any time for any reason with at least 90 days’ written notice to the University of Maryland.
−Removed: The University of Maryland and Duke University may terminate the License Agreement if we enter into an insolvency-related event or in the event of our material breach of the agreement or other specified obligations therein, in each case, that remains uncured for 90 days after the date that it is provided with written notice of such breach by either university.
−Removed: In consideration for the rights granted to us under the License Agreement, we issued the University of Maryland and Duke University shares of our common stock.
−Removed: Pursuant to the University of Maryland policy, Christopher Monroe, our Chief Scientist, may receive renumeration from the University of Maryland relating to any stock we have issued to the University of Maryland.
−Removed: Pursuant to Duke University’s policy, Christopher Monroe and Jungsang Kim, our Chief Technology Officer and Director, may receive renumeration from Duke University relating to any stock we have issued to Duke University.
+Added: We may terminate the License Agreement at any time for any reason with at least 90 days’ written notice to UMD.
+Added: UMD and Duke may terminate the License Agreement if we enter into an insolvency-related event or in the event of our material breach of the agreement or other specified obligations therein, in each case, that remains uncured for 90 days after the date that it is provided with written notice of such breach by either university.
+Added: In consideration for the rights granted to us under the License Agreement, we issued UMD and Duke shares of our common stock.
+Added: Pursuant to Duke’s policy, Jungsang Kim, our Chief Technology Officer and Director, may receive remuneration from Duke relating to any stock we have issued to Duke.
Option Agreement with Duke University
−Removed: In July 2016, we entered into an option agreement with Duke University, which was subsequently amended in December 2020 and March 2021 (as amended, the “Duke Option Agreement”), under which it obtained the
−Removed: right to add Duke University’s interests in certain patents or other intellectual property to the License Agreement, including if they were developed by Jungsang Kim, Christopher Monroe or Kenneth Brown, a professor at Duke University, or by individuals under their respective supervision and such patents or intellectual property relates to the field of quantum information processing devices.
+Added: In July 2016, we entered into an option agreement with Duke, which was subsequently amended in December 2020 and March 2021 (as amended, the “Duke Option Agreement”), under which it obtained the right to add Duke's interests in certain patents or other intellectual property to the License Agreement, including if they were developed by Jungsang Kim, Christopher Monroe or Kenneth Brown, a professor at Duke, or by individuals under their respective supervision and such patents or intellectual property relates to the field of quantum information processing devices.
We have added patents and other intellectual property to the License Agreement through the Duke Option Agreement.
−Removed: Pursuant to the terms of the Duke Option Agreement, we issued Duke University shares of common stock, including shares of common stock issued pursuant to the amendment of the Duke Option Agreement.
+Added: Pursuant to the terms of the Duke Option Agreement, we issued Duke shares of common stock, including shares of common stock issued pursuant to the amendment of the Duke Option Agreement.
The Duke Option Agreement terminates in July 2026.
Lease with the University of Maryland
−Removed: In March 2020, we entered into an amended and restated office lease with the University of Maryland for the lease of our corporate headquarters and our research and development and manufacturing facility.
+Added: In March 2020, we entered into an amended and restated office lease with UMD for the lease of our corporate headquarters and our research and development and manufacturing facility.
This lease expires on December 31, 2030.
We may terminate this lease with not less than 120 days written notice beginning in year six.
−Removed: Any early termination will result in a termination fee ranging from $2.5 million in year six to $500,000 in year ten, with each year subject to a reduction of $0.5 million.
−Removed: Annual base rent starts at $684,472 and increases approximately 3.0% each subsequent year.
+Added: Any early termination will result in a termination fee ranging from $2.5 million in year six to $0.5 million in year ten, with each year subject to a reduction of $0.5 million.
+Added: Annual base rent starts at $0.7 million and increases approximately 3.0% each subsequent year.
+Added: Contracts with the University of Maryland
+Added: In September 2021, we entered into a contract with UMD to provide certain quantum computing services and facility access (the “UMD Quantum Agreement”) related to the National Quantum Lab at UMD in exchange for payments totaling $14.0 million over three years.
+Added: Over the term of the contract, we estimate that we will make payments to UMD of approximately $1.4 million, including a contribution of $1.0 million to establish the IonQ Endowed Professorship in the College of Computer, Mathematical and Natural Sciences at UMD.
+Added: The pledge and other estimated payments to UMD will not be an exchange for distinct goods or services under the provisions of ASC 606 and therefore are considered a reduction of the transaction price for the UMD Quantum Agreement.
+Added: The transaction price is currently estimated at $12.6 million, reflecting this reduction.
+Added: In July 2022, we entered into an agreement to provide customized quantum computing hardware to UMD for a transaction price of $0.7 million.
There are many other approaches to quantum computing that use qubit technology besides the trapped ion approach we are taking.
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The advantages to this approach are that photons are cheap to generate, they can remain coherent depending on the property of the photons used as the qubit, and they integrate well with recently-developed silicon photonics technology;
−Removed: however, the disadvantages of photonic qubit approaches include the lack of high-quality storage devices for the qubits (photons move at the speed of light) and weak gate interactions (photons do not interact with one another easily).
+Added: however, the disadvantages of photonic qubit approaches include the lack of high-quality storage
+Added: devices for the qubits (photons move at the speed of light) and weak gate interactions (photons do not interact with one another easily).
Both of these problems lead to photon loss during computation.
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This typically allows quantum logic gates between all possible pairs of qubits in the processor core without extraneous operations, which will enable us to operate some quantum gates that are not possible on other quantum architectures.
−Removed: We have also demonstrated the ability to
−Removed: shuttle multiple processor cores on the same chip, increasing the potential qubit capacity of a system.
+Added: We have also demonstrated the ability to shuttle multiple processor cores on the same chip, increasing the potential qubit capacity of a system.
At scale, we believe these architectural features will confer benefits in the speed and efficiency of running algorithms.
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For example, D-Wave computing produces quantum annealers, a separate form of computing technology that hopes to tackle a class of problems with some overlap to those solved by quantum computing.
−Removed: To our knowledge, none of these alternative approaches has produced a commercial-grade quantum computer.
+Added: Another example is QuEra, which hopes to use neutral rubidium atom arrays to build quantum computers.
Intellectual Property
−Removed: We protect our intellectual property rights via a combination of patent, trademark and trade secret laws in the United States and other jurisdictions, as well as with contractual protections, to establish, maintain and enforce rights in its proprietary technologies.
+Added: We rely on a combination of the intellectual property protections afforded by patent, copyright, trademark and trade secret laws in the United States and other jurisdictions, as well as license agreements and other contractual protections, to establish, maintain and enforce rights in our proprietary technologies.
Unpatented research, development, know-how and engineering skills make an important contribution to our business.
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In addition, we seek to protect our intellectual property rights through non-disclosure and invention assignment agreements with our employees and consultants and through non-disclosure agreements with business partners and other third parties.
−Removed: We have accumulated a broad patent portfolio, both owned and exclusively licensed, across the range of technological fronts that make up our systems and will continue to protect our innovative inventions in the United States and other countries.
+Added: We have accumulated a broad patent portfolio, both owned and exclusively licensed, across a range of technological fronts that relate to our systems and will continue to protect our inventions in the United States and other countries.
Our patent portfolio is deepest in the area of devices, methods and algorithms for controlling and manipulating trapped ions for quantum computing.
−Removed: Our trade secrets primarily cover the design, configuration, operation and testing of its trapped-ion quantum computers.
−Removed: As of March 1, 2023, we own or license, on an exclusive basis, 57 issued U.S.
+Added: Our trade secrets primarily cover the design, configuration, operation and testing of our trapped-ion quantum computers.
+Added: As of February 1, 2024, we own or license, on an exclusive basis, 82 issued U.S.
patents and 185 pending or allowed U.S.
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Compared sentence by sentence after normalising whitespace, quotation marks, case and digits, so re-formatting and restated figures do not read as changed language. Wording changes appear as one removal and one addition. The current filing and the prior one are authoritative.