Press Release

WASEDA University Ventures (WUV) has made a JPY 200 million founding investment in Nanofiber Quantum Technologies, Inc. - Japan's first quantum computer hardware development start-up

WASEDA University Ventures (WUV) has made a JPY 200 million founding investment in Nanofiber Quantum Technologies, Inc. - Japan's first quantum computer hardware start-up

- As the first project of the WUV 1st Fund, the company started the development of Japan's unique nanofiber-based caavity QED quantum computers –


September 9, 2022


WASEDA University Ventures (WUV) announces that it has made a JPY 200 million founding investment in Nanofiber Quantum Technologies, Inc., a quantum computer start-up from Waseda University, as the first project of the WUV 1st Fund.


WASEDA University Ventures (WUV) is pleased to announce that as the first project of the WUV 1 Limited Partnership (WUV 1st Fund) WUV has made an initial investment of JPY 200 million in Nanofiber Quantum Technologies, Inc. (HQ: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Masashi Hirose; hereafter referred to as 'NanoQT'), Japan's first gated quantum computer hardware start-up.


NanoQT is based on the unique technology of the Nanofiber-based Cavity QED (Quantum Electrodynamics) system developed in Japan and aims to develop a universal quantum computer with distinctive scalability compared to conventional implementation methods. Furthermore, NanoQT's technologies enable the full integration of quantum computers into quantum communication channels, realizing quantum networks.


NanoQT Core Technolgy

The core technology of NanoQT is the nanofiber-based cavity developed in Japan. This unique cavity has been designed by the principle of Quantum Electrodynamics (QED) and produced in an extremely calibrated manner, enabling full integration of atoms and photons in a large scale for quantum computers.


In physics, this system is a part of the Cavity QED system which has been theoretically investigated for a long time, yet commercialization has not progressed due to challenges in cavity design ideal for quantum computation. NanoQT’s nanofiber-based cavity has overcome these challenges and allows accommodation of a large number of atoms (~10,000) in one cavity and furthermore interconnection of multiple cavities with optical fibers, resulting in a network of quantum computers (distributed quantum computer) Thanks to these advantages, NanoQT’s technologies hold strong promises to develop not only the most scalable quantum computer but also a full integration into quantum communication (quantum network) which the existing methods are difficult to achieve.

NanoQT Co-Founders

  • Takao Aoki Ph.D., Co-founder & CSO

Professor, Waseda University. Engaged in consistent research on quantum optics for application to quantum technology at the University of Tokyo, California Institute of Technology, and Kyoto University, and developed nanofiber-based Cavity QED technology at Waseda University. Ph.D. from the University of Tokyo.

  • Masashi Hirose Ph.D., Co-founder & CEO

~7 years experience as a management consultant in McKinsey & Company. Ph.D. in quantum technologies from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. B.S., Keio University.

  • Akihisa Goban Ph.D., Co-founder & CTO

Developed nano-fiber QED technology with Prof. Aoki in Waseda University. Engaged in quantum optics research at JILA. Ph.D. from California Institute of Technology. B.S., University of Tokyo.


WUV is proud to announce the first project of the newly established WUV 1st Fund, which aims to achieve a global impact from Japan through the breakthrough science of Professor Aoki of Waseda University, a world-class team of co-founders and the realisation of a quantum computer based on the unique nanofibre cavity QED method. With a founding investment of JPY 200 million in NanoQT, we will bring together top researchers in the field of quantum science from around the world and support them in realising a new method of quantum computing from Japan that surpasses the existing superconducting and ion trap methods.

About Nanofiber Quantum Technologies Inc.

  • Engaged in the research, development, design, manufacture and sale of nanofibre-based quantum technologies (quantum computing, quantum cryptography, quantum communications and other technologies related to quantum science), products and services.

  • Date of Incorporation: 27 April 2022

  • Location: 1-22-3 Nishi-Waseda, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo

  • Co-founder: Masashi Hirose, CEO

　　　 Takao Aoki, CSO

Akihisa Goban, CTO


About WASEDA University Ventures (WUV)

  • WASEDA University Ventures (WUV) is a venture capital firm specialising in founding investments in the deep tech domain by creating new start-up companies that make use of academia and are based on "the practical application of scholarship".

  • Date of Incorporation: 5 April 2022

  • Location: Shinjuku, Tokyo

  • General Parteners: Ted Yamamoto & Hiroaki Ohta

  • URL: https://www.wasedavc.com/

  • Email: info@waseda.vc

Nanofiber Quantum Technologies Inc.