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Rigetti Computing Announces Financial Results for Fiscal Year 2021; Delivers 48% Year-over-Year Revenue Growth and Further Accelerates Business Momentum Through Technology Leadership

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  • Generated revenue of $8.2 million for fiscal year 2021, growing 48% year over year, and gross profit of $6.6 million for fiscal year 2021, growing 62% year over year
  • Delivered commercial availability of 80-Qubit Aspen-M System on Rigetti Quantum Cloud Services (QCS) and to end-users of Amazon Braket
  • Established new collaborations with renowned public and private sector players, such as Ampere Computing, Nasdaq, Deloitte, DARPA, and the DOE, to advance key quantum computing applications with strong use case potential
  • Announced collaboration with Microsoft to provide Rigetti quantum computers over the cloud to Microsoft’s Azure Quantum Service users

BERKELEY, Calif., March 10, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Rigetti Computing, Inc. (Nasdaq: RGTI) (“Rigetti” or the “Company”), a pioneer in hybrid quantum-classical computing, recently announced its financial results for the eleven months ended December 31, 2021 (fiscal year 2021)1.

“We are generating strong momentum in our business strategy for quantum computing,” commented Chad Rigetti, Founder and CEO of Rigetti. “We have achieved significant technical milestones and attracted a multitude of industry leaders to work toward practical quantum applications. Today, our pioneering technology is already fueling business momentum, resulting in solid top-line growth for our fiscal year 2021.

“Real-world application interest in quantum computing is rapidly emerging, with enterprise players now joining the public sector as early movers in quantum. Rigetti is working with these organizations to establish use cases in critical areas, including machine learning, optimization, and simulation using our hybrid quantum-classical approach. We believe recent performance results on our next-generation machines and chip architecture showcase the excellent progress we are making on our roadmap to help unlock the commercial potential of quantum computing.”

Financial Results for the Fiscal Year 2021

Revenue for fiscal year 2021 was $8.2 million, increasing by 48% from $5.5 million for the fiscal year 2020. The year-over-year growth was mainly due to an increase of $2.6 million in revenue from the addition of new development contracts with U.S. and U.K. government agencies in fiscal year 2021, as well as the expansion of work scope for the Company’s existing customers. Cost of revenues for fiscal year 2021 was $1.6 million, versus $1.5 million for fiscal year 2020, mainly due to higher sub-contract costs, partially offset by lower employee costs due to the shorter operating period as a result of the fiscal year change. Gross margin for fiscal year 2021 was 80.2%, compared with 73.1% for fiscal year 2020.

Total GAAP operating expenses for fiscal year 2021 were $40.7 million, versus $39.1 million for fiscal year 2020. The year-over-year increase in operating expenses was mainly due to the increase in research and development expenses, which is in line with Company’s long-term commitment to further its technology advancements, and partially due to an increase in sales and marketing expenses. General and administrative expenses for fiscal year 2021 declined 14.1% compared with fiscal year 2020.

Total other expense, net for fiscal year 2021 was $4.1 million, compared with total other income, net of $9.0 million in fiscal year 2020. The year-over-year decrease in total other income (expense), net was mainly due to the conversion of outstanding convertible notes in fiscal year 2020, compared with the absence of any such one-off events during fiscal year 2021.

Net GAAP loss for fiscal year 2021 was $38.2 million, compared with $26.1 million for fiscal year 2020. Net GAAP loss per share for fiscal year 2021 was $1.74 versus $1.26 for fiscal year 2020.

Adjusted EBITDA2, which excludes depreciation, stock compensation, interest expense (net), change in fair value of warrant liabilities, change in fair value of forward contract agreement liabilities, gain on extinguishment of debt, and other non-recurring costs3, was negative $27.5 million for fiscal year 2021, approximately flat compared with fiscal year 2020.

The Company had $11.7 million in cash and cash equivalents as of December 31, 2021. The Company received net proceeds of approximately $205.0 million in connection with the closing of its business combination with Supernova Acquisition Company II, Ltd., as further described below.

Business Combination Close

Rigetti Computing and Supernova Partners Acquisition Company II, Ltd., a special purpose acquisition company, announced the completion of their business combination (the “Business Combination”) on March 2, 2022. The Business Combination was approved by Supernova’s shareholders at Supernova’s Extraordinary General Meeting held on February 28, 2022.

In connection with the Business Combination close, Rigetti received net proceeds of approximately $205.0 million. Rigetti plans to use the net proceeds to accelerate its development of multiple generations of quantum processors, expand its operations and for general corporate purposes.

Recent Technology Updates

  • Achieved entangling gate fidelities as high as 99.5% on Rigetti’s next-generation chip architecture, crossing what is believed to be a key threshold for achieving commercial quantum computing.
  • Made 80-qubit quantum system, Aspen-M, commercially available on February 15, 2022.
  • Conducted CLOPS (circuit layer operations per second) tests on Rigetti’s 40-qubit system, Aspen-11, and 80-qubit system, Aspen-M. The CLOPS metric was originally developed by IBM in October 2021. Test results suggest current Rigetti systems perform as well or better as the number of qubits in the system increases.4
  • Developed an effective solution to a weather modeling problem using quantum computers.
  • Launched world’s first multi-chip quantum processor to solve a key scaling challenge for fault-tolerant quantum computers.

Recent Business and Partnership Developments

  • Creating hybrid quantum-classical computers designed to unlock a new generation of machine learning applications over the cloud in partnership with Ampere Computing.
  • Pursuing development of quantum applications to help solve high-impact computation problems in the financial industry through a collaboration with Nasdaq.
  • Pursuing development of an industry-first hybrid quantum-classical compilation toolchain designed to better enable researchers to advance hybrid applications, including quantum sampling and quantum machine learning, in new phase of long-standing partnership with Zapata.
  • Delivering hardware, software, and benchmarks for phase two of DARPA’s program to develop quantum computers capable of solving complex optimization problems.
  • Exploring quantum applications in material simulation, optimization, and machine learning using Rigetti’s new scalable processors and in collaboration with Deloitte and Strangeworks.
  • Providing access to Rigetti’s quantum computers over the cloud to users of Microsoft’s Azure Quantum service.
  • Advancing quantum computing research and collaborating to identify real-world artificial intelligence use cases through partnership with PlanQK.
  • Leading a quantum simulation project for fusion energy, awarded by the Department of Energy (DoE), with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the University of Southern California.
  • Pursuing development of an integrated application for simulating molecular systems using Rigetti Quantum Cloud Services in partnership with Riverlane and Astex Pharmaceuticals.

Morgan Stanley TMT Conference

Chad Rigetti, Rigetti founder and CEO, will participate in a fireside chat at the Morgan Stanley TMT Conference at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco, California, today (Thursday, March 10, 2022) from 11:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m. PT (2:30-3:00 p.m. ET).

A webcast of the event will be available on the News & Events section of Rigetti’s IR website at the following link: https://cc.webcasts.com/morg007/030722a_js/?entity=74_53NPXJE, and on-demand replay will be available shortly after the conclusion of the presentation at the same location and will remain available for 90 days.

About Rigetti Computing

Rigetti Computing is a pioneer in full-stack quantum computing. The Company has operated quantum computers over the cloud since 2017 and serves global enterprise, government and research clients through its Rigetti Quantum Cloud Services platform. The Company’s proprietary quantum-classical infrastructure provides ultra-low latency integration with public and private clouds for high-performance practical quantum computing. Rigetti has developed the industry’s first multi-chip quantum processor for scalable quantum computing systems. The Company designs and manufactures its chips in-house at Fab-1, the industry’s first dedicated and integrated quantum device manufacturing facility. Rigetti was founded in 2013 by Chad Rigetti and today employs more than 160 people with offices in the United States, U.K. and Australia. Learn more at www.rigetti.com.

Cautionary Language Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this communication may be considered forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements generally relate to future events and can be identified by terminology such as “pro forma,” “may,” “should,” “could,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “project,” “strive,” “budget,” “forecast,” “expect,” “intend,” “will,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “predict,” “potential,” “pursue,” “anticipate” or “continue,” or the negatives of these terms or variations of them or similar terminology. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based upon estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by Rigetti and its management, are inherently uncertain. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, but are not limited to: Rigetti’s ability to achieve milestones, technological advancements, including with respect to its roadmap, help unlock quantum computing, and develop practical applications; the potential of quantum computing; the success of Rigetti’s partnerships and collaborations; Rigetti’s ability to accelerate its development of multiple generations of quantum processors; the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against Rigetti or others with respect to the Business Combination or other matters; the ability to meet stock exchange listing standards; the risk that the Business Combination disrupts current plans and operations of Rigetti; the ability to recognize the anticipated benefits of the Business Combination, which may be affected by, among other things, competition, the ability of Rigetti to grow and manage growth profitably, maintain relationships with customers and suppliers and retain its management and key employees; costs related to the Business Combination and operating as a public company; changes in applicable laws or regulations; the possibility that Rigetti may be adversely affected by other economic, business, or competitive factors; Rigetti’s estimates of expenses and profitability; the evolution of the markets in which Rigetti competes; the ability of Rigetti to execute on its technology roadmap; the ability of Rigetti to implement its strategic initiatives, expansion plans and continue to innovate its existing services; the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Rigetti’s business; the expected use of proceeds of the Business Combination; the sufficiency of Rigetti’s cash resources; unfavorable conditions in Rigetti’s industry, the global economy or global supply chain, including financial and credit market fluctuations, international trade relations, political turmoil, natural catastrophes, warfare (such as the conflict involving Russia and Ukraine), and terrorist attacks; and other risks and uncertainties set forth in the section entitled “Risk Factors” and “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” in the registration on Form S-4, the Company’s Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on March 7, 2022, and other documents filed by the Company from time to time with the SEC. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and the Company assumes no obligation and does not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements other than as required by applicable law. The Company does not give any assurance that it will achieve its expectations.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

The Company presents Adjusted EBITDA, a non-GAAP financial measure that represents its net loss adjusted to exclude: depreciation, stock compensation, interest expense (net), change in fair value of warrant liabilities, change in fair value of forward contract agreement liabilities, gain on extinguishment of debt, and other non-recurring costs related to severance costs in connection with headcount reductions during the 2020 fiscal year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Below is a reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to net loss, the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure. The Company presents Adjusted EBITDA because it is used by management, and management believes it can serve as a helpful supplement, to evaluate its operating performance and trends, allocate internal resources, prepare and approve its annual budget, develop short- and long-term operating plans, determine incentive compensation, and assess the health of its business. The Company believes that Adjusted EBITDA can provide useful measures for period-to-period comparisons of its business as it removes the impact of certain non-cash items and certain variable charges. Adjusted EBITDA has limitations as an analytical tool, and you should not consider this metric in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of the Company’s results as reported under GAAP. Some of these limitations are: 1) Adjusted EBITDA does not reflect other non-operating expenses, net of other non-operating income, including net interest expense; 2) Adjusted EBITDA does not reflect tax payments that may represent a reduction in cash available to the Company; 3) although depreciation reflects non-cash charges, the assets being depreciated and amortized may have to be replaced in the future, and Adjusted EBITDA does not reflect cash capital expenditure requirements for such replacements or for new capital expenditure requirements; 4) Adjusted EBITDA does not consider the impact of stock-based compensation expense; 5) Adjusted EBITDA does not reflect acquisition-related expenses; 6) Adjusted EBITDA does not consider the impact of the gain on extinguishment of debt; and 7) other companies, including companies in Rigetti’s industry, may calculate Adjusted EBITDA differently, which reduces its usefulness as a comparative measure. Because of these limitations, you should consider Adjusted EBITDA alongside other financial performance measures, including net loss, revenue, and the Company’s other GAAP results.

Rigetti Holdings, Inc
Balance Sheets
As of December 31, 2021

    December 31,   January 31,
    2021 (fiscal year 2021)   2021 (fiscal year 2020)
Assets        
Current assets:      
Cash $ 11,728,516     $ 22,202,388  
Accounts receivable   1,542,540       479,374  
Prepaid expenses and other current assets   1,350,690       1,035,703  
Deferred offering costs   3,448,470        
Total current assets   18,070,216       23,717,465  
Property and equipment, net   22,497,484       20,140,872  
Restricted cash   317,134       317,134  
Other assets   164,341       129,363  
Goodwill     5,377,255       5,377,255  
Total assets $ 46,426,430     $ 49,682,089  
         
Liabilities, redeemable convertible preferred stock and stockholders’ deficit      
Current liabilities:      
Accounts payable $ 1,970,998     $ 1,107,924  
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities   4,035,615       1,603,299  
Deferred revenue – current   984,976       491,827  
Debt – current portion   1,290,538        
Total current liabilities   8,282,127       3,203,050  
Debt – net of current portion   23,500,494        
Derivative warrant liabilities   4,354,707        
Other liabilities   294,632       381,300  
Total liabilities   36,431,960       3,584,350  
Commitments and contingencies (Note 6)      
Redeemable convertible preferred stock, par value $0.000001 per share. 102,891,847 shares authorized at December 31, 2021 and January 31, 2021, respectively; and 98,726,505 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2021 and January 31, 2021, respectively (aggregate liquidation preference of $89,524,504 at December 31, 2021)   81,523,141       81,523,141  
Stockholders’ deficit:      
Common stock, par value $0.000001 per share. 170,333,338 shares authorized at December 31, 2021 and January 31, 2021, respectively; 23,153,127 and 21,071,085 of shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2021 and January 31, 2021, respectively   23       21  
Additional paid-in capital   135,550,822       133,407,584  
Accumulated other comprehensive gain   51,815       56,825  
Accumulated deficit   (207,131,331 )     (168,889,832 )
Total stockholders’ deficit   (71,528,671 )     (35,425,402 )
Total liabilities, redeemable convertible preferred stock and stockholders’ deficit $ 46,426,430     $ 49,682,089  

Rigetti Holdings, Inc
Statements of Operations
December 31, 2021

    11 Months Ended   Year Ended
    December 31,   January 31,
    2021 (fiscal year 2021)   2021 (fiscal year 2020)
Revenue $ 8,196,306     $ 5,542,598  
Cost of revenue   1,623,336       1,491,610  
  Total gross profit   6,572,970       4,050,988  
         
Operating expenses:      
  Research and development   26,927,599       24,099,335  
  General and administrative   11,299,068       13,157,735  
  Sales and marketing   2,474,968       1,885,565  
  Total operating expenses   40,701,635       39,142,635  
Loss from operations   (34,128,665 )     (35,091,647 )
Other (expense) income, net:      
  Gain on extinguishment of debt         8,913,532  
  Change in fair value of warrant liability   (1,664,133 )      
  Interest expense   (2,465,135 )     (51,666 )
  Interest income   9,852       60,154  
  Other income   6,582       42,131  
  Total other (expense) income, net   (4,112,834 )     8,964,151  
Net loss before provision for income taxes      
Provision for income taxes      
Net loss $ (38,241,499 )   $ (26,127,496 )
Net loss per share attributable to common stockholders – basic and diluted $ (1.74 )   $ (1.26 )
Weighted average shares used in computing net loss per share attributable to common stockholders – basic and diluted   21,941,997       20,719,085  

Rigetti Holdings, Inc
Statement of Cash Flows
December 31, 2021

    11 Months Ended   Year Ended
    December 31,   January 31,
    2021 (fiscal year 2021)   2021 (fiscal year 2020)
Cash flows from operating activities              
Net loss $   (38,241,499 )   $ (26,127,496 )
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:        
Depreciation and amortization     4,651,129       4,299,263  
Stock-based compensation     1,765,371       2,592,038  
Gain on extinguishment of debt           (8,913,532 )
Change in fair value of derivative warrant liabilities     1,664,133        
Change in fair value of forward contract agreement liabilities     230,000        
Amortization of debt issuance costs     512,755        
Amortization of debt commitment fee asset     94,405      
Accretion of debt end of term liabilities     121,585      
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:        
Accounts receivable     (1,063,166 )     (290,399 )
Prepaid expenses and other current assets     (314,988 )     244,932  
Other assets     (34,978 )     (2,248 )
Deferred revenue     493,149       (1,659,856 )
Accounts payable     (388,574 )     (1,995,037 )
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities     1,553,984       1,403,772  
Other liabilities     (86,666 )     381,300  
Net cash used in operating activities     (29,043,360 )     (30,067,263 )
Cash flows from investing activities        
Purchases of property and equipment     (7,007,742 )     (4,400,432 )
Net cash used in investing activities     (7,007,742 )     (4,400,432 )
Cash flows from financing activities        
Proceeds from issuance of convertible notes           2,200,000  
Proceeds from issuance of debt and warrants     27,000,000        
Payments on debt issuance costs     (247,140 )    
Payments on deferred offering costs     (1,548,489 )      
Proceeds from issuance of preferred stock and warrants, gross           54,022,876  
Proceeds from issuance of common stock upon exercise of stock options     374,901       51,384  
Proceeds from issuance of common stock upon exercise of common stock warrants     2,968       14,980  
Net cash provided by financing activities     25,582,240       56,289,240  
Effect of changes in exchange rate on cash and restricted cash     (5,010 )     72,136  
Net (decrease) increase in cash and restricted cash     (10,473,872 )     21,893,681  
Cash and restricted cash at beginning of period     22,519,522       625,841  
Cash and restricted cash at end of period $   12,045,650     $ 22,519,522  
         
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:        
Cash paid for interest   $ 1,488,890     $ 51,666  
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash financing activity:        
Deferred offering costs in accounts payable and accrued expenses   $ 1,899,981     $  
Fair value of loan and security agreement warrant liability   $ 2,690,574      
Conversion of redeemable convertible preferred stock to common stock upon equity recapitalization $     $ 120,793,893  
Conversion of convertible notes to redeemable convertible preferred stock and warrants   $     $ 19,874,439  
Issuance of redeemable convertible preferred stock upon equity recapitalization   $     $ 7,734,083  
Issuance of common stock in connection with debt modification   $     $ 1,443,605  
Conversion of SAFE to redeemable convertible preferred stock   $     $ 1,190,530  
Conversion of convertible notes to common stock   $     $ 427,690  
Issuance of warrants to customer   $     $ 154,330  

Rigetti Holdings, Inc
Reconciliation of Net Loss to Adjusted EBITDA

    11 Months Ended   Year Ended
    December 31,   January 31,
    2021 (fiscal year 2021)   2021 (fiscal year 2020)
Net loss $ (38,241,499 )   $ (26,127,496 )
Excluding:      
  Depreciation   4,651,129       4,299,263  
  Stock compensation   1,765,371       2,592,038  
  Interest expense (net)   2,455,283       (8,488 )
  Change in fair value of warrant liabilities   1,664,133        
  Change in fair value of forward contract agreement liabilities   230,000      
  Gain on extinguishment of debt         (8,913,532 )
  Other non-recurring costs*       666,765  
Adjusted EBITDA $ (27,475,583 )   $ (27,491,450 )

*Other non-recurring non-operating costs related to severance costs in connection with headcount reductions during the 2020 fiscal year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, of which $316,191 is reflected as R&D and $350,574 is reflected as G&A in fiscal year 2020.

____________________________
1 The shortened reporting period reflects the Company’s previously announced fiscal year change. In October 2021, Rigetti’s board of directors approved a change to Rigetti’s fiscal year-end from January 31 to December 31, effective December 31, 2021. Rigetti believes the year-end change is important and useful to its financial statement users as it allows for increased comparability with its industry peers. As a result of this change, Rigetti’s fiscal year 2021 covers a period of 11 months starting from February 1, 2021, and ending on December 31, 2021. Financial statements for the prior fiscal year ended January 31, 2021, continue to be presented on the basis of the previous fiscal year end.
2Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure. For a description of Adjusted EBITDA and a reconciliation to net loss, the closest comparable GAAP financial measure, refer to “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” below and the reconciliation table at the end of this release.
3 Other non-recurring non-operating costs related to severance costs in connection with headcount reductions during the 2020 fiscal year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
4 CLOPS is calculated as M × K × S × D / time taken where: M = number of templates = 100; K = number of parameter updates = 10; S = number of shots = 100 (or 1000); and D = number of QV layers = log2 QV.  To Rigetti’s knowledge, CLOPS as a speed test has not been investigated or verified by any independent third party.  In addition, while Rigetti applied the above formula in testing the speed of Aspen-M and Aspen-11, there is no guarantee that Rigetti applied the test in the same way as IBM and, as a result, any variability in the application of the test as between Rigetti, IBM or others in the industry that may apply CLOPS in the future could render CLOPS scores incomparable and actual relative performance may materially differ from reported results.  Other than IBM, others in the industry have not announced CLOPS as a speed test. As a result, the speed of other competitors as measured by CLOPS is not currently known. In addition, the solution accuracy provided by quantum computers is another key factor, and a quantum computer that may be slower may be preferable to users if it provides a more accurate answer for certain applications. Moreover, the relative leads reflected by speed tests such as CLOPS can change as new generations of quantum computers are introduced by industry participants and, consequently, any advantages cannot be considered permanent and can be expected to change from time to time. Current CLOPS tests may not be indicative of the results of future tests. 

Contact Information
Lauren Rugani
Rigetti Computing
[email protected]

Polly Pearson
Investor Relations
[email protected]

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Artificial Intelligence

Tencent Announces Winners of Flagship CarbonX Program to Combat Climate Change

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SHENZHEN, China, May 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Tencent (00700.HK) is awarding 13 exceptional teams that won the first phase of its groundbreaking CarbonX Program, which is aimed at boosting promising new climate technologies. The winners, which emerged from a pool of 30 finalists and more than 300 initial applications, will receive a total of around RMB 100 million (US$14 million) in financial support from Tencent. It showcases the company’s commitment to driving sustainable social innovations in the fight against climate change.

CarbonX was launched in March 2023 to advance the next generation of low-carbon technologies. Tencent has committed RMB 200 million (US$28 million) in catalytic funding over the next three years to innovative ideas that might otherwise languish or fail to gain traction.
CarbonX’s first phase focused on carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS), as well as technology-based carbon removal. These solutions were chosen for their unique ability to curb emissions from hard-to-abate industries such as steel and cement, mitigate the continued reliance on fossil fuels, and reduce legacy emissions created from decades of industrialization.
Backed by Tencent’s mission of Tech for Good and an alliance of like-minded industry partners, CarbonX aims to help these cutting-edge technologies make the leap from the research or early startup stage to commercial scale. The ultimate goal is supporting them in making a significant impact toward the targets outlined in the Paris Agreement, which includes a 45 percent reduction in emissions by 2030 and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.
Dr. Hao Xu, Tencent’s Vice President of Sustainable Social Value and Head of Tencent’s Carbon Neutrality Lab, said: “Technology innovation serves as the driving force to accelerate our progress toward achieving carbon neutrality. CarbonX program is aimed at fostering the growth of these technologies, driving positive impact across society, and laying the groundwork for a more sustainable future.”
Professor Jerry Yan, Chair Professor of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Co-chairman of the CarbonX expert committee, said: “To pave the path for a greener economy, we must champion the development of cutting-edge low-carbon technologies. Just as solar and wind power were nurtured in their infancy, emerging solutions like CCUS and tech-based carbon removal demand our early support.”
The program assembled a panel of experts from academia, industries, and the investor community as the jury, and welcomed submissions from diverse participants across three distinct tracks:
CarbonX Lab: Designed to incubate research institutions, universities, or labs that bring in game-changing climate solutionsCarbonX Accelerator: Designed to accelerate the growth of climate-tech startups that exhibit commercialization potentialCarbonX Infrastructure: Designed to support capacity building to facilitate industry developmentThe finalists comprise four projects from the Lab track, six from the Accelerator track, and three from the Infrastructure track. These projects explore innovative solutions, such as using steel slag to capture and store carbon directly from furnace exhaust, converting CO2 into sustainable aviation fuel and valuable chemicals through electrochemical reactions or microorganisms, and employing new approaches to directly capture CO2 from the atmosphere with the hope of slashing the cost to less than US$150 per ton.
Meanwhile, Tencent is also collaborating with Tsinghua University to develop a comprehensive system of Measure, Reporting and Verification (MRV) tools to accurately gauge progress toward decarbonization.
Aside from receiving financial and advisory support, several projects will also have the opportunity to collaborate with industry partners and test their research beyond the laboratory setting.
Building upon the success of the first phase, Tencent is poised to launch the second iteration of CarbonX globally as early as later this year in pursuit of early-stage climate tech innovation.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/tencent-announces-winners-of-flagship-carbonx-program-to-combat-climate-change-302153596.html

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NEXCOM Delivers Exceptional Performance in Edge AI Video Analytics

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TAIPEI, May 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — NEXCOM, a leading supplier of network solutions, published AI and storage performance test results of its NSA 7160R: high-performance Edge server. NSA 7160R is powered by dual Intel® Xeon® Scalable processors for high computing, and enhanced with DDR5 memory, high-bandwidth PCIe Gen5 LAN modules, and high-capacity NVMe storage modules. The test results show the efficiency of the NSA 7160R in processing edge video server workloads and were explained in the accompanying paper. 

Edge AI Is the Future
With the rise of smart cities, processing data from cloud to the edge is becoming increasingly critical. Imagine the surge of visual data from ubiquitous security cameras – that information needs real-time analysis right where it’s collected. This is just the tip of the iceberg. As artificial intelligence permeates our lives, certain AI tasks will also need edge computing for efficient, lightning-fast performance. The key is to avoid bottlenecks in the data center by keeping things localized and streamlined.
Your Turnkey Solution Awaits
When it comes to Edge video servers, you need top-notch hardware and software that can handle all the “heavy lifting”. To speed up the total solution bringing up Intel comes in with their Intel® Edge Video Infrastructure (Intel® EVI) reference design. NEXCOM ran a bunch of tests using this design to evaluate its NSA 7160R for essential tasks including storage, image retrieval, and AI features such as inference and feature matching.
After conducting all tests, the results have shown that NSA 7160R meets all performance expectations with outstanding results. For a detailed breakdown of the solution description, test configuration, and results, please refer to the accompanying paper.
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About NEXCOM
Founded in 1992 and headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan, NEXCOM integrates its diverse capabilities and operates six global businesses, including the Network and Communication Solutions (NCS) unit. NCS focuses on the latest network technology and helps to build reliable network infrastructure, by delivering professional design and manufacturing services for customers all over the world. NCS’s network application platform is widely adopted in Cyber Security, Load Balancing, 5G uCPE, SD-WAN, SASE, Edge Computing, OT Security, Storage, NVR, and other network applications for businesses of all sizes.
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Artificial Intelligence

Qiming Venture Partners Promotes Alex Zhou to Managing Partner

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qiming-venture-partners-promotes-alex-zhou-to-managing-partner

SHANGHAI, May 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Qiming Venture Partners, a global-leading venture capital firm, is pleased to announce the promotion of Alex Zhou to Managing Partner.

As a Qiming home-grown Managing Partner, Alex first joined the firm in 2014 as a Vice President and has since emerged as one of the most active investors in frontier technologies, especially in the field of artificial intelligence. Alex will join fellow Managing Partners Duane Kuang, Nisa Leung and William Hu in managing Qiming’s operations.
In the past few years, Alex has actively participated in or led investments in many outstanding technology companies across the artificial intelligence, robotics, semiconductors, new energy vehicles, and software sectors. Notable among these include Roborock, UBTech, Unisound, Biren Technology, ROX Motor, VIEWTRIX Technology, Zhipu AI, Mech-Mind Robotics, Axera, HyperStrong, DeepWay, etc.
“I am deeply grateful for the guidance and trust I received from Qiming over the past 10 years.” Alex said. “We are at the forefront of a new wave of technological revolution. This era will undoubtedly bring about many bold innovators who will shape the future. Together with all the Managing Partners and colleagues at Qiming, I am excited and fully committed to seize the opportunities, embrace any potential challenges, explore new possibilities and build a better Qiming.”
Since its inception 18 years ago, Qiming has always committed to upgrading its institutional capabilities and team development in order to stay ahead in an ever-evolving technological and market landscape. The success achieved in the fields of healthcare, mobile internet and frontier technology is a testament to this strategic approach. Alex’s promotion to the most senior position in the firm demonstrates Qiming’s continued confidence in the future of technology innovation.
About Qiming Venture Partners
Qiming Venture Partners was founded in 2006. Currently, Qiming Venture Partners manages eleven US Dollar funds and seven RMB funds with $9.5 billion in capital raised. Since our establishment, we have invested in outstanding companies in the Technology and Consumer (T&C) and Healthcare industries at the early and growth stages.
Since our debut, we have backed over 530 fast-growing and innovative companies. Over 200 of our portfolio companies have achieved exits through IPOs at the NYSE, NASDAQ, HKEX, Shanghai Stock Exchange, or Shenzhen Stock Exchange, or through M&A or other means. There are also over 70 portfolio companies that have achieved unicorn or super unicorn status.
Many of our portfolio companies are today’s most influential firms in their respective sectors, including Xiaomi, Meituan, Bilibili, Zhihu, Roborock, Gan & Lee Pharmaceuticals, Tigermed, Zai Lab, CanSino Biologics, Schrödinger, APT Medical, New Horizon Health, Sanyou Medical, AmoyDx, Berry Genomics, SinocellTech, UBTech, Yuanxin Technology, Caidya, Belief BioMed, WeRide, among many others.

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