Robert Aguanno's questions to D-Wave Quantum Inc (QBTS) leadership • Q3 2024
Question
Robert Aguanno questioned whether annealing solutions could capture parts of the Total Addressable Market (TAM) previously thought to be exclusive to gate-model systems. He also asked if potential year-end government budget tightening could impact near-term results.
Answer
CEO Alan Baratz asserted that optimization is a 'killer app' for quantum and that a growing body of evidence shows annealing systems are far superior to gate-model systems for these problems, effectively making that portion of the TAM best addressed by annealing. Regarding budget tightening, Baratz stated it is not a current issue for D-Wave, as the company's model has been commercially focused, and any impact would likely be felt more by gate-model competitors who are heavily reliant on government funding.