Toronto-based photonic quantum-computing company Xanadu said on 19 October that it had received provisional approval for up to $10 million in additional project funding under the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's Quantum Benchmarking Initiative. The company described the award as a one-year extension building on its Stage B work. The programme evaluates whether quantum-computing architectures can reach utility scale within realistic budgets and timelines.

Xanadu says it expects to provide DARPA with regular progress reports over the next 12 months and allocate most of the funding to critical components in its R&D roadmap. The company presents its Aurora photonic quantum computer's modular, networkable design as a demonstration of scalability; the announcement does not provide independent performance verification. The stated amount is a ceiling, and the company says it may not receive the full $10 million or receive it on the expected schedule.