Background
ORCA Computing is a spin-out company from the University of Oxford. They use photonics for quantum computing rather than traditional silicon or ion trap technology. Their work is based on incredibly complex atomic physics technologies (it has been described as “mind-bendingly difficult”).
Quantum computers based on their technology have recently been supplied to the Ministry of Defence, the National Quantum Computing Centre, the Poznań Supercomputing and Networking Center and the Israeli government, and ORCA has been successful in raising $15m of investment.
Dehns Partner, Dr Mark Bell, with a DPhil in Physics from the University of Oxford, has been handling ORCA’s work since 2015.
Issue
Through Oxford University Innovation (the University of Oxford’s technology transfer office), ORCA initially wanted help to protect multiple different aspects of their technology. Mark was able to do this by drafting and filing multiple patent applications, and has been building their patent portfolio over the last few years.
What we did
Working closely with the ORCA team, Mark was able to use not just his professional expertise, but also his academic background to fully understand this highly complex technology, to be able to draft, file, and prosecute through to grant a number of patent applications around the world.
The most recent of these was the granting of a European patent in April 2023 and a Chinese patent in June 2023.
Outcome
ORCA has received considerable press coverage in recent years, and they are delighted that their technology has been fully protected by the hard work, the professional expertise and the academic skills that Mark was able to provide.
Please click the following links for news about ORCA:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-61647134
https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/quantum-computing-company-orca-to-acquire-gxcs-integrated-photonics-assets/
https://www.hpcwire.com/off-the-wire/orca-computing-to-construct-photonic-quantum-computing-testbed-for-uks-national-quantum-computing-centre/
