Exposition Ventures is pleased to share that portfolio company memQ has been selected by DARPA to develop a hardware- and network-aware quantum compiler as part of the agency’s Heterogeneous Architectures for Quantum, or HARQ, program. The announcement marks a meaningful milestone not only for memQ, but also for the broader effort to make quantum computing more modular, scalable, and practical for real-world use.
According to memQ, the DARPA HARQ program is focused on assessing whether heterogeneous quantum computing architectures can prove more scalable than the homogeneous approaches that dominate many current roadmaps. Rather than relying on a single qubit type for all tasks, the program explores architectures that use the right qubit modality for the right function, with the goal of improving performance, reducing resource demands, and accelerating the path to utility-scale systems.
memQ will lead a multi-organization team to deliver a heterogeneous quantum compiler capable of optimized mapping and partitioning of logical circuits across heterogeneous quantum processors connected by quantum networking links. The effort includes collaborators from qBraid as well as researchers from MIT, Yale, and the University of Chicago.
For Exposition Ventures, this development reflects exactly the kind of foundational innovation that underpins the next industrial age. On its website, the firm describes its mission as backing early-stage founders building the infrastructure of tomorrow, especially where technical depth and commercial relevance meet. memQ’s work sits squarely within that thesis: enabling the systems, tools, and architectures that can move quantum computing from isolated technical breakthroughs toward scalable deployment.
Founded in 2021 as a spinout from the University of Chicago, memQ is focused on standards-based connectivity across optical links between quantum computers, with a portfolio that includes quantum network interface controllers, quantum memory modules, and quantum control systems. This latest DARPA selection builds on that foundation and further validates memQ’s role in shaping the future of distributed quantum computing.
We congratulate the memQ team on this important recognition and look forward to following the impact of their work as quantum computing infrastructure continues to evolve.