What happens when quantum computing startups can’t wait 15 years for fault tolerance? 

Richard Murray, co-founder and CEO of Orca Computing, reveals how his team chose commercial usefulness over technical idealism - and why that decision drives everything from recruitment to product development.

Operating from a University of Oxford spinout with limited resources compared to Google or IBM, Orca faced a choice: follow the same path but years behind and millions of pounds short, or constrain themselves differently. They chose constraints. Starting with just £1.5 million forced creative decisions - building quantum computers with one light source instead of dozens - that ultimately benefited customers through more practical, deployable systems.

Richard describes the ‘two religions’ of quantum computing: those pursuing billion-pound fault-tolerant systems versus those focused on immediate commercial value. His team deliberately chose the latter, applying quantum to generative AI with measurable results: reduced GPU requirements, lower energy consumption, and potentially more creative AI models capable of generating results beyond training data.

The conversation explores operational realities most quantum companies avoid discussing: the talent gap when no industry exists to recruit from, the cultural shock when physicists encounter commercial constraints, and why ‘comfortable with ambiguity’ matters more than technical brilliance. Richard argues that customers don’t know what they want from quantum - and neither do most vendors - making the shift from vague promises to specific value propositions the defining challenge of the next phase.

His most provocative insight: Goldman Sachs apparently defines ‘quantum advantage’ not as an academic milestone but as when a company invests straight off their balance sheet because they can define the business return. That’s the real test.

Essential listening for Deep Tech founders, investors, and anyone navigating the trade-offs between breakthrough innovation and commercial survival.

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Podcast Production: Beauxhaus