In the decades-long pursuit of quantum computing, most of the effort has gone into the hardware needed to harness delicate quantum mechanical effects for useful calculations. Now, with some claiming those systems are nearly here, attention is shifting to the software that will be needed to do something useful with them. British quantum algorithms company Phasecraft said on Tuesday that it had raised $34mn from a number of backers, among them an investment company linked to Danish pharmaceuticals giant Novo Nordisk. Though small compared with the large sums flowing into hardware, the investment is a sign of how specialised quantum software companies have started to attract more investment attention. “At some point, people just care about the apps,” said Bob Sutor, a former top quantum expert at IBM. “In the history of computing, software always becomes more dominant and front of mind.”

Full report : Software becomes the next frontier for building quantum computers.