Israel Punches Above Its Weight
Israel's Quantum Initiative (INQI) launched in 2018 and has produced two of the most widely deployed commercial quantum products globally: Quantum Machines' OPX control hardware and Classiq's quantum software platform. Both are Israeli-origin companies that power quantum systems at Western research labs and enterprises. Israel's national investment is smaller than that of the US or China, but its per-capita quantum output is among the highest in the world.
The INQI
The Israel Innovation Authority approved the National Quantum Initiative in 2018, starting with NIS 200 million for the first tranche of a multi-year program. The 2019 national program expansion raised the total commitment to approximately $340 million USD, with later extensions bringing aggregate commitment to roughly $390 million.
Exact figures vary depending on the inclusion of defense-adjacent projects managed by MAFAT (the Administration for the Development of Weapons and Technological Infrastructure) and the Ministry of Defense.
IQCC (Israeli Quantum Computing Center)
The Israeli Quantum Computing Center became operational in June 2024 at Tel Aviv University. Quantum Machines built the IQCC under a NIS 100 million (~$29 million USD) contract from the Israel Innovation Authority and MAFAT. The center houses multiple qubit modalities for research access across Israeli academia and industry.
Quantum Machines
Founded early 2018 by Itamar Sivan, Yonatan Cohen, and Nissim Ofek. Quantum Machines produces the Operator-X (OPX) series of hybrid quantum control systems. OPX integrates classical FPGA control with quantum-specific pulse generation at nanosecond latency. Major customers include research labs worldwide.
In 2023 Quantum Machines announced a partnership with NVIDIA for DGX Quantum, a joint quantum-classical platform combining NVIDIA's CUDA-Q with QM's control stack.
Classiq
Founded 2020 in Tel Aviv by Nir Minerbi, Amir Naveh, and Yehuda Naveh. Classiq provides a high-level quantum software development platform that compiles algorithmic intent into optimized circuits across multiple hardware targets. Customers include financial services firms, pharmaceutical R&D labs, and defense organizations.
Israel's PQC Position
Israeli academic cryptography (notably at the Weizmann Institute and Tel Aviv University) has produced influential work on lattice cryptanalysis, side-channel resistance, and zero-knowledge proofs. Israeli cryptographers are active participants in NIST PQC evaluations and contribute to IACR conferences.
Israeli defense and intelligence communities are assumed to operate PQC-capable systems for classified use, though specific program details are not public.
Industry Ecosystem Beyond Quantum Machines and Classiq
- Toshiba Israel: QKD R&D at Tel Aviv.
- Hyqoo / Hewlett Packard Labs Israel: quantum networking research.
- Academic spinouts: multiple smaller companies from Weizmann, Hebrew University, and Technion.
Implications for PQC Migration
- Israeli financial services (BOI, ISA) and defense contractors will align with NIST FIPS 203/204/205 on US NSA CNSA 2.0 timelines.
- Israeli software (Check Point, CyberArk, Palo Alto Networks' Israeli R&D) is already shipping hybrid PQC in TLS stacks.
- Israeli semiconductor and hardware exporters participate in Western supply chains that will increasingly require FIPS-validated PQC.
- Israeli academic output on PQC is highly influential; expect ongoing contributions to standardization.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Israel's National Quantum Initiative launched?
2018, via Israel Innovation Authority approval. Initial tranche: NIS 200 million. Total commitment estimated around $390 million USD including defense-adjacent projects.
Who built the IQCC?
Quantum Machines built the Israeli Quantum Computing Center under a NIS 100 million contract from Israel Innovation Authority and MAFAT. Operational June 2024 at Tel Aviv University.
What does Quantum Machines make?
OPX (Operator-X) series quantum control hardware, combining FPGA-based classical control with quantum pulse generation. Partner with NVIDIA on DGX Quantum.
What does Classiq do?
Classiq is a quantum software company providing a high-level quantum algorithm development platform that compiles algorithmic intent into optimized circuits across multiple hardware targets.
Sources
Related Articles
- South Korea's Strategy
- Quantinuum
- PQC for Aerospace and Defense
- Implementing PQC
- US National Quantum Initiative
Protect Your Data Before Q-Day Arrives
QNSQY's NIST-standardized post-quantum encryption protects files against both current and quantum-era threats.
Try QNSQYOriginally published at quantumsequrity.com/blog/israel-quantum-initiative.