Hiroshi Takase, CEO of OptQC and a University of Tokyo researcher, was named to Forbes JAPAN’s “100 Next Generation Leaders” and its “Top 100 Japanese Startups to Watch in 2026.”
OptQC, a University of Tokyo spinout co-founded with CTO Warit Asavanant, pursues optical (photonic) quantum computing — using light rather than the extreme cryogenic cooling required by superconducting approaches. The “no freezing required” path aims for room-temperature operation and is part of Japan’s broader bet, alongside NTT, targeting commercialization around 2030.
The approach drew international attention, with OptQC featured in a Financial Times special report on Japan’s quantum technology ecosystem.
For international investors, OptQC represents Japan’s distinctive deeptech wager: rather than racing incumbents on superconducting qubits, it pursues a differentiated architecture where Japanese academic strength in photonics may offer a structural advantage.