Xanadu and GlobalFoundries Team Up for Quantum Photonic Chip Production

Xanadu Quantum Technologies has secured a multi-year manufacturing agreement with GlobalFoundries to produce quantum photonic hardware on a large scale. The deal will see GlobalFoundries fabricate Xanadu’s photon detection systems and silicon nitride photonics at its 300mm plant in Malta, New York. Following the announcement, Xanadu’s shares surged 9%, while GlobalFoundries saw a 1% increase.

The partnership marks a shift for Xanadu from research and development to commercial-scale production. GlobalFoundries will manufacture key components for Xanadu’s photonic quantum computing architecture, including ultra-low loss silicon nitride photonic circuits and superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors. These technologies are essential for quantum systems that use light particles for computational operations.

Christian Weedbrook, CEO of Xanadu, emphasized the importance of high-volume production for delivering quantum computing at scale. Nicholas Sergeant of GlobalFoundries highlighted the collaboration’s role in developing components for future fault-tolerant quantum architectures. The agreement also follows GlobalFoundries’ recent $375 million Commerce Department deal, which included a 1% equity stake from the federal government.

Xanadu began public trading in March 2026 and is the first publicly traded company focused exclusively on photonic quantum computing. While it has received substantial Canadian government support, it has yet to secure comparable U.S. federal contracts. However, the company has advanced through DARPA’s quantum benchmarking initiative.