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IBM Quantum Drew 65 of 80 Teams in Japan’s NEDO Challenge
IBM says 65 of the 80 teams in Japan’s first-season NEDO Quantum Challenge selected its quantum platform, and all nine prize-winning teams used IBM hardware during their research. Six winners used IBM systems exclusively, while one top-scor
Quantum.world Team · Written with AI · fact-checked ·
IBM’s quantum platform was chosen by 65 of the 80 teams that took part in the first season of Japan’s NEDO Quantum Challenge, according to figures the company published on 23 October. All nine teams that won the main prizes used IBM quantum computers during their research; six relied on IBM systems exclusively. The results make the competition a conspicuous route into IBM’s hardware and software ecosystem, even though the program offered participants access to several computing environments.
IBM’s platform drew four in five teams
The challenge, run by Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), asked teams to develop quantum-computing approaches to social and industrial problems. Its three tracks covered Society 5.0, Quality of Life (QoL) and Cool Japan. Season 1 attracted 87 applications, and teams submitted their final work by 30 June 2026.
IBM says the 65 teams that chose its platform ran 11,159 jobs and used more than 5,900 minutes of quantum-computer time—about 105% of their allocated time. Activity rose sharply in the final month before submissions closed. IBM also provided access to five quantum computers, alongside workshops, programming sessions, technical help and consultations it calls Quantum Clinics.
The computing access was not exclusive to IBM. NEDO’s support program included systems and simulators from several providers, including hardware from Fujitsu, QuEra, IBM and Quantinuum, as well as other computing resources. The participation figures therefore show a strong preference among teams for IBM’s platform, not that the challenge was built around IBM alone.
All nine prize winners used IBM; the results varied
NEDO awarded nine main prizes across the three tracks. QoL awarded first, second and third place; Society 5.0 and Cool Japan each left first place vacant and awarded one second-place and two third-place prizes. The top prize in each track was set at ¥40 million, with ¥20 million for second and ¥10 million for third.
Projects ranged from disaster forecasting and transaction security to gut-microbiome design, music generation and animation. The award roster includes Shionogi’s drug-discovery project, EntangleTune’s music work and Qrazy Qreators’ manga and animation pipeline. IBM says the last generated a frame in about 30 seconds, using shallow circuits.
Use of IBM hardware did not always mean the final result came from a quantum processor. Shionogi tested its drug-discovery approach on IBM systems during the challenge, but IBM says the team produced its final results by simulation. That distinction matters: the participation tally measures platform use, not a demonstration that each winning application ran its final workload on quantum hardware or outperformed classical computing.
Two tracks left their top prizes empty
The official NEDO results show the same pattern as IBM’s account: no first-place award in Society 5.0 or Cool Japan. Keisuke Fujii, the challenge’s judging committee chair, explained the decision this way: “Society5.0部門とCool Japan部門の1位は空位としましたが、今回の成果を評価するとともに、「皆さまなら、さらに高みを目指せる」という期待を込めた判断です。”
The awards recognize promising work, but the vacant top places and the simulation caveat set limits on what the results establish. IBM’s figures document broad use of its systems within this competition; they do not, by themselves, establish a practical quantum advantage. The challenge’s nine main prize winners included six teams that used IBM systems exclusively and three that also used other platforms or approaches.
From contest access to commercial projects
IBM describes its involvement as extending beyond computing time: it advised a Society 5.0 team on its optimization algorithm and joined a Cool Japan materials project as a co-researcher alongside Mitsubishi Chemical, Keio University and Arizona State University. Two winners, Q4Health and EntangleTune, have since established companies based on their work, according to IBM.
The program’s design links prize money, training, mentoring and free access to research environments, with commercialization among its stated aims. In its first season, IBM became the most frequently selected platform and appeared across every main prize-winning team’s research. The clearest measure of that reach is the tally: 65 of 80 participating teams selected IBM Quantum.