Femtum, a Quebec City photonics laser company, has secured a repayable contribution of $1,950,000 from Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions (CED). The funding backs the company's push to scale up quantum photonic chip manufacturing and expand internationally.

Carlos Leitão, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry, and Jean-Yves Duclos, Member of Parliament for Québec-Centre, announced the contribution on behalf of the federal government.

What Femtum does

Founded in 2017, Femtum builds laser solutions for manufacturers of photonic chips, with a focus on quantum photonic chips. The company says its technology reduces the carbon footprint of advanced semiconductor and quantum chip manufacturing.

The CED funding will let Femtum fit out new manufacturing laboratories, increase production capacity, accelerate commercialization of its products, and create more than 20 new jobs in the photonics and quantum sectors.

Why it matters

The investment lands under CED's Support for Regional Quantum Innovation initiative, part of the federal government's National Quantum Strategy. That initiative carries a $23.3 million budget for strategic investments through 2028, aimed at helping small and medium businesses and non-profits adopt, develop, and commercialize quantum technologies.

Ottawa has framed the strategy as central to positioning Canada as a global leader in quantum, a sector it sees as generating economic benefits nationwide, not just in the regions where the technology is developed.

The players

Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for CED, said the investment reinforces Quebec's optics-photonics ecosystem and supports the region's position as a technology hub.

Leitão said the funding will let Femtum offer its laser technology at greater scale while pursuing international markets, with spillover benefits for the Capitale-Nationale regional economy.

Duclos called the investment a signal of the government's commitment to helping Quebec SMEs advance their technological ambitions, adding that it highlights Canadian skills in photonics.

Louis-Rafaël Robichaud, Femtum's co-founder and president, said the funding will help integrate the company's solutions into global supply chains. "Canada has all the ingredients to stand out as a leader in the quantum industry of tomorrow, including a first-class photonics industry," he said.

Regional context

CED operates 12 regional business offices across Quebec and describes itself as a key federal partner in the province's economic development, supporting businesses and organizations as they adapt to emerging sectors like quantum.