Rigetti Creates Dedicated Systems Delivery Unit, Reorganizes COO/CTO Structure

【Article Title】 Rigetti Creates Dedicated Systems Delivery Unit, Reorganizes COO/CTO Structure 【Article Body】 AI TRANSLATION This article is an AI-generated translation of the original Japanese article. For the authoritative version, please refer to the original. Read the original Japanese article → (https://quantumindex.jp/rigetti-systems-delivery-organization-coo-cto/) Rigetti Computing has established a new Systems Delivery organization to scale deployments of on‑premises quantum systems. The company separated responsibility for customer delivery and support from quantum processorquantum processorQuantum Processor / Quantum Processor / Quantum Processing Unit / QPUThe central part of the hardware that houses qubits and performs quantum computational operations such as quantum gates and measurements.QI NoteThe performance of a QPU cannot be judged by the number of qubits alone. Gate fidelity, connectivity, speed, error rates, and other factors must be considered together. development, appointing David Rivas as the new Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Dr. Andrew Bestwick as Chief Technology Officer (CTO). ✍️ Quantum Index Analysis The technical and commercial significance behind this announcement, and the evaluation points that aren’t visible from the numbers and headlines alone. Read our analysis ↓ Announcement Summary The newly formed Systems Delivery organization will handle manufacturing operations, system delivery, commercial functions, and customer engineering. While installation and some customer support functions were previously handled within the technical organization, the company says a dedicated chain of command and staff will clarify responsibility from delivery through customer support. David Rivas, who previously served as CTO, will take the role of COO and oversee manufacturing operations and system delivery as well as software engineering, applications, business development, government programs, supply chain, and facilities. Dr. Andrew Bestwick, who led the design of the Cepheus‑class multi‑chip system, has been appointed CTO and will be responsible for quantum processor development, chip fabrication technology development, and hardware engineering. Both report directly to President and CEO Dr. Subodh Kulkarni, and the personnel changes took effect August 18, 2026. The company’s on‑premises product portfolio targeted by this organization ranges from the 9‑qubitqubitQubit / Quantum Bit / QubitThe basic unit of information in a quantum computer. It can represent not only 0 or 1 but also a quantum state that is a superposition of them.QI NoteHaving more qubits does not necessarily mean higher performance. Error rates, connectivity, coherence time, and the number of logical qubits are also important. Novera up to Cepheus‑class systems with 108 qubits. The Cepheus‑1‑108Q is configured by connecting twelve 9‑qubit chiplets, and the company targets a median two‑qubit gate fidelitygate fidelityGate Fidelity / Gate Fidelity / Quantum Gate FidelityA measure of accuracy that indicates how closely a quantum gate operation was performed compared to the ideal operation.QI NoteHigher is generally better, but values depend on the measurement method and differ between single-qubit and two-qubit gates. When comparing, also check the evaluation conditions. of 99.5%. However, this performance target has not been announced as achieved. Key points • Established a Systems Delivery organization to manage delivery and customer support for on‑premises quantum systems • David Rivas named COO, overseeing manufacturing, delivery, software, and business development • Dr. Andrew Bestwick named CTO, leading quantum processor, chip manufacturing technology, and hardware development • Targeted products range from the 9‑qubit Novera to Cepheus‑class systems with 108 qubits • The Cepheus‑1‑108Q has a target median two‑qubit gate fidelity of 99.5%; no achievement date has been disclosed Technical and business implications From a business perspective, splitting system delivery and customer support out of R&D clarifies accountability for on‑premises deployments. Technically, concentrating processor design, chip development, and hardware engineering under the CTO is intended to focus technical resources on improving the performance of the chiplet‑based Cepheus systems. That said, the announcement does not quantify how the reorganization will affect delivery volumes, development velocity, or financial results. What to watch next Key items going forward include whether Rigetti provides concrete figures on the number of Novera and Cepheus‑class system deliveries, the customers and sites where they are installed, and the track record of post‑delivery support. On the technical side, it will be important to see whether the Cepheus‑1‑108Q can achieve the target median two‑qubit gate fidelity of 99.5% and under what measurement conditions. In addition, evidence of shortened delivery timelines or demonstrable roadmap acceleration after the reorganization would be material to evaluating its effectiveness. ✍️ Quantum Index Analysis The notable aspect of this announcement is Rigetti’s organizational separation of “development” and “delivery” for quantum systems. It clarifies that on‑premises products are operated as a business that includes manufacturing, installation, and customer support—not merely as an extension of R&D. That said, a reorganization alone does not prove increased on‑premises demand or improved delivery capability. Going forward, the degree to which delivery volumes, customer deployments, and support metrics materialize will determine whether this structural change has tangible commercial impact. Technically, the Cepheus‑1‑108Q’s target median two‑qubitqubitQubit / Quantum Bit / QubitThe basic unit of information in a quantum computer. It can represent not only 0 or 1 but also a quantum state that is a superposition of them.QI NoteHaving more qubits does not necessarily mean higher performance. Error rates, connectivity, coherence time, and the number of logical qubits are also important. gate fidelitygate fidelityGate Fidelity / Gate Fidelity / Quantum Gate FidelityA measure of accuracy that indicates how closely a quantum gate operation was performed compared to the ideal operation.QI NoteHigher is generally better, but values depend on the measurement method and differ between single-qubit and two-qubit gates. When comparing, also check the evaluation conditions. of 99.5% is a meaningful benchmark in the context of error correction, but achieving it alone does not imply FTQCFTQCFault-Tolerant Quantum Computing / FTQCA method for future large-scale quantum computing that uses quantum error correction to allow correct computation to continue even when physical errors occur.QI NoteA demonstration of quantum error correction is not the same as realizing FTQC. Logical error rates, the number of physical qubits required, logical gate performance, and so on are important. is imminent. More important is whether logical error rates continue to fall as qubit counts and code distances scale when error correction is implemented. The reorganization should ultimately be judged by delivery results, and Cepheus’s technical progress should be evaluated against the conditions for achieving 99.5% and, beyond that, the suppression of logical errors. Related articles • Rigetti reports $5.1M revenue in Q2 2026; discloses performance of 108‑qubit system (https://en.quantumindex.jp/rigetti-q2-2026-results-roadmap/) • IBM unveils modular cryogenic architecture to connect quantum processors (https://en.quantumindex.jp/ibm-modular-cryogenic-architecture/) • D‑Wave demonstrates high‑fidelity two‑qubit gates using dual‑rail qubits (https://en.quantumindex.jp/dwave-dual-rail-entangling-gate-error-correction/) Source Read the company’s announcement (https://investors.rigetti.com/news-releases/news-release-details/rigetti-computing-establishes-dedicated-systems-delivery) If you found this article useful, please consider sharing it. ──────────────────── 【AI Evaluation Request】 Evaluate the following article critically, not based on the quality of its writing, but on its **original informational value as a specialist publication**. 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Rigetti Computing has established a new Systems Delivery organization to scale deployments of on‑premises quantum systems. The company separated responsibility for customer delivery and support from quantum processorquantum processorQuantum Processor / Quantum Processor / Quantum Processing Unit / QPUThe central part of the hardware that houses qubits and performs quantum computational operations such as quantum gates and measurements.QI NoteThe performance of a QPU cannot be judged by the number of qubits alone. Gate fidelity, connectivity, speed, error rates, and other factors must be considered together. development, appointing David Rivas as the new Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Dr. Andrew Bestwick as Chief Technology Officer (CTO).

Announcement Summary

The newly formed Systems Delivery organization will handle manufacturing operations, system delivery, commercial functions, and customer engineering. While installation and some customer support functions were previously handled within the technical organization, the company says a dedicated chain of command and staff will clarify responsibility from delivery through customer support. David Rivas, who previously served as CTO, will take the role of COO and oversee manufacturing operations and system delivery as well as software engineering, applications, business development, government programs, supply chain, and facilities. Dr. Andrew Bestwick, who led the design of the Cepheus‑class multi‑chip system, has been appointed CTO and will be responsible for quantum processor development, chip fabrication technology development, and hardware engineering. Both report directly to President and CEO Dr. Subodh Kulkarni, and the personnel changes took effect August 18, 2026. The company’s on‑premises product portfolio targeted by this organization ranges from the 9‑qubitqubitQubit / Quantum Bit / QubitThe basic unit of information in a quantum computer. It can represent not only 0 or 1 but also a quantum state that is a superposition of them.QI NoteHaving more qubits does not necessarily mean higher performance. Error rates, connectivity, coherence time, and the number of logical qubits are also important. Novera up to Cepheus‑class systems with 108 qubits. The Cepheus‑1‑108Q is configured by connecting twelve 9‑qubit chiplets, and the company targets a median two‑qubit gate fidelitygate fidelityGate Fidelity / Gate Fidelity / Quantum Gate FidelityA measure of accuracy that indicates how closely a quantum gate operation was performed compared to the ideal operation.QI NoteHigher is generally better, but values depend on the measurement method and differ between single-qubit and two-qubit gates. When comparing, also check the evaluation conditions. of 99.5%. However, this performance target has not been announced as achieved.

Key points

• Established a Systems Delivery organization to manage delivery and customer support for on‑premises quantum systems
• David Rivas named COO, overseeing manufacturing, delivery, software, and business development
• Dr. Andrew Bestwick named CTO, leading quantum processor, chip manufacturing technology, and hardware development
• Targeted products range from the 9‑qubit Novera to Cepheus‑class systems with 108 qubits
• The Cepheus‑1‑108Q has a target median two‑qubit gate fidelity of 99.5%; no achievement date has been disclosed

Technical and business implications

From a business perspective, splitting system delivery and customer support out of R&D clarifies accountability for on‑premises deployments. Technically, concentrating processor design, chip development, and hardware engineering under the CTO is intended to focus technical resources on improving the performance of the chiplet‑based Cepheus systems. That said, the announcement does not quantify how the reorganization will affect delivery volumes, development velocity, or financial results.

What to watch next

Key items going forward include whether Rigetti provides concrete figures on the number of Novera and Cepheus‑class system deliveries, the customers and sites where they are installed, and the track record of post‑delivery support. On the technical side, it will be important to see whether the Cepheus‑1‑108Q can achieve the target median two‑qubit gate fidelity of 99.5% and under what measurement conditions. In addition, evidence of shortened delivery timelines or demonstrable roadmap acceleration after the reorganization would be material to evaluating its effectiveness.

✍️ Quantum Index Analysis

The notable aspect of this announcement is Rigetti’s organizational separation of “development” and “delivery” for quantum systems. It clarifies that on‑premises products are operated as a business that includes manufacturing, installation, and customer support—not merely as an extension of R&D.

That said, a reorganization alone does not prove increased on‑premises demand or improved delivery capability. Going forward, the degree to which delivery volumes, customer deployments, and support metrics materialize will determine whether this structural change has tangible commercial impact.

Technically, the Cepheus‑1‑108Q’s target median two‑qubitqubitQubit / Quantum Bit / QubitThe basic unit of information in a quantum computer. It can represent not only 0 or 1 but also a quantum state that is a superposition of them.QI NoteHaving more qubits does not necessarily mean higher performance. Error rates, connectivity, coherence time, and the number of logical qubits are also important. gate fidelitygate fidelityGate Fidelity / Gate Fidelity / Quantum Gate FidelityA measure of accuracy that indicates how closely a quantum gate operation was performed compared to the ideal operation.QI NoteHigher is generally better, but values depend on the measurement method and differ between single-qubit and two-qubit gates. When comparing, also check the evaluation conditions. of 99.5% is a meaningful benchmark in the context of error correction, but achieving it alone does not imply FTQCFTQCFault-Tolerant Quantum Computing / FTQCA method for future large-scale quantum computing that uses quantum error correction to allow correct computation to continue even when physical errors occur.QI NoteA demonstration of quantum error correction is not the same as realizing FTQC. Logical error rates, the number of physical qubits required, logical gate performance, and so on are important. is imminent. More important is whether logical error rates continue to fall as qubit counts and code distances scale when error correction is implemented.

The reorganization should ultimately be judged by delivery results, and Cepheus’s technical progress should be evaluated against the conditions for achieving 99.5% and, beyond that, the suppression of logical errors.

Related articles

• Rigetti reports $5.1M revenue in Q2 2026; discloses performance of 108‑qubit system
• IBM unveils modular cryogenic architecture to connect quantum processors
• D‑Wave demonstrates high‑fidelity two‑qubit gates using dual‑rail qubits

Source

Read the company’s announcement