Firstly, I wish everyone a good weekend. There are fears abound regarding a certain country. We noticed extra security outside a Jewish family center today (in Chicagoland).

We spent today answering an important question...how will we spend our next productive quarter as an advanced computing company?

We recently signed up to renew our Systems for Award Management certification that allows us to engage with U.S. Federal Government Agencies through 2024. We spent today deep diving into all of the open Small Business Innovation Research programs.

We found two potential fits for our research efforts moving forward. However, they are very deep and rich when compared to our capabilities.

The first area is quantum hardening. This should be right in our wheelhouse. Post Quantum Cryptography. Network security to defend against future quantum systems. Looks like a great place to flex our quantum computing muscles. However, it isn't like that. It is a Direct to Phase 2 funding only, and requires an already existing proof of concept, technical feasibility study, references that it will work, and an early prototype. This funding takes those concepts into a functioning software model that runs on U.S. Army systems. A system that is interoperable with U.S. Army systems and speaks the same protocols, reads the network metadata, and can scan for weaknesses. A system that can be 'allowed' into secure spaces. We have ideas, capabilities, know-how, and U.S. research contacts in the PQC space. It is possible that with a Phase I SBIR grant, six months time, and a slightly larger team we could get there, but that is not the solicitation.

Solicitation details here: Tactical Implementation of Quantum Hardening
The second area is creating a data mesh reference design (REFDES) for Artificial Intelligence, at the Enterprise Data Architecture level. This would allow the U.S. Department of Defense to identify and access all of the artificial intelligence data assets and products, which increases capabilities and decreases the issues from stove-piping data solutions.

This could be feasible for us if we were skilled, experienced, educated and had a hands-on working knowledge of data management specific to artificial intelligence. There are so many areas to work in, from taxonomy and data structuring, to systems security and API definitions and access, to ensuring safe data practices and IP protection, and through to risk and threat assessment. However, like the first area, the ideal solution for this problem is commercial, off the shelf software, or COTS. It would be a dual-use technology that works in the public and private sector.

In our case, we moved into quantum computing, then pivoted into financial services applications of the technology. We did not shift into Artificial Intelligence.

We could, and probably should, spend the few months learning about this topic, but we do not believe it would help us to add value in this space immediately. This is a pass.

Solicitation details here:
Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO) Data Mesh Reference Design (REFDES)
Other topic areas were very cool, but not relevant to our future directions, nor our capabilities.

For more information about the full range of SBIR programs, please access the America's Seed Fund website, published by the National Science Foundation.

What does it mean for us?
It means we need to stick to our knitting, and get to work in an aggressive and focused way.

• We have great ideas on portfolio optimization.
• We have a core understanding of quantum computing.
• We are registered investment advisors in Illinois.
• Chicago Quantum: Optimizing investment portfolios at the heart of quantum computing.