Martin Shkreli has announced a strategic investment in Q/C Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:QCLS), setting a bold near-term price target of $100.
The investor is betting heavily that the future of high-performance computing lies in photonics rather than quantum mechanics, explicitly citing a new study by Microsoft Corp.‘s (NASDAQ:MSFT) research as validation of the sector's massive potential.
Check out QCLS’ stock price here.
‘Quantum Class’ Pivot
Shkreli revealed his position on X, arguing that “frontier computing is optical, not quantum.” He characterized the technology as “quantum class” to signal its potential to investors, asserting that photonic systems can perform the complex matrix multiplications required for AI far faster than current GPUs.
“I'm still bearish on quantum,” Shkreli wrote, noting that QCLS and its partners in Israel have demonstrated data “more impressive than current quantum stocks.” He capped his endorsement by stating he would be willing to serve as CEO of the company “if allowed by Trump.”
Microsoft's Scientific Validation
Shkreli's investment thesis is anchored by a newly published paper in Nature titled “Analog optical computer for AI inference and combinatorial optimization”. Shkreli urged his followers to read the study, predicting that “all of the large companies will have an optical computing plan in the next 5-10 years.”
The Microsoft paper introduces an Analog Optical Computer (AOC) designed to solve the exact bottlenecks Shkreli highlighted.
According to the study, this new hardware uses a “dual-domain” approach combining analog electronics and 3D optics to accelerate AI inference and complex optimization tasks.
The researchers demonstrated that by avoiding energy-intensive digital conversions, the AOC could achieve efficiency gains over 100 times greater than leading GPUs.
Bridging The Hardware Gap
The Microsoft study validates the specific operational capabilities Shkreli attributes to the optical sector.
The researchers successfully applied the AOC to real-world industrial problems, such as medical image reconstruction and financial transaction settlements, proving the technology is not just theoretical.
By utilizing light intensity to encode data and performing calculations at the speed of light, the system overcomes the “memory-bottlenecked” limitations of current digital chips. Shkreli views these technical milestones as a signal that the wider market is on the verge of a major hardware transition.
QCLS Underperforms In 2025
The stock ended 38.17% higher at $4.67 apiece on Wednesday, and rose 3.43% in after-hours. However, it has fallen 95.94% year-to-date and 96.14% over the year.
It maintains a weaker price trend over the short, medium, and long terms. Additional performance details, as per Benzinga’s Edge Stock Rankings, are available here.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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