A number of companies, betting on various architectural approaches, are trying to build the first commercially viable quantum computer capable of significantly outperforming current systems.

Oratomic, which entered the race earlier this year with the goal of developing the first utility-scale quantum computer by the end of the decade, said this week that it has raised $300 million. The massive Series A round was co-led by ARCH Venture Partners, Spark Capital, and Khosla Ventures, with participation from Bezos Expeditions, Index Ventures, General Catalyst, Lowercarbon Capital, Bain Capital, and others.

Founded by Caltech physicists, Oratomic uses lasers, which act as optical tweezers, to hold individual atoms in place as the basis for its quantum computer.

The startup was launched after its researchers discovered that their approach can correct errors using significantly fewer qubits — the basic unit in quantum computing — than previously thought possible. Since quantum computers are sensitive to noise, effective error correction is the key to turning them into truly useful tools.

“You would have not previously been able to convince any of us to start a quantum computing company, because we just thought it was way too far away,” Oratomic’s co-founder and CEO Dolev Bluvstein told TechCrunch. “Only when we made this recent breakthrough did we simultaneously all change our minds.”

While most other quantum companies are making prototypes available to research scientists and corporations, Oratomic has no plans to develop or sell these systems, known as noisy intermediate-scale quantum, or NISQ.

Bluvstein noted that Oratomic shouldn’t be compared to PsiQuantum, a startup valued at $7 billion last September, which is also bypassing the NISQ stage and aims to deliver a viable, million-qubit quantum computer by the end of next year.

Oratomic’s approach is fundamentally simpler and less expensive, Bluvstein argued. “The difference is that we need roughly 10,000 to 20,000 qubits to build a useful computer, and we have already experimentally demonstrated all of the core components required of that computer at a slightly smaller scale,” he said.

A full-scale quantum computer could facilitate breakthroughs in any field requiring complex calculations, from biotech, chemistry and logistics to artificial intelligence and cryptography.

Companies working towards building these machines and developing software for their use have seen a wave of enthusiasm from investors recently. Several startups in the space, including Infleqtion and Quantanium, have gone public this year. Meanwhile, existing public companies like Rigetti and IonQ have seen their share prices surge over the past 18 months.

Still, investor Vinod Khosla is so confident Oratomic will build the first fault-tolerant quantum computer that he wrote on X it was his firm’s “largest initial investment yet.”

As Netflix searches for new ways to keep viewers engaged amid signs of slowing engagement, the streaming giant appears to be exploring yet another avenue: always-on live TV channels.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Netflix is considering launching live channels that continuously stream content, giving subscribers something to tune into 24/7. Rather than committing to binge-worthy dramas like “Avatar: The Last Airbender” or the newest thriller “I Will Find You,” subscribers could leave a channel running in the background for hours of entertainment.

This move would put Netflix in more direct competition with free, ad-supported streaming services such as Pluto TV and Tubi. It could also provide a meaningful boost to Netflix’s ad business, since live programming typically doesn’t allow viewers to skip commercials.

The WSJ also reports that Netflix is exploring bundles, similar to offerings from Apple and Amazon. According to people familiar with the matter, Peacock is among the services being discussed as a potential partner.

Netflix didn’t immediately respond to our request for comment.

The reported plans come as Netflix has made other moves to increase viewer engagement. Recently, the company has experimented with short-form video, video podcasts, and a new gaming app for kids to drive viewership. 

Earlier this week, Bloomberg reported that the company has become increasingly concerned about audience declines between the first and second seasons of many of its original shows, raising questions about its ability to sustain long-term hits. Plus, Netflix’s share of total TV viewing has also slipped. According to Nielsen, the streamer accounted for 7.8% of TV viewing in April.

Additionally, Variety reported on Friday that Netflix is in talks to buy Letterboxd, the popular social platform for movie fans.

The EU announced on Friday that Meta must overhaul Facebook’s and Instagram’s addictive design features or face a fine. The tech giant is in breach of the Digital Services Act by focusing on features like infinite scroll, autoplay, push notifications, and highly personalized recommendation algorithms, the European Commission said.

The Commission says these features fuel the user’s urge to keep scrolling and shift the brain into “autopilot mode,” which contributes to unhealthy habits and compulsive use. It found that Meta failed to adequately assess the risks posed by the addictive design of its platforms to users’ physical and mental wellbeing, including minors and vulnerable adults.

The Commission also accused Meta of ignoring evidence about the amount of time minors spend on Instagram and Facebook at night and how features such as Reels and Stories could encourage excessive or compulsive use of the platforms.

“Evidence also shows that Meta’s current mitigation measures failed to effectively tackle the risks stemming from its addictive design,” the Commission wrote. “For example, Instagram’s and Facebook’s time management tools, including those activated by default for teens, can be easily dismissed and do not lead to a meaningful reduction and control of the usage of the service.”

It’s calling on Meta to disable key addictive features, such as autoplay and infinite scroll by default, and to introduce effective screen-time breaks, as well as modify its recommendation algorithm to make it less focused on user engagement.

The findings are not final, and Meta will now have the opportunity to review the evidence against it and submit a formal response. If the Commission’s findings are confirmed, Meta faces a fine of up to 6% of its total global annual turnover.

Meta did not immediately respond to TechCrunch’s request for comment.

Friday’s announcement marks the second time this year that the EU Commission has found Meta of breaching its laws. In April, the Commission found that Meta was failing to prevent children under 13 from using Facebook and Instagram.

Meta has also been facing scrutiny in the U.S. for failing to protect young users on its platforms. Most recently, Meta said in a court filing on Monday that four U.S. states are seeking $1.4 trillion in penalties over claims that the tech giant designed Facebook and Instagram to addict young users and that it misled the public about the platforms’ safety.