LONDON, May 1 (Reuters) - Novo Holdings, the controlling

shareholder of Danish obesity drugmaker Novo Nordisk,

said on Wednesday it plans to invest around $200 million in

quantum computing startups.

The company, the investment arm of the Novo Nordisk

Foundation, has 77% of voting shares in Novo Nordisk, which is

known for producing blockbuster obesity drug Wegovy and diabetes

treatment Ozempic.

CONTEXT

Experts believe quantum computing may prove to be among the

most transformational technological developments of the 21st

century.

Tech companies and governments alike have been working to

create machines that take advantage of quantum mechanics,

capable of making scientific calculations that would otherwise

take most computers millions of years.

WHY IT'S IMPORTANT

Announcing the news on Wednesday, Novo Holdings said it

wanted to help build an ecosystem of quantum computing startups,

with a particular focus on life sciences companies based in

Nordic countries.

By applying the technology to the development of

pharmaceuticals and other life sciences, quantum computing

companies could significantly speed up the drug discovery

process.

KEY QUOTE

Soren Moller, managing partner of seed investments at Novo

Holdings, said: "Quantum technology is a disruptive and

transformative field that can revolutionise various sectors and

address global challenges."

He added: "Our ultimate goal is to create, grow and develop

strong quantum technology companies in the Nordics."