Universal Quantum, a UK company building large-scale quantum computing systems for real-world use, has secured over $100 million (£75m+) in Series A funding – marking the largest Series A ever raised by a quantum firm headquartered in the UK.
The funding will accelerate the company’s global expansion, as well as the development and commercialisation of its modular technology, advancing a path towards fault-tolerant quantum computing.
The round was co-led by DCVC and Firgun Ventures, with participation from EDBI, Artal (advised by Invus), Integral GlobalTech, Main Sequence, Hostplus, NGS Super, IAG Capital, EdenBase, Eigenstate.holdings, and Dave Baszucki (founder and CEO of Roblox), as well as other existing and new strategic investors including Nauta Capital and The Venture Collective.
“Universal Quantum’s progress reflects our partners’ belief that we represent one of the most credible paths to quantum computing at scale,” said Dr Sebastian Weidt, CEO and co-founder of Universal Quantum.
“This round unites an extraordinary group of investors from the world’s most important pools of capital around a single mission: delivering utility-scale quantum computing.”
The new capital will drive the continued development and commercialisation of Universal Quantum’s modular approach to building the quantum computers needed for practical, error-corrected use – leveraging the company’s patented, world-record interconnect technology and advanced integrated chips to develop the chiplet arrays and control systems required to reduce engineering risk and accelerate the path to larger-scale quantum computers.
The funding will also support Universal Quantum’s recently announced expansion in Singapore, where it is establishing its first R&D centre outside Europe, as well as expansion in the United States, Japan and across its German hub in Hamburg.
Universal Quantum was founded on the belief that scale is the major challenge in quantum computing. Its computers are designed and built by linking together, or tiling, many small, advanced quantum chips to deliver the overall high-quality qubit count required to solve problems classical computers cannot – without reliance on photonic interconnects or large, costly lasers and cooling infrastructure.
Each chip uses trapped-ion technology, where charged atoms held in place by electric fields act as qubits. Universal Quantum’s approach is designed to connect these modules in a practical, manufacturable way, creating a route to the scale needed for fault-tolerant quantum computing and giving industry partners a clearer path to quantum utility.
Universal Quantum was founded in 2018 by Professor Sebastian Weidt and Professor Winfried Hensinger of the University of Sussex, co-authors of the first practical blueprint for a large-scale trapped-ion quantum computer, published in 2017. It has since become a global engineering operation, with sites across three continents.
Now delivering against a $77 million contract with the German Aerospace Center (DLR), Universal Quantum is establishing a permanent presence via an R&D centre in Singapore, with further international collaborations to be announced soon.
“Universal Quantum brings together world-class scientific leadership with an exceptionally clear approach to quantum computing,” said Zeynep Korutürk, founding & managing partner of Firgun Ventures.
“Having laid some of the earliest foundations for large-scale trapped-ion architectures, Sebastian and Winfried are true pioneers in the field. With Europe under pressure to prove it can compete on frontier technologies, we are proud to invest in a European company that has grown into a global player, one that is well positioned to help define the future of industrial-scale quantum computing.”
“True quantum utility will be unlocked by companies that are relentlessly focused on the scalability of their machines,” said James Hardiman, general partner at DCVC. “Universal Quantum’s modular architecture addresses the hardest challenges in scaling ion trap systems. Quantum is a global race, and we are pleased to back a team with genuine standing across Europe, Asia-Pacific and North America.”
Bill Bartee, managing partner at Main Sequence, added: “What sets Universal Quantum apart is its ability to win major contracts at this stage of development.
“In a sector where hype and hyperbole are running far ahead of commercial reality, Universal Quantum has built a paying customer base that includes some of the world’s most demanding scientific and government institutions, and has done so before most competitors have shipped any working hardware.”
Evren Bilimer, managing director at Invus, said: “We believe quantum computing will be one of the defining technologies of the coming decades, and that the companies which reach utility-scale will be those that combine deep technical capability with commercial discipline.
“Universal Quantum stands out for the rigour of its engineering roadmap and for having funded that roadmap through real customer contracts. We are pleased to deepen our commitment to the quantum ecosystem by backing this team.”
Lazard, Inc. acted as exclusive financial advisor to Universal Quantum in the transaction.