Universal Quantum raises $100M Series A
Universal Quantum, a UK-based quantum computing startup building large-scale quantum systems for real-world use, has raised $100 million in a Series A round it says is the largest Series A secured by a UK-headquartered quantum firm. The round was co-led by DCVC and Firgun Ventures.
Other investors in the round included EDBI, Integral GlobalTech, NGS Super, IAG Capital, EdenBase, Eigenstate Holdings, SiteGround Capital and Dave Baszucki, founder and CEO of Roblox, as well as existing and new strategic investors including Nauta Capital and The Venture Collective.
Universal Quantum was founded in 2018 as a spinout from the University of Sussex and is headquartered in Haywards Heath, Sussex. The company focuses on building fault-tolerant quantum computers with millions of error-corrected qubits, with a business model centered on scaling economically and reliably rather than pursuing near-term breakthroughs or software-only approaches.
Its technology stack includes the iQPU, or integrated Quantum Processing Unit, a proprietary trapped-ion chip designed for manufacturability and performance on a standard 200mm commercial foundry line. The company says the chip hosts hundreds of ion qubits on a die larger than 400mm², and that it uses global microwave control instead of laser-based systems. Universal Quantum also developed UQConnect, an interconnect system that links chips at a rate of 2,424 connections per second with 99.999993% fidelity.
The company said it has raised more than $125 million in total and has won contracts with the German government. It also has operations in the US, Germany, Japan, Denmark and Australia, and has worked with partners including Rolls-Royce on applications for fault-tolerant quantum computing in computational fluid dynamics.
The new funding will be used to accelerate the company’s expansion in the United States, Japan and its German hub in Hamburg, as well as to support further development and commercialisation of its technology.
“Universal Quantum’s progress reflects our partners’ belief that we represent one of the most credible paths to quantum computing at scale. 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.”
