OQC rakes in $46 million to place quantum computer systems on the fingertips of companies
2 min read
The VCs have been opening their wallets and their hearts to quantum computing startups this 12 months. The 12 months started with Munich’s Black Quant launching a €100 million quantum know-how fund to again startups within the quantum know-how area, Dutch/American VC agency Cottonwood stepped ahead with $75 million to assist drive deep tech improvements and French quantum computing startup Alice&Bob raised €27 million to construct a fault-tolerant quantum pc.
In one of many greatest fundings within the area, Zurich-based Terra Quantum, raised $60 million Sequence A in January after which prolonged the spherical to a complete of $75 million in March.
Getting into the ranks now, Studying-based Oxford Quantum Circuits (OQC) has raised $46.4 million in funding to speed up its analysis and growth because it appears to broaden into Asia.
Based on the corporate, it’s the largest Sequence A fundraise for a U.Okay. quantum computing firm. The spherical was led by Lansdowne Companions and Asian deeptech fund College of Tokyo Edge Capital Companions (UTEC) and backed by British Affected person Capital, Oxford Science Enterprises and Oxford Funding Consultants.
Based in 2017 by Ilana Wisby, the Oxford College spin-off specialises in quantum pc {hardware}. Its method to superconducting circuits goals to scale back the error charge in quantum computer systems, which retailer data in a measurement referred to as qubits (conventional computer systems use bits). The quantum computing-as-a-service (QCaaS) firm claims its 3D structure for superconducting circuits makes it much less doubtless for the standard of a qubit to degrade, in comparison with two-dimensional circuits.
Ilana Wisby, CEO of OQC stated: “The funding displays the arrogance our traders have in our potential to steer the worldwide quantum trade. It’s a testomony to the numerous technological and business progress now we have achieved in latest months. Additionally it is step one in our worldwide enlargement, bringing quantum to our clients’ fingertips – wherever they’re on the planet.”
In February, the corporate unveiled Lucy, an 8-qubit processor, which is offered for enterprise clients as a part of Amazon Net Service’s (AWS) cloud-based quantum computing companies.
“Since launching the U.Okay.’s first commercially obtainable quantum pc, now we have continued to be extremely impressed with each the technical developments and likewise the longer term ambitions of OQC,” stated Peter Davies, companion and head of developed markets technique at Lansdowne Companions.
