Quantum Chip Testing Firm OrangeQS Secures £9.4m Seed Funding to Accelerate Moore’s Law for Quantum Computing

Dutch startup Orange Quantum Systems, based in Delft, has secured a €12 million seed funding round led by Icecat Capital, with participation from Cottonwood Technology Fund, QBeat Ventures, QDNL Participations, and InnovationQuarter Capital. The investment will facilitate the development of advanced testing equipment designed to address bottlenecks in quantum chip validation, enabling faster and more cost-effective scaling of qubit numbers for leading quantum computing companies such as IQM in Finland, and research institutions including the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and the University of Napoli. OrangeQS provides a product suite – including OrangeQS MAX, OrangeQS FLEX, and the open-source Juice operating system – aimed at streamlining quantum chip testing across the entire research and manufacturing value chain, with the goal of accelerating progress towards a quantum analogue of Moore’s Law.

Orange Quantum Systems has secured £12 million in a seed funding round led by Icecat Capital, with participation from Cottonwood Technology Fund, QBeat Ventures, QDNL Participations, and InnovationQuarter Capital. This investment will directly fund the development of accelerated quantum chip testing equipment, aiming to reduce testing times from weeks to days and accelerate the development of quantum processors. The company’s advancements address a critical bottleneck hindering the progression of quantum computing hardware and promise to streamline the path towards commercially viable quantum computers. The modularity of OrangeQS’s product range supports diverse needs within the quantum ecosystem, offering solutions for both high-volume manufacturing and fundamental research.

The increasing complexity of quantum processors necessitates parallel advances in metrology and validation, demanding more sophisticated testing methodologies. OrangeQS addresses this need by focusing on the practical challenges of quantum chip testing, a process historically constrained by time and cost. The company’s approach centres on automating and standardising procedures to accelerate the characterisation of quantum devices, enabling faster iteration and improved performance.

OrangeQS MAX establishes benchmarks for high-throughput testing, allowing manufacturers to assess large volumes of chips with greater efficiency as qubit counts increase. This capability is crucial for maintaining the pace of qubit scaling and ensuring the rapid validation of increasingly complex processors. The customisable FLEX platform extends these capabilities to research environments, accommodating diverse experimental configurations and facilitating iterative design improvements.

Further supporting the quantum research community, OrangeQS provides Juice, an open-source operating system designed to integrate and manage complete quantum research setups. This software streamlines data acquisition and analysis, enhancing the efficiency of experimental workflows and promoting reproducibility. The funding will enable OrangeQS to expand its capabilities, supporting the scaling of qubit numbers and facilitating a progression analogous to Moore’s Law within the quantum computing domain.

The expansion of quantum computing infrastructure relies heavily on robust and scalable validation procedures. Orange Quantum Systems’ investment in accelerated quantum chip testing directly addresses a critical limitation in translating laboratory prototypes into commercially viable quantum processors. By diminishing the time required for chip characterisation, the company facilitates a faster design-test-iterate cycle, essential for maintaining progress in qubit development.

The open-source Juice operating system further streamlines the quantum workflow by providing a unified software environment for managing hardware and data. By reducing integration complexities and promoting reproducibility in quantum experiments, Juice accelerates the pace of discovery and facilitates collaboration within the quantum community. This holistic approach, encompassing both hardware and software solutions, positions OrangeQS as a key enabler for scaling quantum computing technology.

The provision of Juice, an open-source operating system, represents a commitment to fostering collaboration and reproducibility within the quantum community. A unified software environment simplifies data acquisition, analysis, and device control, reducing the barriers to entry for researchers and accelerating the pace of discovery. This integrated hardware-software solution streamlines workflows and promotes efficient resource allocation, ultimately supporting the ambition of achieving a quantum analogue of Moore’s Law.