QuiX Quantum, a company that manufactures quantum processors, has raised a €5.5 million Seed Round investment from PhotonDelta, FORWARD.one, and Oost NL. The investment comes after Dr. Stefan Hengesbach, a seasoned industry professional, was named QuiX’s new CEO. It also marks PhotonDelta’s first major investment since it secured €1.1 billion in investment to expand the Dutch photonics ecosystem. With its record-breaking 12- and 20-qumode* power, QuiX’s processors are already the de facto standard for photonic quantum computing in the UK, France, Germany, and Hungary.
“QuiX Quantum’s processors are already world leading and ideally suited to create the most powerful photonic quantum computer we have yet seen. This round brings us a huge leap forward towards this goal and will enable us to start the production of a game-changing 50 qumode processor. The technical terms around quantum computing can be very complicated. However, what we need to keep in mind is just how radical this technology is. It will impact every part of our lives from enabling truly smart cities and developing new drugs to answering some of the most profound questions about the nature of our universe.”
Dr. Stefan Hengesbach, CEO of QuiX Quantum
Photonics uses photons to transmit information. They create smaller, faster, and more energy-efficient devices by incorporating photonic functions into microchips. Photonic chips, called photonic integrated circuits (PICs), have higher processing speeds and efficiency than electronic circuits, making them perfect for quantum computing. A significant advantage of photonic quantum computers is that most of their components can operate at room temperature, reducing their cost and size.
“QuiX Quantum is one of the Netherland’s most exciting startups. In only three years, it has become an industry leader, and now, with this initial investment, it will be able to make a serious breakthrough in quantum computing. Photonics is an incredibly powerful new technology that has scores of applications. QuiX Quantum is showcasing how it can be applied to overcome some major hurdles in quantum computing and underscoring why it is important that we build our own European photonics industry.”
Ewit Roos, CEO of PhotonDelta
With this funding, QuiX expects to launch a full system photonic quantum computer based on its 20 qumode processor in the first quarter of 2023 and launch a new generation 50 qumode processor later the same year.
