Sparrow Quantum is Denmark’s only pick for EU quantum funds

Sparrow Quantum will outline a path toward large-scale photonic quantum computers with a four-month project funded by the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking’s Quantum Grand Challenge. The Danish company is the sole recipient of funding from Denmark within the EU program, which selected 13 companies from thirty proposals.

“Being selected alongside Europe’s leading quantum companies is a proud moment for the team,” said Peter Lodahl, founder and Chief Quantum Officer at Sparrow Quantum. EU-SCALE, Sparrow Quantum’s project, will deliver a technical and financial roadmap and potentially unlock venture debt financing from the European Investment Bank as part of Phase 2 of the challenge.

EU-SCALE Project Maps Path to Photonic Quantum Computers

The company’s four-month EU-SCALE project will focus on mapping a pathway toward large-scale photonic quantum computers, building upon its existing deterministic photon technology. This investment highlights a decision to support a limited number of European companies that can advance quantum capabilities. The project’s scope extends beyond generating qubits; it addresses the critical challenge of integrating those photons into larger, functional systems.

“EU-SCALE gives us the opportunity to build on that progress and take on the system architecture around the source — the part of the problem I have long wanted Sparrow to tackle.” Sparrow Quantum will deliver both a technical and financial roadmap, alongside initial evidence of a resource-efficient architecture compatible with existing European high-performance computing infrastructure. This structure intends to move European quantum startups toward commercial viability, offering a potential springboard for significantly larger investment beyond the initial €300,000.

Thirteen companies were selected from thirty proposals submitted to the call, with an independent panel of experts evaluating each submission before finalizing the list. The EuroHPC Joint Undertaking, jointly funded by its members with a budget of at least EUR 8.2 billion for 2021-2027, aims to establish Europe as a global leader in supercomputing and quantum technologies.