Enschede, the Netherlands-based QuiX Quantum, a company working on photonic quantum processors, announced on Thursday that it has secured €5.5M in a Seed round of funding from PhotonDelta, FORWARD.one and Oost NL.
The company also announced the appointment of industry veteran Dr Stefan Hengesbach as its new CEO.
Capital utilisation
QuiX says that the funding will take them a step closer to creating the world’s most powerful photonic quantum computer.
CEO Stefan Hengesbach says, “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,” adds Hengesbach.
“Igniting a quantum revolution”
QuiX Quantum was founded in January 2019 by Dr Hans van den Vlekkert, a veteran of the photonics industry and serial entrepreneur, Dr Jelmer Renema, an expert in quantum photonics, and a team of professors from the University of Twente.
QuiX focuses on the development of quantum computing using integrated photonics. Currently, the company’s goal is to disrupt quantum computing with its high-tech, scalable, future-proof, plug-and-play integrated photonic solutions.
Due to a record-breaking 12 and 20 Qumode power, QuiX Quantum’s processors are already the ‘de facto’ norm for photonic quantum computing in the UK, France, Germany, and Hungary.
What are Qumodes? Qubits, which are equivalent to computer processor speed, indicate the calculating speed of a quantum computer. Qumodes are qubits’ optical counterparts. The quantity of light lost while travelling through the processor determines its quality – the less loss, the better. QuiX Quantum says it has successfully created a processor with the most qumodes and the lowest optical losses.
Photonics is the transmission of information using photons (light). In order to produce smaller, quicker, and energy-efficient devices, photonic chips, also known as photonic integrated circuits (PICs), integrate photonic functionality into microchips. Compared to their electronic counterparts, PICs are far more efficient in processing and transmitting data. As a result, PICs are now recognised as the ideal technology for quantum computing.
Also, most of the components of a photonic quantum computer can operate at room temperature – a major step forward in reducing their cost and size.
QuiX has plans to introduce a whole system photonic quantum computer based on its 20 qumode processors as well as a 50 qumode processor of a new generation in early 2023. The quantum machine becomes a supercomputer when it has 50 Qumodes instead of 20 as opposed to a laptop.
Investors supporting QuiX Quantum
Netherlands-based PhotonDelta is an ecosystem that researches, designs, develops, and manufactures solutions with integrated photonics technology. Connecting pioneers in the field with investors, and viable markets, PhotonDelta helps to take the industry forward with funding, investments and R&D roadmaps.
This investment in QuiX Quantum marks the first major investment by PhotonDelta since it secured €1.1B in investment to expand the Dutch photonics ecosystem. By 2030, PhotonDelta aims to create an ecosystem with hundreds of companies, serving customers worldwide and a wafer production capacity of 100,000+ per year.
CEO of PhotonDelta, Ewit Roos, says, “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 so important that we build our own European photonics industry.”
FORWARD.one is a venture capital fund focused on high-tech hardware startups and scale-ups. The firm manages €180M across multiple funds, with investments in robotics, semiconductors, photonics, sensors, virtual/augmented reality, biomanufacturing, and audio technology.
Paul Pruijmboom, Partner at FORWARD.one, adds, “QuiX Quantum will play a vital role in the adoption of quantum computing because of its scalability and stable plug-and-play systems. This distinguishes it from competitors in the industry. Multiple systems are already shipped throughout Europe and it is a matter of time till other parts of the world will recognise QuiX Quantum’s unique capabilities as well.”
Oost NL (East Netherlands Development Agency) is an agency that focuses its activities and projects on strengthening and stimulating the economy of the provinces of Gelderland and Overijssel, the Netherlands. The firm supports starting and growth phases of SMEs, partly with risk capital from various revolving innovation funds, and partly through its own knowledge, networks and contacts.
Chimwemwe de Gaay Fortman of Oost NL says, “Because of its groundbreaking achievements, QuiX Quantum has become one of the key players in the quantum computing industry with the use of photonic chips. Our region has a strong profile in the field of this key technology, QuiX plays an important role in this ecosystem.”